On the Radio with Rick Steves


I've been out with the flu for a few days, but I am drinking gallons of tea and eating oranges like crazy all to get ready for my interview tomorrow with PBS/NPR's own Rick Steves.

Tomorrow I'll be taping a segment for his radio show, Travel with Rick Steves, on public radio. We will be talking about my book, A Journey into Michelangelo's Rome, and the imprint Michelangelo left on the city.

Do you have a question for Rick or for me? Leave a comment on the radio show's web page, and you might just be able to be a caller on the show. For more details, check out the recording sessions link below. You can see all of his other great guests this week including Greg Mortenson, author of Three Cups of Tea and Richard Ellis who will be discussing the future of the polar bear and his book On Thin Ice.

I hope to chat with you tomorrow! And I'll be sure to let you know when the show will be scheduled to air.

Link: Rick Steves Europe: Interview Schedule (view on Google Sidewiki)

Don't forget to check out Passports with Purpose, and help us build a school!


Garrison Keillor Visits the Minneapolis Institute of Art


Next week I'll be blogging about my own recent visit to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, but for today I thought you'd enjoy Garrison Keillor's take on the museum.  Never been to the MIA?  Let Minnesota's favorite comedian take you for a stroll through the museum's galleries.  He interviews the nude women in paintings, Claude Monet, Degas, and more.  Clever and fun! Enjoy!


A Great Secret Santa Gift Idea


Every year I seem to end up in one Secret Santa gift exchange or another. And every year I am stumped.  What can you buy for $10 or $20 that's meaningful or interesting?  I am not a fan of giving stuff just to give a gift, and there are only so many coffee-mugs-filled-with-Hershey's-Kisses that one can tolerate during the holidays.


But what if you could give your Secret Santa recipient something truly meaningful -- and potentially luxurious -- at the same time?  You can!  Buy your recipient a Passports with Purpose raffle ticket!  For every $10 you donate, you get a chance at one of the fabulous PwP prizes.  And by "fabulous" I mean "2-nights-at-a-5-star-hotel" fabulous! 
Some of the PwP prizes include:
And did I mention my prize (donated by KiwiCollection.com): 2 nights at the luxurious Shangri-La Hotel in Vancouver, B.C.  Can you say "Olympics Getaway??"

So, don't buy junk this Christmas season!  Instead, get your Secret Santa recipient a gift that is truly meaningful.  They'll get the chance to win a fabulous prize, and you'll both be helping to build a school for children in rural Cambodia.

Links: