This week on Out of Office: A Travel Podcast, Ryan takes us to Romania—visiting Bucharest, Brașov, and Cluj-Napoca. Expect puppets, dictator mansions, and steampunk exhibits along the way. Things We Talked About In Today's Episode: 

- Ceaușescu Mansion 

https://timharford.com/2024/04/cautionary-tales-the-rise-and-fall-of-a-megalomaniac/

- Palace of the Parliament

- "Dimitrie Gusti" National Village Museum

- Carturesti Verona 

On this episode of Out Of Office: A Travel Podcast, the boys treat the ancient aqueducts like a flume ride and splash right into Rome! Kiernan and Ryan talk Emperors, SPQR, why columns make the best decor, plus just a touch of new Pope speculation.

Our episode on Vatican City: https://outofofficepod.com/podcast/episode-197-vatican-city/

Things We Talked About on Today’s Episode:

“The Fall of Rome” podcast

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fall-of-rome-podcast/id1141563910

“SPQR” by Mary Beard

https://a.co/d/71DS93Z 

“Roman Holiday”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rL5QxXF0g8 

Colosseum

https://colosseo.it/en/area/the-colosseum/ 

Forum

https://colosseo.it/en/area/the-roman-forum/ 

Palatine Hill

https://colosseo.it/en/area/the-palatine/ 

Pantheon

https://www.pantheonroma.com/home-eng/

Borghese Gallery

https://galleriaborghese.beniculturali.it/en/ 

Bath of Diocletian

https://museonazionaleromano.beniculturali.it/en/baths-of-diocletian/ 

Trevi Fountain

https://www.blacktomato.com/us/inspirations/the-history-of-romes-trevi-fountain/ 

Spanish Steps

https://romesite.com/spanish-steps.html 

Catacombs of Saint Sebastian

https://www.catacombe.org/ 

Lego Trevi Fountain

https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/trevi-fountain-21062 

On this episode of “Out of Office: A Travel Podcast,” the boys celebrate the pod’s 200th episode with travel icon Rick Steves! Kiernan chats with Rick about his latest book “On the Hippie Trail: Istanbul to Kathmandu and the Making of a Travel Writer” and about how keeping a journal can make one into a keener observer of culture. 

Rick’s philosophy of travel is that if you haven’t come back changed, you didn’t do it right. This interview will leave you changed.

Plus, a new artistic saint!

Things we talked about in today’s podcast:

Rick Steves’ Europe

https://www.ricksteves.com/ 

Free scans of every page of Rick’s journal

https://www.ricksteves.com/about-rick/original-hippie-trail-journal 

Saint Gaudi!

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/14/world/europe/antoni-gaudi-architect-saint.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare 

Wanna help us celebrate 200? Leave a review (please)!

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/out-of-office-a-travel-podcast/id1438098925 

And a final note from Ryan and Kiernan: RIP POPE FRANCIS!

On this episode of Out of Office: A Travel Podcast, Ryan takes us on three day trips from Santiago, Chile. First is Valparaíso, a coastal city known for its hills, historic funiculars, and street art. Then on to Valle de Colchagua, where wine tastings and a standout meal at Fuegos de Apalta make for a vino day. Finally, head to the Andes to soak in the mineral pools at Termas Valle de Colina. Plus, Kiernan talks about his old friend Corn Husker 55!

Leave us a 5 Star Review! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/out-of-office-a-travel-podcast/id1438098925 Santiago Episode: https://outofofficepod.com/podcast/episode-194-santiago-chile/

The Hills: https://www.moon.com/travel/trip-ideas/the-hills-of-valparaiso-chile/

Restaurants: La Concepción & La Caperucita y el Lobo

https://museobaburizza.cl/en/home/

Our wine tour provider: https://colchaguawinetours.com/

On this episode of Out Of Office: A Travel Podcast, the boys head to Krakow, the intellectual heart of Poland. The city is home to beautiful churches, endless Pope John Paul II memorabilia, one of the oldest universities in the world (Copernicus attended), and moving remembrances of Jewish citizens killed in the Holocaust. Plus, a quick detour to the historic Wieliczka Salt Mine.

Things We Talked About on Today’s Episode: Schengen Area: https://dailypassport.com/what-is-the-schengen-area/

Remains of the Ghetto wall https://g.co/kgs/ammrVVz

Oskar Schindler's Enamel Factory https://muzeumkrakowa.pl/en/branches/oskar-schindlers-enamel-factory

MOCAK https://en.mocak.pl/

https://www.instagram.com/prosciuttko_/?hl=en

On this episode of Out Of Office: A Travel Podcast, the boys Catholic out hard. In celebration of Lent, “Conclave,” and a Catholic Jubilee Year, Kiernan talks us through the top sites to see in Vatican City. Rome is expecting 32M visitors this year, and now each and every one can listen to Out of Office!

Things We Talked About on Today’s Episode:

Jubilee 2025

https://www.usccb.org/jubilee2025 

Holy Doors

https://www.ewtnvatican.com/articles/5-holy-doors-what-every-catholic-should-know-ahead-of-jubilee-2025-4075 

Saint Peter’s

https://www.basilicasanpietro.va/en/ 

Pope John XXIII

https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/martyrs-miracles-and-the-stuff-of-making-saints/ 

Vatican II

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2022-10/vatican-ii-council-60th-anniversary-video-history-background.html 

Papal Altar and Canopy

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Peter%27s_Baldachin 

Chair of Saint Peter

https://www.ncregister.com/cna/historic-chair-of-st-peter-on-public-display-in-vatican-basilica-for-first-time-in-150-years 

Tomb of Saint Peter

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Peter%27s_tomb 

Saint Peter Statue

https://stpetersbasilica.info/Statues/StPeter/StPeter.htm 

La Pieta

https://fa-inkwell.org/1039/arts/artists-review-la-pieta-one-of-michelangelos-earliest-works/ 

Vatican Museums

https://www.museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani/en.html 

Laocoon and his Sons

https://www.museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani/en/collezioni/musei/museo-pio-clementino/Cortile-Ottagono/laocoonte.html 

Gallery of the Candelabra

https://www.museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani/en/collezioni/musei/museo-pio-clementino/Galleria-dei-Candelabri/galleria-dei-candelabri.html 

“School of Athens”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_School_of_Athens 

Sistine Chapel “In Our Time” episode

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0015vh8 

Sistine Chapel pre-reading

https://www.througheternity.com/en/blog/art/michelangelo-last-judgment-sistine-chapel-vatican.html 

Omio

https://www.omio.com/ 

Jenny Nicholson on the Star Wars Hotel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0CpOYZZZW4 

On this episode of Out Of Office: A Travel Podcast, Ryan offers an overview of Berlin's museums, highlighting a few of his favorites, from the story of Hitler's rise and fall in an underground bunker to contemporary art in an old train station. Plus, Kiernan talks about Boston.

This week on Out of Office: A Travel Podcast, Kiernan chats with Stephen Hiltner, the New York Times editor in charge of this year’s “52 Places to Go in 2025.” Stephen talks about some highlights from this year’s selections, plus a few spots that didn’t quite make the cut.

Here’s what we cover in this episode:

“52 Places to Go in 2025”

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/travel/places-to-travel-destinations-2025.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

This week on Out of Office: A Travel Podcast, Ryan takes us south to Santiago, Chile, where he rides up a funicular and down a cable car to see the Virgin Mary. Plus, eating barnacles and flying out of Kafka Airport.

The Month In Digital (Ryan’s Marketing Newsletter): https://monthindigital.substack.com/

Kafka Airport:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DC2AdoIM1DD/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Restaurants: 

Peumayén Ancestral Food Sanguchería Ciudad Vieja The Singular Santiago’s Rooftop Bocanáriz Boragó

This week on Out of Office: A Travel Podcast, the boys talk about their holiday breaks and discuss why ski trips are well-worth the expense and steep learning curve. Plus, Ryan has a onesie!

Here’s what we cover in this episode:

NYT on European Skiing

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/19/travel/europe-skiing-budget.html 

Beaver Creek

https://www.beavercreek.com/ 

Cannon Mountain in New Hampshire

https://www.cannonmt.com/tickets