The Thinking Traveller

Cuba is one of those destinations that, merely by its name, conjures up images of vibrant art, soul stirring music and colonial streets populated by enormous ancient Chevrolets. But what is the real story of Cuba and what is Cuba like today?

In this episode we are joined by Dr Stephen Wilkinson - Chairman of the International Institute for the Study of Cuba - to discuss. Stephen first visited Cuba in 1986 and has been travelling to and writing about the island ever since.

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/

Since the first official excavations in 1748, Pompeii has captured the popular imagination of the Western world, and there has never been a better time to visit with new finds still emerging in the current excavations.

Much of the site, which for many years was closed to the public, is now accessible and some of the new impressive finds can be viewed in situ or in the newly re-opened museum on site.

In this episode, we are joined by Dr Estelle Lazer who has worked on the human remains of the Pompeian victims since 1986. Her current project involves a non-invasive study of all the casts of the victims that have been produced since 1863, using X-ray and CT scan analysis.

Estelle discusses some of the new excavations underway, along with new discoveries being unearthed on this amazing site, including a recent fresco find that just might be the precursor to pizza!

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/

When Masada was excavated in the 1960s, Israel was a very new country (less than 20 years old), full of immigrants from many different backgrounds, and was struggling to find an identity beyond being the homeland for the Jews after the horrors of the Holocaust.

One of the reasons that Prof. Yigael Yadin went to dig at this forgotten site was to create a social link with the ancient Jewish state that was destroyed by the Romans, and to encourage modern Israelis to see themselves as the heirs of these forebears. Masada, with its story of 960 brave Jewish defenders committing suicide rather than becoming prisoners of the Romans, was the perfect place to foster this spirit, and during and after the excavation the cry went up - Masada Will Not Fall Again!

In this podcast, biblical archaeologist Dr Garth Gilmour joins us to analyze Masada's crucial role in the nation-building process of modern Israel and how it remains a useful and clarifying way to discuss how Israel reached its current political impasse.

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/

From primary school, all Australian school children learn about the sacrifice of the first Anzacs at Gallipoli. However, it's sometimes surprising to learn that Australians have served in battles and wars in every corner of the globe for over 200 years, participating in some very unexpected conflicts.

From the tale of Sub-Lieutenant Dick Pirrie, the first Australian killed during the D-Day Allied assault on the Normandy beaches of France, to the story of Pilot Officer Frank Mathers from Pagewood Sydney, tasked with his crew to bomb Mulheim in Germany, Military Historian and Museum Curator Brad Manera joins us for our latest episode as he recounts some of the more unusual stories of Australian Servicemen caught up in unexpected places around the world.

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/

There are two great theatre districts of the world – The West End in London and Broadway in New York. It can be argued strongly over which is the more dominant or important, but in popular culture Broadway shines brightest. So iconic did the lights of Broadway become that when they were dimmed during World War I, public demand forced the federal government to increase the city’s coal ration so that the lights could be restored.

In this episode, professional actor Peter Eyers joins us to discuss all things Broadway... What is it exactly?... How did it become so dominant in the theatre industry?... and what are some of the highlights of ‘The Great White Way’. Peter is also the producer and host on his own podcast, STAGES - where a host of creative artists and practitioners reflect on their careers.

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/

Alexander the Great (356-323 BC) is one of the most significant figures of the Ancient World, whose legacy is both far reaching and profound.

His 13-year reign as the king of Macedonia forged one of the largest empires in history and is said to be the start of the Hellenistic period. Mythologised as a classical hero and considered a military genius by many, there are now quite divergent opinions on his rule and its lasting legacy.

Archaeologist Dr John Tidmarsh joins us to discuss the life, conquests and legacy of this iconic figure in history.

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/

At is heart, Vienna is city of palaces and gardens, museums, music and tradition. For more than 400 years it was the jewel in the glittering imperial crown of the Habsburgs.

However, there is also another side to Vienna - one that is less well-known and less visited. The Wiener Moderne refers to a short cultural era around the end of the 19th and start of the 20th centuries that saw an astonishing period of creativity in Vienna's art, design, architecture and other fields, bringing forth such names as Klimt, Schiele, Loos, Wagner, Hoffmann and many more.

In this episode, art historian Christopher Menz introduces us to this piece of Modernism in Vienna today.

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/

Straddling the fabled Silk Road, Uzbekistan has undergone enormous transformations throughout its long history. The most recent has been the emergence of a thriving independent republic coming out from under Soviet rule.

To tell us about this fascinating land, and how it fits into the story of Central Asia, Chris Bradley joins us in this podcast. We journey along the now famous Silk Road to the five 'stans of Central Asia as Chris highlights the exotic ambiance, vivid histories, impressive architecture and network of trade routes, all of which have left a profound impact on the modern world.

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/

Morocco is a country that has fascinated travellers for centuries, and just its name conjures up impressive kasbahs, exquisitely decorated medersas and bustling medinas, waiting to be explored.

At a crossroads of the African and European continents, the Kingdom of Morocco has been, for centuries, a meeting point for the Arabo-Islamic culture and civilisation. In this episode, archaeologist Ben Churcher takes us to Morocco’s four imperial cities - Marrakesh, Fes, Meknes and Rabat - to uncover their vibrant blend of Roman, Arab, Byzantine and Berber heritage.

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/

The President is no doubt the most powerful political figure in the United States, but make no mistake: the First Lady is just as influential in her own right. In addition to the many appearances she makes and the causes she champions, she is also one of the most-followed people in the country, especially when it comes to her fashion choices. What they wore was not only a reflection of their husbands' politics, but their sartorial choices also had the ability to capture the public's attention, unlike any other official. In this episode, fashion historian Dr Anna Lebovic looks beyond the stylish power suits and elegant ball gowns to uncover how fashion choices can send a message to the American people.

Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, allowing you to travel with like-minded companions and learn from internationally renowned experts. Like our podcast, our tours are designed to appeal to travellers with a strong interest in history, archaeology, architecture, the visual arts and the performing arts.

Learn more here - https://academytravel.com.au/