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This final episode in our Stratford-Upon-Avon mini-series revolves around all things theatrical. First, there's a little  history on where in the town Shakespeare found his inspiration, then there are 'visits' to all three Royal Shakespeare venues as well as information on the company's museum of props and costumes. Whether you want to discover Stratford's theatres, see a play or learn more about life behind the scenes, all you need to know is here. Reading Suggestions Know-it-All Shakespeare Edited by Ros Barber and Mark Rylance The Man who Pays the Rent by Judi Dench    Fools and Mortals by Bernard Cornwell Links for this post The Royal Shakespeare Company   The 3 Stratford theatres   RSC information on Shakespeare    RSC Public costume hire   The Play’s the Thing (exhibition)     City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time! Check our website to find more episodes from our Stratford-Upon-Avon mini-series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting:  https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk We love to receive your comments and suggestions!  You can e mail us at [email protected] And if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode.  That would be a big help!

Stratford-Upon-Avon has many charms – its Tudor ambiance, its riverside setting – but really there’s only one reason why it attracts up to 6 million visitors in a year. Shakespeare.  And this episode is dedicated to places where you can 'find' him there today.  There's a little biographical background, focussing mainly on his Stratford years and a run-through of five of the most significant places in his life which you can still visit today.  As usual, there is much more detail on the podcast.     Reading Suggestions Shakespeare The Biography by Peter Ackroyd Hidden Shakespeare by Nicholas Fogg Shakespeare by Bill Bryson Fools and Mortals by Bernard Cornwell Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell Links for this post Shakespeare’s Birthplace    Shakespeare’s Schoolroom and Guild Hall Anne Hathaway’s Cottage      New Place  Holy Trinity Church      City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time! Check our website to find more episodes from our Stratford-Upon-Avon series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk We love to receive your comments and suggestions!  You can e mail us at [email protected] And if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode.  That would be a big help!

Ok, so Stratford-upon-Avon is not actually a city, but as a town which punches well above its weight historically and culturally, we’re giving it an honorary place in the City Breaks collection.  This is the introductory episode, with a little geographical and historical context and an idea for a first get-your-bearings walk around Stratford.  It will introduce you to Stratford's Tudor gabled houses, riverside setting, swans and boats and, of course, give a flavour of Stratford as Shakespeare's home town, where he was both born and buried and where he bought the town's second biggest house as a retirement pad.  So, with no more ado and as the great man himself might have said, shall we wend? Reading Suggestions Stratford-upon-Avon Quick Trips by Cynthia Atkins A-Z of Stratford-upon-Avon by Will Atkins Secret Stratford by Nicholas Fogg Shakespeare The Biography by Peter Ackroyd Links for this Episode Visit Stratford-upon-Avon  Guided walks around Stratford  City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time! Check our website to find more episodes from our Stratford-Upon-Avon series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk We love to receive your comments and suggestions!  You can e mail us at [email protected] And if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode.  That would be very much appreciated!

Both Vincennes and St Germain-en-Laye make excellent days out from Paris, or even half days as both can be reached by public transport in less than half an hour.  Each has a magnificent castle to visit, plus a range of other cultural, relaxation and shopping possibilities.  So this episode tells you how to get to each place, following up with what there is to see and do there, plus – bien sûr! – a few of the interesting historical snippets which will inform your visit.   Links for this post Château de Vincennes Vincennes Tourist Office Château de St Germain-en-Laye St Germain-en-Laye Tourist Office Espace Vera Debussy’s Birthplace   City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time! Check our website to find more episodes from our Paris series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk We love to receive your comments and suggestions!  You can e mail us at [email protected] And if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode.  That would be a big help!

This Paris episode covers two of the most beautiful châteaux in the Paris region.  Both are easy to reach on public transport and both have fascinating stories to tell.  We cover how to get there, what you can expect to see and make sure we cover the most interesting tales – François I’s show-off gallery, Napoleon’s refurbishment to impress the Pope and the party-to-end-all-parties which went ended in disaster and ruination.   Reading Suggestion Francis I, The Maker of Modern France by Leonie Frieda    Useful Links Château de Fontainebleau      Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte        City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time! Check our website to find more episodes from our Paris series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk We love to receive your comments and suggestions!  You can e mail us at [email protected] And if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode.  That would be a big help!

Our Amsterdam Anthology rounds off the series by offering some different perspectives on the city. Here, you’ll find Amsterdam seen through the eyes of writers, some from the past, many contemporary: travel writers, journalists, novelists and an author of short stories.  Between them they provide lots of different ways to get to know – or reminisce about! – the city and, we hope, plenty of inspiration for further reading.   Reading Suggestions  My Dam Life by Sean Conlan  Amsterdam Stories by Nescio Amsterdam by Ian McEwen The Coffee Trader by David Liss The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton The House of Fortune by Jessie Burton Tulip Fever by Deborah Moggach   City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time! Check our website to find more episodes from our Amsterdam series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk We love to receive your comments and suggestions!  You can e mail us at [email protected] And if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode.  That would be a big help!

This episode in two halves starts with food in Amsterdam; the street snacks you’ll want to try, the Dutch specialities to look out for in restaurants and a brief introduction to the city’s favourite ethnic cuisine, namely Indonesian.  If you don’t know your drop from your rijsttafel, help is at hand.  After a brief word on bier and jenever (Dutch gin) and a look at the Heineken Experience and the city’s Brown Cafes, it’s time for shopping: a tour of the best markets and a visit to the two best areas for wandering, browsing and maybe making a purchase or two.   LINKS FOR THIS POST Kaaskamer Amsterdam Foodie guide to Indonesian restaurants I love Amsterdam post on pancakes  Van Wonderen Stroopwafel   Het Oud-Hollandsch Snoepwinkeltje  Café Chris   Café Hoppe   The Heineken Experience  I am Amsterdam post on the best breweries to visit in Amsterdam   Bloemenmarkt    Waterlooplein Flea Market    Previous Episode   Tulips and diamonds   Next Episode coming very soon.   City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time! Check our website to find more episodes from our Amsterdam series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk We love to receive your comments and suggestions!  You can e mail us at [email protected] And if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode.  That would be a big help!

Tulips and diamonds: both figure centrally in the story of Amsterdam.  The Netherlands is known as the ‘flower shop of the world’ and a visit to Amsterdam’s flower market a must for any visit.  Equally, you will surely want to explore Amsterdam’s heritage as the ‘City of Diamonds’.  This episode brings a little background history on both topics, plus ideas for three places to visit to find out more.   Reading Suggestions  The Tulip by Anna Pavord    Tulip Fever by Deborah Moggach    Links for this post The Tulip Museum  The Diamond Museum   Royal Coster Diamonds    City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time! Check our website to find more episodes from our Amsterdam series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk We love to receive your comments and suggestions!  You can e mail us at [email protected] And if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode.  That would be a big help!

This episode covers everything it's good to know before you visit the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam: a brief biography of Vincent himself, followed by tips on what to look out for in the museum dedicated to his work.  To finish, there are ideas for 3 more arty venues to visit in Amsterdam if you want to investigate the city's modern art and street art offerings.     Reading Suggestions  Van Gogh The Life by Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith The Letters of Vincent Van Gogh Van Gogh The Complete Paintings by Ingo F. Walther and Rainer Metzger    Links for this post Van Gogh Museum   Stedelijk Museum  NDSM Loods  Straat Museum  City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time! Check our website to find more episodes from our Amsterdam series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk We love to receive your comments and suggestions!  You can e mail us at [email protected] And if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode.  That would be a big help!

This episode revolves around Amsterdam's top art gallery, the Rijksmuseum.  It starts with a little history,  explaining how art came to be of such importance in Amsterdam's  Golden Age in the 17th century, then continues with some biographical details on the two top artists from the era, Rembrandt and Vermeer.  It finishes with pointers to some of their best-known works, plus ideas for other highlights to look out for when visiting the gallery.   Reading Suggestions Tulip Fever by Deborah Moggach   Vermeer by Christopher Wright  Rijksmuseum guidebook      Links for this post The Rijksmuseum   Rembrandt House Museum    Old World Voyages blog    Essential Vermeer  Simon Schama, Great Gallery Tours, the Rijksmuseum  City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time! Check our website to find more episodes from our Amsterdam series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk We love to receive your comments and suggestions!  You can e mail us at [email protected] And if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode.  That would be a big help!

This episode on World War II in Amsterdam looks at how 5 years of German occupation affected everyone living there and suggests places to visit to find out more.  We start with the population in general and the Dutch Resistance Museum, then look at the plight of the city’s Jewish population before finishing with a section on Anne Frank: her story and the museum now operating in the building where she and her family lived in hiding for 25 months.   Reading Suggestions  The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank   The Dutch Resistance 1940-1945 by Klaas Kastlein and Michael Wenting Links for this post The Dutch Resistance Museum The Hollandsche Schouwburg Memorial Site The National Holocaust Museum Anne Frank House   City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time! Check our website to find more episodes from our Amsterdam series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk We love to receive your comments and suggestions!  You can e mail us at [email protected] And if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode.  That would be a big help!

This episode introduces Amsterdam's Jewish culture. There's a little historical context, beginning with the arrival of Jews fleeing from other parts of Europe in the 16th century and ending in today’s city where Jewish culture is centred around the Jewish Quarter. Then there's a description of some of the most significant places to visit, focussing especially on the Portugese Synagogue and the Jewish Museum. The holocaust will be dealt with in the next episode. Links for this post National Holocaust Museum   Hollandsche Schouwburg   Portuguese Synagogue   Jewish Museum      City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time! Check our website to find more episodes from our Amsterdam series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk We love to receive your comments and suggestions!  You can e mail us at [email protected] And if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode.  That would be a big help!

This episode takes you to Amsterdam's Golden Age, the era when, as the Encyclopaedia Britannica puts it, ‘the little nation on the North Sea was one of the most powerful countries in the world, dominating the seas and flourishing in trade, science and – especially – the arts.'  First there's a little history to explain how this phenomenon came about and what it meant for Amsterdammers and for the rest of the world, then we visit three different places in the city where you can find out more.     Reading Suggestions  The Embarrassment of Riches The Dutch Golden Age by Simon Schama Amsterdam A Brief Life of the City by Geert Mak Amsterdam A History of the World’s Most Liberal City by Russell Shorto Links for this post Rembrandt House   Amsterdam Museum   Rijksmuseum    City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time! Check our website to find more episodes from our Amsterdam series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk We love to receive your comments and suggestions!  You can e mail us at [email protected] And if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode.  That would be a big help!

The churches of Amsterdam are not always what they seem.  One is more of a national memorial, another is an art gallery and concert venue.  A third is a museum where you can learn the story of the hidden churches which opened in the 17th century and where worshippers gathered for over 200 years.  The key factor is a date – 1578 – when an event occurred which changed everything: the Alteration.  This episode explains what happened and then tours half a dozen of the city’s churches and explains what you can expect to find if you visit them today.   Reading Suggestions  Amsterdam A Brief Life of the City by Geert Mak Amsterdam A History of the World’s Most Liberal City by Russell Shorto The Invention of Amsterdam A History of the World’s Greatest City in 10 Walks by Ben Coates Links for this post The Begijnhof The Oude Kerk The Nieuwe Kerk The Westerkerk The Noorderkerk    St Nicholas Our Lord in the Attic

The canals ARE Amsterdam and Amsterdam IS its canals.  This episode is all about them, covering both the engineering genius which gave them their UNESCO World Heritage Site status and their beauty, charmingly different in each season.  We bring you a little history, a little atmosphere and 4 suggestions for places to visit to find out more.   READING SUGGESTIONS Amsterdam A Brief Life of the City by Geert Mak Amsterdam A History of the World’s Most Liberal City by Russell Shorto The Invention of Amsterdam A History of the World’s Greatest City in 10 Walks by Ben Coates LINKS FOR THIS POST   The Canal Museum    The Van Loon Museum   The Willet-Holthuysen Museum  The Houseboat Museum   City Breaks: all the history and culture you'd research for yourself if you had the time! Check our website to find more episodes from our Amsterdam series or to browse our back catalogue of other cities which are well worth visiting: https://www.citybreakspodcast.co.uk We love to receive your comments and suggestions!  You can e mail us at [email protected] And if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode.  That would be a big help!