Program 377: Cruising the Bosphorus; Adriatic Coast; French Impressionism

Hear about how the Bosphorus — the busy shipping canal that separates the European side of Istanbul from Asia — is a sentimental favorite among Turks. We’ll also learn why Croatia’s Adriatic coast tops so many travelers’ “must see” lists, and get inspired to enjoy Impressionist art in and around Paris, where it originated.

• Yaren Turkoglu, tour guide based in Istanbul
• Marijan Kriskovic, tour guide from Croatia and Slovenia
• Ben Curtis, tour guide specializing in the Balkans, associate professor of political science at Seattle University, and author of "A Traveler's History of Croatia" (Interlink) and "The Habsburgs: The History of a Dynasty" (Bloomsbury). 
• Elisabeth van Hest, tour guide based in Paris
• Graham Robb, author of "The Discovery of France," "Parisians," and "The Discovery of Middle Earth" (W. W. Norton)

• Yaren Turkoglu is a guide for SRM Travel in Istanbul. 
• The third bridge over the Bosphorus is scheduled to be built by May 2015.
• A fresh, warm simit from a streetside vendor is a popular and cheap treat in Istanbul. 
• Dolmabahce Palace is an elegant site on the European side of the Bosphorus in Istanbul. 
• Trip Advisor hosts discussions for finding the best baklava shops in Istanbul's Kadikoy neighborhood, and for visiting the Ortakoy neighborhood.
• Rick summarizes "Croatia's coastal delights."
• Ben Curtis is the author of "A Traveller's History of Croatia" and "The Habsburgs: The History of a Dynasty."  
• Must-see venues for Impressionist art in Paris include the Orsay Museum, the Orangerie in the Tuileries Gardens,  the Marmottan Museum, and the Rodin Museum.
• The Picasso Museum in Paris is scheduled to re-open on October 25, 2014, after being closed for several years of renovations.   
• The Claude Monet Foundation operates his house and gardens at Giverny, which is open daily for visitors from April 1 to November 1. 
• Rick writes about Monet's Gardens in Giverny.
• Graham Robb's works are listed on his publisher's site at W. W. Norton.
• "The Discovery of France" won a number of prestigious awards when it was first released in 2007.  Graham Robb has since written "Parisians: An Adventure History of Paris."