Program 660: A Theroux Traveler; Why We Travel; Winter in Paris; Dingle Bells

Rick talks with author Paul Theroux about the advantages of traveling solo, and swaps some travel-writing tricks, then TV host Samantha Brown joins us to describe how the pandemic has affected her love of exploratory travel. We'll also hear what's special about Paris in winter, and how the people of Dingle celebrate the Irish tradition of Wren's Day on December 26.

• Paul Theroux, author of "Under the Wave at Waimea" (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
• Samantha Brown, host of "Places to Love"
• Arnaud Servignat and Kristen Michel, tour guides from Paris
• Call-out to Tim Collins, in Dingle, Ireland

• Paul Theroux has written 56 books. His most recent title, "Under the Wave at Waimea," is set on Oahu's North Shore. 
• Paul Theroux spoke with Rick about his novel "Under the Wave at Waimea" on Travel with Rick Steves program #640, in June 2021.
• Samantha Brown hosts the "Places to Love" travel series on public TV.  She talks with Rick about finding reflections of Europe in North America on Travel with Rick Steves program #641 from June 2021.
• Arnaud Servignant provides tour guiding services in Paris, and offers Air BnB accommodations on a houseboat, on the Oise River, northwest of Paris at Port-Cergy.
• Kristen Michel was awarded the title of French Wine Scholar by the Wine Scholar Guild in France in 2015.  She now works for Avennia Winery in Washington State.
• Arnaud recommends Café LaDurée for hot chocolate and macaron cookies. They now have a dozen locations around Paris, plus outlets in New York City, Los Angeles, Miami, Toronto and Vancouver among their international locations.  Kristen recommends Angelina's, which serves an old-fashioned style of hot chocolate at its locations in Paris, Versailles, and Lyon.
• Tim Collins and his wife Eileen operate the Kirrary Bed and Breakfast in Dingle, Ireland.
• Tim and his son also offer minibus archeological tours on the Dingle Peninsula.