Maxwell's Kitchen

Cinque Terre is one of those places that almost looks fake. Five villages built into the cliffs, trains running through the mountains, boats in the water, pastel buildings stacked on top of each other, and tourists absolutely everywhere because apparently everybody else also saw the same pictures.

In this episode, I spend a fast 24-hour style stop in Cinque Terre, starting in Monterosso al Mare, hiking toward Vernazza, taking the train to Manarola, and trying to see as much as I can before heading back out by train.

This is the fast version: how to think about visiting Cinque Terre in 24 hours, how to get between the villages, what the Monterosso to Vernazza hike is actually like, when the crowds get annoying, and why this place is still worth seeing even when it feels like a baseball game got dropped onto the Italian coast.

Opening song “Don’t Leave Me (Ne Me Quitte Pas)" written and performed by Regina Spektor.

All production by Cody Maxwell.

Artwork by Cody Maxwell.

Opening graphic assets by sonorafilms.

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Finale Ligure in 24 hours (Finalmarina, Finalpia, Finalborgo). A travel guide on transportation, lodging, and food on the Italian Riviera.

Finale Ligure is a coastal community made up of three communes, and it’s a more relaxed, working-class counterpoint to the Monaco/Nice extravagance. I came in expecting quaint seaside village vibes, got a brutally hot, packed beach day… then Finalborgo (the medieval hill town) reminded me why Italy is unfair.

The One-Day Itinerary

• Arrive in Finale Ligure (Finalmarina)

• Check in at Pesce Palla (steps from the water)

• Beach break (crowded + hot)

• Walk inland ~20 minutes to Finalborgo

• Explore the medieval streets + Fort San Giovanni

• Dinner in Finalborgo (Sotto Il Santo Spaghetteria)

• Early night + train plan pivot for the next stop

Getting There

• Trenitalia (train tickets + schedules)

https://www.trenitalia.com/en.html

• How to get to Finale Ligure (official tourism)

https://visitfinaleligure.it/en/how-to-get-there/

Stay Here

Pesce Palla (Finale Ligure)

https://www.pescepalla.com/en/

Food + Drinks

Sotto Il Santo – Spaghetteria (Finalborgo)

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g3174403-d1164199-Reviews-Sotto_Il_Santo_Spaghetteria-Finalborgo_Finale_Ligure_Italian_Riviera_Liguria.html

Useful Links

Visit Finale Ligure (official tourism)

https://visitfinaleligure.it/en/

Fort San Giovanni + castles/fortresses (official tourism)

https://visitfinaleligure.it/en/culture/castles-and-fortresses/

Piaggio Industries site (industrial archaeology)

https://mudifinale.com/en/sito-monumento/monuments/archeologia-industriale/piaggio-industries/

Website

https://maxwellskitchenpodcast.com

Quick Tips

• If you’re here for the beach, go early or accept the crowds.

• The “worth it” moment is inland - up to Finalborgo.

• The walk up can be sketchy in spots (narrow road, little to no sidewalk). Wear shoes you like.

Opening song “Silver Lining" written by Jenny Lewis and performed by Rilo Kiley.

All production by Cody Maxwell.

Artwork by Cody Maxwell.

Opening graphic assets by sonorafilms.

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Monaco in 24 hours. Train from Nice, the tunnel exit jaw-drop moment, Solarium Beach, Monaco-Ville (The Rock), Monte Carlo, and a waterfront pizza that had no business being that good.

Monaco is a sovereign city-state on the French Riviera, and it’s basically a real-life cheat code - tiny, spotless, and insanely beautiful. The train from Nice was chaos, but the second you step into the sunlight in Monaco… it’s Disneyland-level clean with Ferrari noises.

The One-Day Itinerary

• Train from Nice to Monaco–Monte-Carlo (brace yourself if it’s peak time)

• Walk through the station tunnel and immediately question reality

• Check in (I stayed in Beausoleil, France to save money)

• Cool off at Solarium Beach (more “swim platform” than sand)

• Explore Monaco-Ville (The Rock): medieval streets + cliff views

• Monte Carlo Casino area for the supercar runway show

• Waterfront dinner (Crazy Pizza)

• Next morning: quick breakfast, back through the tunnel, train onward

Getting There (Train)

SNCF Connect (tickets + schedules)

https://www.sncf-connect.com/en-en/

Stay Here (Budget Move)

Hôtel Le Forum (Beausoleil, France)

https://le-forum.leprovencehotels.com/en/

Spots in This Episode

Solarium Beach (swim platform)

https://www.visitmonaco.com/en/enjoy/beaches-and-pools/public-beaches/solarium-beach

Monaco-Ville (The Rock)

https://www.visitmonaco.com/en/explore/monaco-s-neighborhoods/monaco-ville

Casino de Monte-Carlo (official)

https://www.montecarlosbm.com/en/casino-monaco/casino-monte-carlo

Entry prices/conditions

https://www.montecarlosbm.com/en/casino/game/prices-and-conditions-entry

Crazy Pizza Monte Carlo

https://crazypizza.com/monte-carlo/

Full episodes on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/@maxwellskitchenpodcast

Website

https://maxwellskitchenpodcast.com

Quick Tips

• Monaco is vertical and twisty. Nothing is in a straight line. Wear shoes you trust.

• Staying in Beausoleil can save a ton versus Monaco hotel prices.

• Solarium is great for a quick swim, but don’t show up expecting a sandy beach.

• The casino costs money to enter. You can still get the full Monte Carlo feeling outside for free.

Opening and closing music, “Extraordinary Machine” by Fiona Apple.

Produced by Cody Maxwell.

Maps by Google Earth.

Artwork by Cody Maxwell.

Opening graphic assets by BoxOfMotion.

https://maxwellskitchenpodcast.com

Nice France travel guide for a fast 24 hours on the French Riviera (Côte d’Azur). This one-day itinerary covers where to stay, the Promenade des Anglais, what the beach is really like, a great Old Town dinner, and how easy it is to hop on the train and keep moving along the coast.

Also: a quick airline chaos story that somehow ends with me getting on the plane anyway.

The One-Day Itinerary

• Arrive in Nice, France (French Riviera / Côte d’Azur)

• Check in at Hôtel de Suède (central and walkable)

• Sunset walk on the Promenade des Anglais

• Quick beach reality check: Nice is pebbles, not sand

• Dinner in Old Town at Maison Margaux

• Early morning walk for the quiet version of Nice

• Hotel breakfast that’s way better than it has any right to be

• Walk to Nice-Ville station (about 15 minutes from the hotel)

• Train to Monaco (next episode)

Getting There Fast

Fly into Nice Côte d’Azur Airport (NCE). Nice is very walkable once you’re central, and if you’re continuing the Riviera, the main train station (Nice-Ville) is easy to reach on foot from the core hotel zone.

Stay Here

Hôtel de Suède (Nice, France)

https://www.hoteldesuedenice.com/

Food

Maison Margaux (Nice, France)

https://www.maisonmargaux-nice.com/

Useful Links

Nice Côte d’Azur Airport (NCE)

https://www.nice.aeroport.fr/

Train planning (Nice → Monaco and beyond)

https://www.sncf-connect.com/en-en/

French Riviera overview (Nice / Côte d’Azur)

https://www.france.fr/en/destination/nice/

Quick Tips

Nice is a pebble beach, so plan accordingly if you’re expecting sand. Do the Promenade des Anglais at sunrise or sunset for the best vibe. If you’re only in town for one day, pick one great dinner in Old Town and keep the rest simple. And if you’re bouncing to Monaco or other Riviera stops, the train is the move.

Opening song “From the Start” written and produced by Laufey and Spencer Stewart.

All production by Cody Maxwell.

Artwork by Cody Maxwell.

Opening graphic assets by sonorafilms.

maxwellskitchenpodcast.com

Planning a Europe backpacking trip sounds complicated until you break it into normal pieces: where am I flying, where am I sleeping, how am I getting around, and how much stuff am I willing to drag through a train station while sweating?

In this episode, I walk through how I plan a fast multi-city Europe trip: using Google Flights, finding cheap one-way flights, choosing hotels based on transportation, figuring out airport transfers, downloading the right apps, and packing everything into one small backpack.

I also get into flights vs. trains, staying near main train stations, Google Translate, travel apps, not checking luggage, backup cash, cards, power adapters, and the little logistics that make moving through Europe way easier.

This is not the only way to plan a Europe trip. It’s just the system I’ve figured out after years of flights, trains, tiny rooms, cheap meals, airport sleeps, and one-bag travel.

All production by Cody Maxwell.

Artwork by Cody Maxwell.

Opening graphic assets by sonorafilms.

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Sex is almost never just about sex.

In this episode, I talk with Alana Ogilvie, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Certified Sex Therapist at Portland Sex Therapy, about desire differences, intimacy problems, emotional connection, couples therapy, open relationships, infidelity, porn, shame, confidence, and why people often wait too long to get help.

A lot of people think sex therapy is just about frequency. One person wants more. One person wants less. But once you start pulling on that thread, it usually connects to everything else: communication, resentment, chores, emotional safety, old patterns, self-worth, and whether two people still know how to reach for each other.

This conversation gets into responsive desire, spontaneous desire, the honeymoon phase, pursue-withdraw patterns, porn as entertainment vs. education, why emotional connection matters, and why sex can feel like a small part of a relationship when it works and the whole problem when it does not.

Alana Ogilvie is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Oregon and Washington and a Certified Sex Therapist through AASECT. In her private practice, Portland Sex Therapy, she provides counseling to individuals and relationships, clinical supervision, and professional consultation. Her specialties include desire differences in couples and working with folks in the poly and kinky communities.

Portland Sex Therapy:
https://sextherapyportland.com/

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/pdxsextherapy/

All production by Cody Maxwell.

Artwork by Cody Maxwell.

Opening graphic assets by sonorafilms.

sharkfyn.com

maxwellskitchenpodcast.com

Neutral Milk Hotel’s “King of Carrot Flowers Pt. 1” sounds simple, strange, raw, and emotional in a way that still feels impossible to fully explain.

In this episode of Maxwell’s Kitchen, I break down the opening song from In the Aeroplane Over the Sea and try to figure out why it still works after what feels like a thousand listens.

This is part of my series “Why Is This Song So Good?” where I take a song I love and talk through the chords, lyrics, vocals, recording, arrangement, memory attached to it, and whatever weird human thing makes music stay with you for years.

I first heard this album in 2004, sitting in a concrete rehearsal space in The Dalles with friends, guitars, drums, cigarettes, Taco Bell, and no real plan for my life. Somebody put on In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, and the opening chord of “King of Carrot Flowers Pt. 1” hit me immediately.

This episode gets into Neutral Milk Hotel, Jeff Mangum, the Elephant 6 Collective, Robert Schneider’s production, the raw acoustic guitar sound, the air organ part, the double-tracked vocals, the simple chord progression, and why this song feels like memory, love, chaos, innocence, pain, and beauty all crashing into each other at once.

In this episode:
• Why “King of Carrot Flowers Pt. 1” still works
• Neutral Milk Hotel and In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
• Jeff Mangum’s voice, writing, and mystery
• Discovering the album in 2004
• Why simple chord progressions can be so powerful
• The acoustic guitar sound and tape distortion
• Robert Schneider’s production
• The air organ part that changes the whole song
• Why the lyrics feel strange, emotional, and alive
• How memory changes the way we hear music
• Why some songs feel bigger than explanation

All production by Cody Maxwell.

Artwork by Cody Maxwell.

Opening graphic assets by sonorafilms.

sharkfyn.com

maxwellskitchenpodcast.com

Forensic pathology is one of those jobs most people think they understand because they have seen enough true crime shows to feel confident.

The real version is different.

In this episode of Maxwell’s Kitchen, I talk with Dr. Sean Hurst, a forensic pathologist and medical examiner in Oregon, about what medical examiners actually do, how autopsies work, how death investigations happen, and why real forensic pathology is much more careful, medical, and human than TV makes it look.

We get into cause and manner of death, criminal investigations, unidentified remains, dental records, DNA, genetic genealogy, cold cases, courtroom testimony, and what forensic pathology can and cannot explain after someone dies.

Dr. Hurst also talks about the emotional side of the job: communicating with families, protecting confidentiality, dealing with traumatic material, maintaining objectivity, and learning how to leave work at work when your work involves death every day.

In this episode:
• What a forensic pathologist actually does
• How medical examiners determine cause and manner of death
• What happens during an autopsy
• How death investigations work
• How medical examiners work with law enforcement
• Why criminal cases are only part of the job
• How unidentified remains are investigated
• Dental records, DNA, and genetic genealogy
• Why some deaths are difficult to explain
• Court testimony and expert witnesses
• The emotional toll of forensic pathology
• Why true crime and TV often get the job wrong

Guest:
Dr. Sean Hurst is a forensic pathologist working in Oregon. He earned his undergraduate degree in biology from Seton Hall University, then received his MD from St. George’s University. He completed an anatomic and clinical pathology residency in New Jersey and trained in forensic pathology in Miami, Florida.

He moved to Oregon almost five years ago to become a Deputy State Medical Examiner and has served as Chief Medical Examiner for about four years. Outside of work, Dr. Hurst is an avid baker. He and his wife can usually be found fostering dogs and kittens for rescues around Portland.

All production by Cody Maxwell.

Artwork by Cody Maxwell.

Opening graphic assets by sonorafilms.

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Nike is one of those brands that feels like it has always been here.

The Swoosh. The shoes. The athletes. The ads. The stories. The mythology.

In this episode of Maxwell’s Kitchen, I talk with Scott Reames, Nike’s former corporate historian and head of the Department of Nike Archives, about Nike history, the Swoosh, Shoe Dog, the movie Air, NikeTown, athlete appearances, Air Jordan, Steve Prefontaine, and what it takes to preserve the story of one of the most important brands in the world.

Scott spent his career in public relations, first at the Eugene Family YMCA, then at FleishmanHillard, and eventually at Nike, where he worked on NikeTown events, athlete appearances, sports marketing, public relations, global communications, and finally the Department of Nike Archives, also known as DNA.

We talk about how Nike became so good at storytelling, why company history gets messy, how memories drift, how the Swoosh story is often oversimplified, what Scott helped gather for Phil Knight’s memoir Shoe Dog, and why Air is entertaining but should not be treated like a documentary.

In this episode:
• Scott Reames’ path into public relations
• Growing up around the shoe business
• Eugene, Oregon and Steve Prefontaine
• NikeTown events in the 1990s
• Athlete appearances with Nolan Ryan, John McEnroe, and others
• Creating systems for Nike athlete appearances
• The creation of the Department of Nike Archives
• Helping Phil Knight gather material for Shoe Dog
• The real story behind the Swoosh
• Carolyn Davidson and the $35 logo story
• What Air gets right and wrong
• Michael Jordan, Rob Strasser, Sonny Vaccaro, and Air Jordan
• Why the Jordan 3 mattered
• The Nike MAG from Back to the Future
• Why Nike storytelling still works

Guest:
Scott Reames is a former Nike historian who spent his career in public relations at the Eugene Family YMCA, FleishmanHillard, and Nike.

In the early 1990s, he began working with NikeTown locations and eventually put together a proposal to create the Department of Nike Archives, also known as DNA.

In 2012, Phil Knight asked Scott for help gathering materials for his memoir, Shoe Dog. Scott continued his work with Nike at DNA until his retirement in 2021.

All production by Cody Maxwell.

Artwork by Cody Maxwell.

Opening graphic assets by sonorafilms.

sharkfyn.com

maxwellskitchenpodcast.com

Pop culture trivia with friends always sounds simple until everyone starts arguing about Joe Dirt, Barbie, DuckTales, Christmas movies, childhood memories, and whether anyone actually knows the real name of Flea from Red Hot Chili Peppers.

In this episode of Maxwell’s Kitchen, I sit down with Jabroni and Philly Boy for another trivia game that starts with categories and points and slowly turns into exactly what it should be: bad guesses, random stories, 90s nostalgia, TV theme songs, Power Wheels envy, and a championship belt that may or may not have been earned fairly.

This is part trivia game, part comedy podcast, part nostalgia spiral.

The guests are using fake names because sometimes that is just smarter.

In this episode:
• Pop culture trivia with friends
• Kid Rock or Joe Dirt
• Christmas movie trivia
• Whether Just Friends counts as a Christmas movie
• Earliest childhood memories
• What made someone seem rich when we were kids
• Barbie facts and bad guesses
• TV theme songs
• SWAT, Golden Girls, Inspector Gadget, Dukes of Hazzard, The Drew Carey Show, and DuckTales
• 90s cartoons and after-school TV
• Macaulay Culkin, Succession, and random celebrity detours
• David Hasselhoff, John C. Reilly, and chest hair trivia
• Walt Disney and Snow White
• Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea
• The final trivia round and the championship belt

Intro music by gilv.

All production by Cody Maxwell.

Artwork by Cody Maxwell.

Opening graphic assets by sonorafilms.

sharkfyn.com

maxwellskitchenpodcast.com