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 SUGGESTIONSAmsterdam A Brief Life of the City by Geert MakAmsterdam A History of the World’s Most Liberal City by Russell ShortoThe 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 citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.ukAnd if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode.  That would be a big help!     

Here are 5 suggestions for walks around Amsterdam.  They include possible stopping places and between them they offer a way to see something of all of the main parts of the city.  We give enough detail to follow the route if you take a map with you and a little info on the main places you’ll be passing, although we’ll be coming back to most of them in later episodes.  None will take longer than an hour if you don’t stop anywhere.  . Links for this post Grand Café Restaurant 1e KlasAnne Frank House   Royal Palace Nieuw Kerk  The Houseboat Museum   Albert Cuyp Market  The Reijksmuseum  The Van Gogh Museum    The Stedelik Museum   MOCO   Hop on Hop off bus tours  Boat trips    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 citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.ukAnd if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode.  That would be a big help!   

Welkom in Amsterdam! This introduction to our Amsterdam series brings you the basic facts - geographical, historical, cultural - which underpin everything. To capture the spirit of Amsterdam, here’s Russell Shorto’s description of the view from his Amsterdam window: ‘the little boats moored by the quay, the row of tilting, gabled buildings on the opposite bank and, on any given day, a couple of bicycles chained to the railing of a hump-backed bridge.’ So, let's go, or as the Dutch say ‘laten we gaan’. 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 citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.ukAnd if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode.  That would be very much appreciated!   

This last episode on the Valletta series brings you lots of different stories from Malta. We start with a little descriptive writing, factual and fictional, followed by mini-biographies of 4 people who’ve featured in previous episodes but not really had the time they deserve: St Paul, St Publius, Caravaggio and Daphne Caruana Galizia, the high-profile journalist murdered for her stand against corruption in Malta.  And to finish, some literary extracts, namely a mystery story set in Malta and 2 World War II love stories. In short, a whole range of new perspectives on Valletta and its surroundings. Reading Suggestions The Kappillan of Malta by Nicholas MonserratLadies of Lascaris by Paul McDonaldSecrets of Malta by Cecily Blench A Death in Malta by Paul Caruana GaliziaA Sunny Place for Shady People by Ryan Murdock Links for this PostShort Lets Malta blog      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 Valletta 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 citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.ukAnd if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode.  That would be very much appreciated!   

Here are our ideas for easy days out from Valletta if you want to explore some of the rest of Malta.  We start with the two most popular day trips, to the 3 Cities and to Mdina and Rabat, both very easy to do on public transport.  Then we have a look at hop-on, hop-off bus tours and boat trips.  You could spend a week in Valletta, you could just as easily spend a week doing day trips with Valletta as a base!  Most likely, you’ll do a little of each and this episode will help you plan your excursions to other parts of the island. The Inquisitor’s Palace   Malta at War Museum   St Paul’s Cathedral, Mdina   Carmelite Priory, Mdina  The Roman House, Rabat   St Paul’s Grotto, Rabat   St Paul’s Catacombs, Rabat   Hop-on Hop-off bus tours  Malta Boat Tours   Luzzu Cruises   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 Valletta 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 citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.ukAnd if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode.  That would be very much appreciated!   

This episode is dedicated to two topics which are very important in Malta - food and festivities.  Malta has more public holidays – 14 – than most other European countries, plus a whole range of other feasts and festivals.  Of course, food is key to most of them and so this episode introduces you to both.  We cover the varied culinary offerings, influenced by so many centuries of foreign cultures coming to the island and then look at the equally expansive range of celebration days, religious, national and cultural. In short, plenty of fun! Reading Suggestion Taste of Malta by Anton B Dougall   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 Valletta 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 citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.ukAnd if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode.  That would be very much appreciated!   

This is a pot-pourri episode, beginning with a look at Valletta’s art scene: the National Art Gallery, 3 artists linked to the island and the oratory where the 2 most famous paintings are hidden away.  Next, some pointers on the city’s architecture: typical design features and the three main periods, all of which are represented by buildings to look out for in Valletta today.  Lastly, a trip to the National Museum of Archaeology, where you can learn lots about the island’s very distant past and pick up some tips to inform visits to the rest of the island. Reading SuggestionSeven Temples on Malta by Betsy Ross-Edison Links for this postThe National Art Museum      The Grand Master’s Palace    St John’s Cathedral   The National Museum of Archaeology  

There are traces of World War II everywhere in Valletta.  This episode begins with a little history from the period and explains why the island of Malta was awarded the prestigious George Cross.  Then we look at 3 museums which all take a different approach, covering the military action here on ‘Fortress Malta’ and also explaining what the war did to the daily lives of its people.  We end with a look at some of Valletta’s memorials to this turbulent period, which are all within a few minutes’ walk of each other at the Floriana end of the city. Reading SuggestionsFortress Island Malta by Peter JacobsLadies of Lascaris by Paul McDonaldChurchill and Malta’s War by Douglas Austin Links for this postNational War Museum   Malta at War Museum   Lascaris War Rooms    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 Valletta 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 citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.ukAnd if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode.  That would be very much appreciated!   

This episode gives a little history on the Knights of Malta and explains where to 'find' them in Valletta today.    In fact they’re everywhere, not least in the Maltese Cross you'll keep seeing, on information panels everywhere and in the beautiful buildings they left behind. In fact, they founded the city of Valletta and built it from scratch - Europe's very first planned city. Reading SuggestionsThe Knights of Malta by Joseph AttardThe Shield and the Sword by Ernie Bradford Links for this EpisodeThe Malta Experience and the Holy Infirmary The Grand Master’s Palace   The Armoury  St John’s Cathedral      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 Valletta 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 citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.ukAnd if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode.  That would be very much appreciated!    

Valletta is a very walkable city and this episode offers three walking routes for exploring it.  They could be done in a day if you want to see all the main sights quickly, or you could spread them out over a few days, linger a little, go into some of the places we pass by and build up an in-depth knowledge of Malta's capital city.  Take a street map with you and you should be able to follow the routes easily.  Reading Suggestions The History of Malta by Nuria RehnFortress Island Malta by Peter JacobsLadies of Lascaris by Paul McDonaldA Death in Malta by Paul Caruana Galizia Links for this postOur Lady of Victories Church  The Grand Master’s Palace  The Armoury   St John’s Co-Cathedral   Fort St Elmo National War 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 Valletta 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 citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.ukAnd if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode.  That would be very much appreciated!   

Merħba il-Valletta: welcome to Valletta, the capital of Malta.  Valletta is a World Heritage Site, small in scale, easy to explore and known for its stunning coastal views and gorgeous architecture.  Here you can 'meet' such varied characters from history as St Paul, Caravaggio and the Knights of St John and learn some of the island's most inspiring stories: how Malta triumphed during the Great Siege of 1565 and why the island was awarded the George Cross during World War II.     This is the introduction to our Valletta series and the remaining 7 episodes will bring you all the background history and culture you need to really understand the city.  In short, here is all the research you’d do yourself if only you had the time!  See below for reading ideas and useful links. Two useful websites for touristsVisit Malta   Malta Uncovered    3 Guide BooksPocket Rough Guide to Malta and Gozo  Lonely Planet Malta and GozoEyewitness Top 10 Malta and Gozo 4 History BooksThe History of Malta by Nuria RehnFortress Island Malta by Peter JacobsLadies of Lascaris by Paul McDonaldA Death in Malta by Paul Caruana Galizia Maltese CookingTaste of Malta by Anton B Dougall 2 Novels set in MaltaThe Kappillan of Malta by Nicholas MonserratSecrets of Malta by Cecily Blench 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 Valletta 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 citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.ukAnd if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode.  That would be very much appreciated

Our Marseille Anthology includes some travel writing, plus a range of fiction pieces set in the city.  Extracts include Simone de Beauvoir hiking in the surrounding countryside and Jean-Claude Izzo's description of the Italian immigrant community in Le Panier in the 1930s.  The Count of Monte Cristo's daring escape from the Château d'If is here, as are a meal of boullabaisse in a waterside restaurant and a visit to the underwater caves where prehistoric man left artwork behind.  There are even two passages which help explain why Marseille has sometimes been called 'the wicked city'.   Reading SuggestionsWicked City by Nicholas HewittTotal Chaos by Jean-Claude IzzoChourmo by Jean-Claude IzzoSolea by Jean-Claude IzzoDecline and Fall by Evelyn WaughThe Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre DumasFirst Fingerprint, by Xavier-Marie BonnotThe Marseille Caper by Peter Mayl 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 Marseille 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 citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.ukAnd if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode.  That would be very much appreciated!           

The author and film-maker Marcel Pagnol is inextricably linked with Marseille – where he lived, set some of his early works and is buried – and with the Provencal countryside around the city.  The area's garrigue landscape provides the backdrop to his popular autobiographical works, La Gloire de Mon Père (My Father's Glory) and Le Château de Ma Mère (My Mother's Castle) and is also the setting for his gripping novels, Jean de Florette and Manon des Sources.  This episode gives a little biographical information, an idea of where to ‘find’ him in the area today and some appetite-whetting snippets of his work. Reading Suggestions Autobiographical worksMy Father's Glory and My Mother's Castle (double volume) 3 Plays set in Marseille (in French)MariusFannyCésar   Two novels set in ProvenceJean de Florette and Manon des Sources (double volume)   Links for this postInformation on walks in Marcel Pagnol territory     Marcel Pagnol’s Birthplace   Aubagne Tourist Office   Le Petit Monde de Marcel Pagnol   Village des Santons in Marseille     Guide to La Treille   Château de la Buzine     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 Marseille 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 citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.ukAnd if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode.  That would be very much appreciated!     

This post introduces you to two great pleasures in this Provencal city: Marseille food and Marseille shopping, beginning with the signature dishes and key ingredients of the city's cuisine, plus a few ideas on where to look for restaurants. Then, we outline key items to buy as souvenirs of Marseille, followed by a rundown of the city's main shopping areas and what you can expect to find in each one.   Reading SuggestionsGarlic, Mint and Sweet Basil by Jean-Claude IzzoThe Marseille Caper by Peter Mayle   Links for this post More Information Foodie Guide to Marseille    Shopping in the Le Panier district   Eating out in the Le Panier district Information on Cours Julien   Santons of Provence    Shops and places to visitBar de la Marine Musee du Savon de Marseille de la Licorne   La Cure Gourmande  Olympique de Marseille Souvenir Shop Torrefaction Noailles  Maison de la Boule Maison Yellow  Santons Village in Aubagne   3 Santons shops in Marseille Escoffier  Arterra  Marcel Carbonel     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 Marseille 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 citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.ukAnd if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode.  That would be very much appreciated!   

Marseille boat trips – those words belong together.  But beaches and the Château d’If are also great ideas for trips out from Marseille and so this episode covers all three. Then there are suggestions for other little excursions, to l’Estaque and Cassis, which both mix boating and arty vibes, plus a trip on a coastal train with  views a-plenty and ideas for stopping off to explore. To finish, there's a little flavour of the Count of Monte Cristo’s daring – and fictional! – escape from the Château d’If.   Reading SuggestionThe Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas   LinksThe Château d’If  The Calanques   How to get to the Calanques   Marseille’s Beaches   The Underwater Museum of Marseille  L’Estaque   Cassis   Cassis Museum of Art and Folk Traditions More on visiting La Côte Bleu   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 Marseille 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 citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.ukAnd if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode.  That would be very much appreciated!       

This episode covers two main Marseille art galleries, the Musée des Beaux Arts and Regards de Provence, and focuses particularly on work on local themes - Marseille itself, and the provençal hinterland.  Then there are pointers to 4 more galleries in the city, featuring ethnic, modern and decorative arts, plus a little coverage of some of the most famous artists associated with Marseille: Pierre Puget, César Baldaccinni and Paul Cézanne.  Lastly, a reminder that in in this city, art often means street art! Links for this postMusée des Beaux Arts   Regards de Provence     Vieille Charité   Musée Cantini   Museum of Modern Art   Museum of Decorative Arts     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 Marseille 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 citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.ukAnd if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode.  That would be very much appreciated!     

This post takes you around La Joliette, the new port area in Marseille and looks at what there is to do there. That includes the city’s two newest must-see museums – one gives you a tour of Mediterranean culture, the other takes you on a virtual exploration of the incredible caves discovered nearby, where the artwork dates back 30,000 years. We also find time for plenty of shopping, eating and culture in both historic and ultra-modern settings, all with a magnificent sea-view backdrop. Reading SuggestionsMarseille et le Mucem (French only)Cosquer Méditerrannée (French only) Links for this postGuide to La Joliette   The Mucem The Cosquer Museum   Guide to Les Terrasses du Port   Guide to Les Docks    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 Marseille 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 citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.ukAnd if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode.  That would be very much appreciated!         

This post focuses on the Le Panier district of Marseille, the oldest and most atmospheric part of the city: think hills, narrow roads, colourful houses, flowers, little restaurants in pretty squares, artisan shops and plenty of street art.  Plus two of the city’s big sights, La Charité, the former poorhouse, now a museum centre and the stunning 'Major' Cathedral.  As the author Jean -Claude Izzo wrote. ‘To linger in Le Panier is to feel the old heart of Marseille throbbing’.   Reading Suggestions Garlic, Mint and Sweet Basil by Jean-Claude IzzoThe Marseille Caper by Peter Mayle Links for this post Self guided walk around Le Panier La Vieille Charité   La Major Cathedral  Discover Street Art in Marseille  Blogpost: Street Art and Charm in Le Panier    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 Marseille 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 citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.ukAnd if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode.  That would be very much appreciated!       

This episode centres on Marseille’s most popular sights, the Old Port, the hilltop church of Notre Dame de la Garde, and the Canebière, the wide avenue leading back from the port into the heart of the city. After a few snippets of history, we tour such sights as the fish market, the iconic canopy built to mark Marseille's year as a City of European Culture in 2013, an ancient tower and a surprising link to Odessa in Ukraine.  We might take the little ferry across the harbour, we'll certainly walk - or maybe take the 'petit train' - up the hill to Notre Dame de la Garde, where a huge golden statue of Mary the Virgin watches protectively over the city.    Reading Suggestions The Wicked City by Nicholas HewittMarseille Port to Port by William KornblumTotal Chaos by Jean-Claude Izzo Links for this post The Saint Jean FortDeportation MemorialThe Petit Train  Notre Dame de la Garde  Boat trips from the Old Port   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 Marseille 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 citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.ukAnd if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode.  That would be very much appreciated!   

There are 26 centuries of history in Marseille, which is the oldest city in France!  This episode runs through 10 places where you can find traces of key moments in the city's past.  They range from the plaque commemorating the founding of Marseille in about 600 BC to the site where you can still see bullet holes from the fight to liberate the city from German occupation in 1944.  They’re listed in chronological order, with a few of their stories attached and although this makes a good overview, we've saved some of the 'big-hitters’ such as Notre Dame de la Garde and the Château d’If for later episodes where they'll get a fuller treatment. Reading Suggestions The Wicked City The many Cultures of Marseille  by Nicholas HewittMarseille Port to Port by William Kornblum    Links for this postRoman Docks Museum   Saint Victor Abbey Memorial of the Marseillaise   Provencal Museum Deportation Memorial Museum of Marseille History     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 Marseille 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 citybreaks@citybreakspodcast.co.ukAnd if you like what you hear, please do post comments or a review wherever you downloaded this episode.  That would be very much appreciated!