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Wonders of the World

164 episodes - English - Latest episode: 20 days ago - ★★★★★ - 300 ratings

In this podcast, we'll visit 200 Wonders of the World, from the Pyramids to the Great Barrier Reef, to tell the story of our people, our civilization, and our planet. My name is Caroline Vahrenkamp, and I'm a travel junkie. The world is filled with amazing places that reflect the greatest achievements of human accomplishment. In these uncertain times, understanding our great shared history may help to bridge the divides between us. And if not, it will be a fun ride anyway! We'll discuss the history of each place and the story of the men and women who lived there. We'll cover travel notes, examine what else to see while you're in the area, and dig into the local cuisine. Expect a new episode every two weeks. And thanks for listening!

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Episodes

008 - Ngorongoro Crater

January 24, 2017 06:00 - 36 minutes - 25.6 MB

We're off to Tanzania, to see Earth's largest unfilled caldera: Ngorongoro Crater. We'll also discuss nearby Oldupai Gorge and the evolution of man. Special guest Michelle Jones talks about her trip to Tanzania. We eat ugali and mchicha.

007 - The Lighthouse of Alexandria

January 10, 2017 06:00 - 41 minutes - 28.9 MB

This episode, we visit Alexandria, Egypt, at its peak, as we check out the Lighthouse (or Pharos) and the Great Library. We'll enjoy some ful medames, and talk Ptolemy.  Plus science!

Pitaroudia - Chickpea fritters from Rhodes

December 29, 2016 20:00

So what do you eat while you’re enjoying the sunshine, beaches, shopping, art and architecture of Rhodes?  That’s tricky, since Rhodes has all the great Greek masterpieces available, but one thing that is truly Rhodian is pitaroudia.  Pitaroudia are big, fluffy chickpea fritters.  Think falafel, but irregularly shaped, and mixed with tomatoes, mint, and onions, so a different flavor profile.  So while you have your fish and souvlaki and spanakopita and everything else, make sure to try Rhode...

006 - The Colossus of Rhodes

December 27, 2016 06:00 - 29 minutes - 20.3 MB

It's big! It's bronze! This week, we'll head to the Greek island of Rhodes, and hear them undergo two separate sieges, one of which led to the mighty and short-lived Colossus. We'll also sample some classic Rhodian food with all the garlic that implies.

005a - The Two Artemisias

December 20, 2016 06:00 - 11 minutes - 8.37 MB

Bonus Episode!  Turns out there were two Artemisias.  In this bonus episode, we take a look at Artemisia the First of Halicarnassus, who was a naval commander in the Persian War at the Battle of Salamis.  I'll let our old pal Herodotus explain more.

Turkish Swordfish Kebabs (Kiliç Şiş)

December 13, 2016 12:00

Kiliç Şiş   Swordfish kabobs can be done with any meaty fish if you don’t have swordfish handy.  Tuna would work.  So would halibut or mahi mahi, probably.   Ingredients: 1.25 lbs swordfish (or similar), cut in 1-inch cubes 24 Turkish bay leaves 2 lemons, cut into 8 wedges each, + 1/2 for juicing 2 red onions, quartered 2 tbs olive oil 1 tsp crushed Aleppo peppers salt & fresh ground black pepper   Prepare a charcoal grill to high heat.   Mix the final three ing...

005 - The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus

December 13, 2016 06:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MB

This episode, we're heading down the Turkish Coast to Bodrum, formerly called Halicarnassus and home of the long-lost Mausoleum, symbol of should-have-been-forbidden love.  We'll also check out the thermal springs at Pamukkale and eat swordfish kebabs!

004 - The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus

November 30, 2016 04:30 - 27 minutes - 18.8 MB

This week, we sail to Turkey to visit the great temple of Artemis in Ephesus, which at its peak was one of the world's largest and richest cities.  Since the temple is gone, we'll tour the ruined city and eat a seafood feast.  

Recipe for Midye Dolma

November 30, 2016 03:54

To start with, try the stuffed mussels, or midye dolma, which is our recipe of the week.   I found this recipe at http://ozlemsturkishtable.com/2015/06/homemade-stuffed-mussels-with-aromatic-rice-midye-dolma Ingredients: 25 - 30 large black mussels, cleaned and bearded 2 medium to large onions, finely chopped 1 oz. currants 1 oz. pine nuts ½ cup short grain rice 1 tomato, very finely chopped Handful (about ⅓ cup) finely chopped flat leaf parsley Handful (about ⅓ cup) finely ...

003 - The Statue of Zeus at Olympia

November 18, 2016 05:30 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MB

This week, it's off to Greece's Peloponnese peninsula, to visit Olympia, home of the Statue of Zeus and the original Olympic Games. We'll also take a side trip to Sparta and seek out that most Greek of healthy fats: olive oil.

Recipe for Tepsi

November 11, 2016 20:09

This is a recipe for tepsi, a layered baked casserole dish from Iraq, which I'm borrowing from someone who borrowed it from someone else.  Not overly spiced, but frying the components and baking the final dish gives the flavors a chance to intensify. ************ Ingredients: 2 large eggplants 2 large tomatoes 1 large onion 6 garlic cloves 1⁄3 kg ground beef 2 medium potatoes 3 tablespoons tomato paste pepper salt corn oil Directions:   Peel the eggplant in wide st...

Recipe for Koshari

November 11, 2016 19:45

I found this recipe on the web, written by someone named Hans buried in the answers for a random Yahoo answers question.  That's all I know about him, but this seems the best I've found.  If you follow this, you'll have far more rice than you'll need, but that's OK, since you can use that for other purposes.  The paprika sauce burns very quickly, so be careful with that. ************* From Hans (https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20060818040742AAjmWks#ya-oac): A typical Egypt...

002 - The Hanging Gardens of Babylon

November 11, 2016 19:42 - 23 minutes - 16.6 MB

We travel to Babylon in Iraq, to search for the elusive remains of Nebuchadnezzar's Hanging Gardens, which might have not have been his at all.  We'll also try masguf and tepsi, Iraqi specialties which have been enjoyed for centuries.

001 - The Great Pyramid of Khufu

November 10, 2016 17:00 - 25 minutes - 17.9 MB

We start our trip around the world in Giza, Egypt, to see the Great Pyramid.  We'll talk about how pyramids came to be and how a prince used the Sphinx to build legitimacy, and we'll eat koshari, the veg-friendly national dish.

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