A podcast about tour guides navigating a pandemic. We don't get up-close, but we do get personal with tour guides from all over the world; documenting their highs, lows, hopes and fears, as they face an uncertain future.
Episodes
Monday Jul 06, 2020
Monday Jul 06, 2020
It’s somehow been two whole months since we spoke to A Tour of Her Own founder Kaitlin Calogera in Washington, D.C. Today we’re talking about tourism as a very personal form of education, the under-representation of women in U.S. history, and how she's determined to fill in the gaps.
Conversation from May 7th 2020.
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Kaitlin's tour company 'A Tour Of Her Own'. And her Socials --> FB, Twitter, Instagram.
A list of statues in the Capitol Building.
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Music by Mark Schilders. Design by CC Whyte, and Chris' non-profit charity project 'The Chariso Press'.
Follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Or send us an e-mail.
More discussion in our Facebook Group 'Real Talk'.
Friday Jul 03, 2020
Friday Jul 03, 2020
We're talking to Alessia Nencioni, a native of Florence who has spent almost twenty years introducing guests to the hidden sights of NYC. We talk about why a visit to Times Square does not mean you've been to New York, why meeting the locals is the real key to experiencing the city, and why you can always count on Spanish tourists.
Conversation from May 22nd 2020.
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You can find Alessia's Virtual Tours --> here.
'Little Italy' in the Bronx.
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Music by Mark Schilders. Design by Chris Whyte, and Chris' non-profit charity project 'The Chariso Press'.
Follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Or send us an e-mail.
More discussion in our Facebook Group 'Real Talk'.
Wednesday Jul 01, 2020
Wednesday Jul 01, 2020
We're back in Germany! But this time we're in Bavaria, talking to tour guide, museum historian and OG Munich-er Patrick Charell, who believes history is something we can disagree on. We discuss why licensing isn't necessarily a good thing, the way in which tour guides are undervalued as city ambassadors and how much it costs to cancel Oktoberfest.
Conversation from May 7th 2020.
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His publication on Ludwig II and his book on Christmas in Bavaria.
The Venetian in Las Vegas.
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Music by Mark Schilders. Design by Chris Whyte, and Chris' non-profit charity project 'The Chariso Press'.
Follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Or send us an e-mail.
More discussion in our Facebook Group 'Real Talk'.
Monday Jun 29, 2020
Monday Jun 29, 2020
Today we're popping over to the Dutch capital to chat with Henk de Vries, who has spent years leading LGBTQ tours in Amsterdam - gay capital of the world since the '90s. We talk about the city's crackdown on free tours, identify the wrong type of tourist and consider why you should put more thought into your next trip.
Conversation from May 15th 2020.
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Henk's tour company is called Special Amsterdam Tours. And here you can find his Facebook Page.
His tours often start at the Homo Monument, the first monument in the world to commemorate gays and lesbians who were killed by the Nazis.
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Music by Mark Schilders. Design by Chris Whyte, and Chris' non-profit charity project 'The Chariso Press'.
Follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Or send us an e-mail.
More discussion in our Facebook Group 'Real Talk'.
Friday Jun 26, 2020
Friday Jun 26, 2020
Today it's all about Alexander Shmidke! We catch up with him fresh from a trip to the tax office in Saint Petersburg - one of the few places in Russia you can visit without a visa. We're talking cruise tours, manual labour for the unemployed and why no one cares about the Second World War when the Hermitage is on offer.
Conversation from May 22nd 2020.
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Alexander's website.
The Road of Life during the Siege of Leningrad.
Alexander's alternatives to the Hermitage: 1. The State Russian Museum and 2. The Museum of Political History of Russia.
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Music by Mark Schilders. Design by Chris Whyte, and Chris' non-profit charity project 'The Chariso Press'.
Follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Or send us an e-mail.
More discussion in our Facebook Group 'Real Talk'.
Wednesday Jun 24, 2020
Wednesday Jun 24, 2020
We're in London talking to proud Blue Badge guide, Jeanie Carmichael. A big believer in licensing, this lady is serious about guiding and founded the Guides Association of London to help give the profession more gravitas. We talk about freelancing pros and cons, maintaining high standards, and unionising with vicars.
Conversation from May 13th 2020
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London's tour guide association.
Unite Union for the self-employed, the trade union of which Guide London is a member.
You can obtain a Blue Badge license through the Institute of Tourist Guiding.
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Music by Mark Schilders. Design by Chris Whyte, and Chris' non-profit charity project 'The Chariso Press'.
Follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Or send us an e-mail.
More discussion in our Facebook Group 'Real Talk'.
Monday Jun 22, 2020
Monday Jun 22, 2020
A Vienna-native, Amir Karim has been guiding all over Europe for almost a decade. He was on a mission to revitalise the profession in the Austrian capital and this should have been the year he made the transition from multi-destination to city guide. We talk about the mental impact of not being valuable, the benefits of a break from productivity and why money is not that important.
Conversation from May 4th 2020
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Amir's view of Vienna.
Facebook Group 'Real Talk'
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New Album by Mark Schilders. Design by Chris Whyte, and Chris' non-profit charity project 'The Chariso Press'.
Follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Or send us an e-mail.
Friday Jun 19, 2020
Friday Jun 19, 2020
G'day from Melbourne! Australia's high and low seasons are the exact opposite of most countries we've heard from so far. Lucy Gardner- tour guide, teacher and Tigers fan- tells us how the bushfires impacted tourism way before the virus did, how the industry differs from one hemisphere to another, and how it feels to have done her last ever tour. (Maybe.)
Conversation from May 4th 2020.
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Comedy sketch about the bushfires and Covid-19.
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Music by Mark Schilders. Design by Chris Whyte, and Chris' non-profit charity project 'The Chariso Press'.
Follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Or send us an e-mail.
More discussion in our Facebook Group 'Real Talk'.
Wednesday Jun 17, 2020
Wednesday Jun 17, 2020
When we spoke to Francesca in early May, Rome had just entered Phase 2, meaning citizens were finally allowed to venture more than 200m from their doorsteps. From too many tourists to none at all: we talk about whether a city designed to be looked at can exist without admirers.
Conversation from May 5th 2020.
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Tourism in Italy by The New York Times.
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Music by Mark Schilders. Design by Chris Whyte, and Chris' non-profit charity project 'The Chariso Press'.
Follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Or send us an e-mail.
More discussion in our Facebook Group 'Real Talk'.
Monday Jun 15, 2020
Monday Jun 15, 2020
We’re in conversation with Andrew Wong, a San Franciscan who sees his tour guiding profession as an opportunity to share stories you wouldn’t otherwise hear - particularly stories from marginalised voices. Forget the Golden Gate Bridge, keep your earthquake; we’re talking activism through tourism and the aftershocks of Corona.
Conversation from June 10th 2020.
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Mario Woods / Ahmaud Arbery / Amy CooperBAYCAT, the film academy Andrew works.
ReTold, Andrew's own film production company.
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Music by Mark Schilders. Design by Chris Whyte, and Chris' non-profit charity project 'The Chariso Press'.
Follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Or send us an e-mail.
More discussion in our Facebook Group 'Real Talk'.