Guide to a Non-Existent Country
The Europeans | European news, politics and culture
Katy Lee and Dominic Kraemer
4.8 • 162 Ratings
🗓️ 27 May 2020
⏱️ 32 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The Italian journalist and travel writer Giovanni Vale is used to writing tourist guidebooks, but usually they're for countries that still exist. We rang him up to ask why he's turned his attention to 'extinguished' countries, starting with the Venetian Republic which sprawled across the Mediterranean for more than a millennium. Also this week: Polish punk and Europe's organic revolution.
Giovanni's guide to the Venetian Republic is available for pre-order here: https://bit.ly/2zB1Rar
Isolation Inspiration:
Rabbit Hole - The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/column/rabbit-hole
(Although) In Pieces, Yet One - Francesca Vincentie https://inpiecesyetone.com
Inside Politics - all that bond stuff, explained https://bit.ly/2AcEPq6
Thanks for listening. If you like the show, you can help us keep making it by chipping in a few dollars a month at https://patreon.com/europeanspodcast.
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Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | You're late. |
| 0:17.0 | Sorry, Dominic, I'm multitasking as we record this, because I've got a new job. |
| 0:22.0 | But I liked it when you had all your time for podcasting. What's going on? |
| 0:26.3 | Well, you know how my parents got a bike shop, electric bikes. |
| 0:29.5 | Yeah. Ah, I see where this is going. Electric bikes are one of the few businesses that's booming at the moment, thanks to COVID. |
| 0:37.2 | Exactly. We're in a very fortunate position as a family, but they've been busy to the extent |
| 0:41.8 | that I've had to be drafted in this week as a receptionist. My mom hasn't had a break in weeks, |
| 0:46.1 | so my dad's redirected the shop phone to my mobile. And I'm fielding requests. It's very |
| 0:50.9 | exciting. Whoa. So we might have to stop a few times in the middle of recording for you |
| 0:54.9 | to speak to potential electric bike customers hello wish bikes how can I help i think i've got quite a cheery |
| 1:01.3 | phone manner well it depends what mood you're in um how how many bikes have you sold today |
| 1:06.4 | none yet oh it's only very early in the morning. |
| 1:11.6 | Give me a minute. |
| 1:12.6 | I've sold 10 by the end of the day. |
| 1:13.6 | I'm very confident. |
| 1:14.6 | And how is it for your parents? |
| 1:16.6 | Because they import them from China, don't they? |
| 1:18.6 | Yeah. |
| 1:19.6 | So they're actually about to run out of stock. |
| 1:21.6 | So get in there quick. |
| 1:22.6 | If you're in the UK and you're thinking about getting an electric bike, |
| 1:25.6 | try washbikes.com.ukho.uk, we deliver. |
... |
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