Program 774: Spectacular Landscapes; Four Points of the Compass; What's in a Name?

A tour guide from England's scenic Lake District recommends two areas — in Switzerland and Iceland — offering even more stunning landscapes to explore. Then a historian invites us to reconsider how we orient ourselves in time and space as he shares insights he's gained from exploring how we arrived at our modern sense of direction. And a former NPR correspondent discusses what happens when a place gets a new name, and how an altered identity can transform the place itself.

• Yorick Harker, tour guide from Cockermouth, in the Cumbria Lake District
• Jerry Brotton, author of "Four Points of the Compass: The Unexpected History of Direction" (Grove Atlantic)
• Eric Weiner, author of "Ben & Me: In Search of a Founder's Formula for a Long and Useful Life" (Simon & Schuster)
• Gene Openshaw, author of "Michelangelo at Midlife: Chasing the Tomb of Julius II" (Miner of Light Press)

• In this week's program, Yorick Harker and Rick talk about the spectacular landscapes of Iceland, Switzerland's Lauterbrunnen Valley, and the milder Lake District of northwest England.
• Yorick spoke with Rick about exploring the Iceland backcountry on Travel with Rick Steves program #641a in February 2024, and about day trips from Reykjavík on program #609 in August 2020.
• Jerry Brotton is the author of "Four Points of the Compass: The Unexpected History of Direction" and "The History of the World in 12 Maps." He also has recently started hosting a podcast called "What's Your Map?"
• Eric Weiner's latest book, "Ben and Me: In Search of a Founder's Formula for a Long and Useful Life," explores the example of Ben Franklin for our own desire to age gracefully. He also writes occasional columns on Medium, Afar, and for BBC Travel.
• Gene Openshaw is the author of "Michelangelo at Midlife: Chasing the Tomb of Julius II," and co-wrote with Rick "Europe's Top 100 Masterpieces: Art for the Traveler."
• A reproduction of Vermeer's painting of "The Kitchen Maid" is included in a 2020 blog post from Rick.