Excess Baggage

John McCarthy gets a flavour of rural Italy and its food in conversation with writer Tracey Lawson who investigated the surprising longevity of an Italian village's residents by going to live there and learning all about their diet; their great life expectancy is due in no small part to simple food freshly prepared and she shares some of the secrets with John. They are joined by author Julia Blackburn whose own experiences of living in an Italian village led her to collect the memories and stories of the older inhabitants. And the writer and columnist Vitali Vitaliev tells why, originally from the Ukraine, he loves Italy so much and how he ate a great many good Italian meals in the apparently futile search for a bad one.

Producer : Harry Parker.

John McCarthy asks the historian Thant Myint-U, who visits Burma regularly, about the recent political developments there and its role in south east Asia. Thant reflects on the how the country's relationship with tourism might also change. The author and traveller Anthony Sattin tells John how the history of Egypt has attracted traders and tourists and how the change of government there too has affected tourism. John also finds out from Pauline Sanderson about her part in the world's longest climb from the Dead Sea to Everest which involved an eight thousand kilometre cycle ride through countries like Iran and Pakistan topped of with an ascent of the highest mountain.

Producer: Harry Parker.

John McCarthy talks to adventurer Jock Wishart about his recent expedition rowing to the North Pole. He and his team were the first to achieve this feat made possible this year by global warming melting the ice. They were under threat from polar bears and crushing ice floes and had to return before the sea froze over again. John also meets novelist Jo Baker whose stay in Malta led to the discovery of her family's First World War connection with the island. And Peter Caton who has visited all of Britain's tidal islands tells John about the variety of history and landscape of these fascinating places isolated from the mainland at high tide. The best known are Lindisfarne and St Michael's Mount but there are many others from the Thames to the Highlands.

Producer: Harry Parker.

John McCarthy introduces businesswoman Alice Morrison who took time off from the recession to ride from Cairo to Cape Town on the Tour d'Afrique cycle race, braving bandits and wildlife for a life changing experience. Best selling crime novelist John Connolly talks about his love of the US state of Maine despite not liking two of its great attractions, hunting and seafood. And writer Duncan Fallowell talks about his travels to Gozo, India and South Wales in search of people who have disappeared from view.

Producer: Harry Parker.

Sandi Toksvig takes a bus trip along the south coast of England from Brighton to Eastbourne in the company of the listener who suggested it, Veronica Groocock. Together they discover the delights to be had on an ordinary scheduled bus route. These include Kipling's garden, a 1930s lido, the Greenwich meridian, a lamb called Hardy and the lighthouse at Beachy Head.

Producer: Harry Parker.

Sandi Toksvig in the second of two programmes continues her exploration the ancient and modern city of Istanbul which straddles the border between Europe and Asia. She looks at the its richness both in history and the fusion of eastern and western cultures in the arts and cuisine.

Producer: Harry Parker.

Sandi Toksvig in the first of two programmes begins to explore the ancient and modern city of Istanbul which straddles the border between Europe and Asia. She gets an overview of the city from the tops of two very different towers, hears about the impact of tourism and economic growth on the city and rediscovers a forgotten opera singer.

Producer: Harry Parker.

Sonia Deol hears about the re-enactment of a historical voyage round Africa from marine explorer Philip Beale. He built a replica of an ancient sailing boat to recreate the Phoenician circumnavigation of Africa. He and his crews sailed clockwise round the continent and on the two year journey risked whale sharks, modern shipping and pirates. Even after the journey the problems weren't over as Philip had to rescue the boat from the recent troubles in Syria.

Sonia also looks at the British seaside with journalist Brian Viner and author Jane Struthers. Both were brought up in seaside towns and have continued to have a fascination for coastal resorts ever since. They discuss the history of the British beach holiday and the continuing appeal of summer by the sea.

Producer: Harry Parker.

Sonia Deol looks at Kashmir with the author Rosie Thomas, who went there to learn about the production of cashmere shawls, and journalist Tim Hannigan who toured the region investigating the murder of the Victorian explorer George Hayward. They discuss the pleasures and dangers of travelling in the beautiful but troubled land. Sonia also meets Adam Strudwick and Rekha Sharma a couple who are visiting all the world's countries in the order they became independent. It's a lifetime's project but already they are visiting the South American countries which had revolutions in the nineteenth century.

Producer: Harry Parker.

Sandi is joined by Nick Mayhew Smith who has undertaken a pilgrimage to every "holy place" in England, Scotland and Wales. Nick has compiled a travel guide which not only details where sacred treasures can be found, but also tells you what to expect and ranks them in terms of holiness. Sandi also talks to two Antarctic explorers: Angie Butler loves Antarctica so much she set about recovering the ashes of a forgotten Edwardian Polar explorer and Katie Walter was only seventeen when she made it to base camp at the South Pole, the youngest person ever to walk there.