Travel Audiobooks | LoveReading

Andrew Zimmern's Pleasant Surprises: Chapter 17 from THE BIZARRE TRUTH

Andrew Zimmern, the host of The Travel Channel’s hit series Bizarre Foods, has an extraordinarily well-earned reputation for traveling far and wide to seek out and sample anything and everything that’s consumed as food globally, from cow vein stew in Bolivia and giant flying ants in Uganda to raw camel kidneys in Ethiopia, putrefied shark in blood pudding in Iceland and Wolfgang Puck's Hunan style rooster balls in Los Angeles. For Zimmern, local cuisine — bizarre, gross or downright stomach turning as it may be to us -- is not simply what’s served at mealtime. It is a primary avenue to discovering what is most authentic — the bizarre truth — about cultures everywhere. In this section, Zimmern explains how to get the best deals, no matter where you are.

Andrew Zimmern (Author), Andrew Zimmern (Narrator)

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How to Be Married: What I Learned from Real Women on Five Continents About Surviving My First (Reall

Everyone tells you marriage is hard, but no one tells you what to do about it. At age thirty-four, Jo Piazza got her romantic-comedy ending when she met the man of her dreams on a boat in the Galápagos Islands and was engaged three months later. But before long, Jo found herself riddled with questions. How do you make a marriage work in a world where you no longer need to be married? How does an independent, strong-willed feminist become someone 's partner all the time? In the tradition of writers such as Nora Ephron and Elizabeth Gilbert, award-winning journalist and nationally bestselling author Jo Piazza writes a provocative memoir of a real first year of marriage that will forever change the way we look at matrimony. A travel editor constantly on the move, Jo journeys to twenty countries on five continents to figure out what modern marriage means. Throughout this stunning, funny, warm, and wise personal narrative, she gleans wisdom from matrilineal tribeswomen, French ladies who lunch, Orthodox Jewish moms, Swedish stay-at-home dads, polygamous warriors, and Dutch prostitutes. Written with refreshing candor, elegant prose, astute reporting, and hilarious insight into the human psyche, How to Be Married offers an honest portrait of an utterly charming couple. When life throws more at them than they ever expected a terrifying health diagnosis, sick parents to care for, unemployment they ultimately create a fresh understanding of what it means to be equal partners during the good and bad times. Through their journey, they reveal a framework that will help the rest of us keep our marriages strong, from engagement into the newlywed years and beyond.

Jo Piazza (Author), Jo Piazza (Narrator)

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The Lady in the Palazzo: At Home in Umbria

From village feasts and rustic tavernas to ancient piazzas and moonlit balconies, the smells and tastes and sounds and soul of Umbria come alive in bestselling author Marlena de Blasi's evocative memoir. By turns romantic and sensual, joyous and celebratory, touching and humorous, Marlena de Blasi's account of moving with her husband, Fernando, to Orvieto, the largest city in Italy's Umbria, will appeal to anyone who delights in travel and shares the fantasy of beginning a new life in a very different place. It is a tale of the couple's search for the right home-which turns out to be the former ballroom of a fifteenth=-century palazzo-and the right balance in their lives, in this case making friends of cooks, counts, shepherds, and a lone violinist. It is a tale, too, of an American woman finding her niche in a society bound by tradition and seemingly closed to outsiders. With a voice full of wonder, de Blasi brings to life these engagingly quirky people and the aloof, almost daunting society that exists in Umbria. Not since Peter Mayle's A Year in Provence has a writer so convincingly captures the essence of a singular place and created a feast for readers of all stripes."Vivid writing and an affectionate appreciation of the sounds, scenes and flavors of Italy."-Publishers Weekly

Marlena de Blasi (Author), Laural Merlington (Narrator)

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Beyond the Castle: A Guide to Discovering Your Happily Ever After

When the credits roll and you've left the park, when your Disney day is over, how do you take the magic with you into your everyday work and life? Jody Jean Dreyer worked for the Walt Disney Company for 30 years, and in Beyond the Castle she shares one-of-a-kind stories and insights into what sets the Disney experience apart as well as secrets to help listeners discover their own happily ever afters. Beginning with her first position as a summer intern at Walt Disney World, through her role leading synergy and special projects for Disney (reporting to former CEO Michael Eisner), to her work with top leadership at Walt Disney Motion Pictures sharing the magic of Disney films around the world, Jody unpacks secrets that can change the way we understand ourselves, our work, and our relationships and how we can find our own paths to happiness. You will hear her stories about working with Walt's nephew, Roy E. Disney, her front-line role in the opening of theme parks around the world, and her own journey to discovering how to bring some Disney magic into every day. The wish for happy endings is written in our hearts. Every park guest or movie watcher is looking for their own happily ever after as they ask the questions: What's my story? Does it matter? Will the story end well for me? Jody's personal experiences and her underpinning faith help her to offer practical and sometimes unexpected principles to better appreciate and navigate our own stories. Jody's entertaining storytelling will satisfy a listener's desire to open the doors and peek inside the castle - and more, to unlock and illuminate life's true treasure.

Jody Jean Dreyer, Stacy L Windahl, Stacy L. Windahl (Author), Jody Dreyer, Jody Jean Dreyer (Narrator)

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The Road to Sleeping Dragon: Learning China from the Ground Up

In 1995, at the age of twenty-three, Michael Meyer joined the Peace Corps and, after rejecting offers to go to seven other countries, was sent to a tiny town in Sichuan. Knowing nothing about China, or even how to use chopsticks, Meyer wrote Chinese words up and down his arms so he could hold conversations, and, per a Communist dean's orders, jumped into teaching his students about the Enlightenment, the stock market, and Beatles lyrics. Soon he realized his Chinese counterparts were just as bewildered by China's changes as he was. Thus began an impassioned immersion into Chinese life. With humor and insight, Meyer puts listeners in his novice shoes, winding across the length and breadth of his adopted country-from a terrifying bus attack on arrival, to remote Xinjiang and Tibet, into Beijing's backstreets and his future wife's Manchurian family, and headlong into efforts to protect China's vanishing heritage at places like "Sleeping Dragon," the world's largest panda preserve. Both funny and relatable, The Road to Sleeping Dragon is essential listening for anyone interested in China's history, and how daily life plays out there today.

Michael Meyer (Author), David Shih (Narrator)

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Bonjour Kale: A Memoir of Paris, Love, and Recipes

This is the story of how one expat woman left her beloved behind when she moved to France-her beloved kale, that is. Unable to find le chou kale anywhere upon moving to the City of Light with her new husband, and despite not really speaking French, Kristen Beddard launched a crusade to single-handedly bring kale to the country of croissants and cheese. Infused with Kristen's recipes and some from French chefs, big and small (including Michelin star chef Alain Passard) Bonjour Kale is a humorous, heartfelt memoir of how Kristen, kale, and France collide.

Kristen Beddard (Author), Angela Dawe (Narrator)

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Lassoing the Sun: A Year in America's National Parks

Many childhood summers, Mark Woods piled into a station wagon with his parents and two sisters and headed to America's national parks. Mark's most vivid childhood memories are set against a backdrop of mountains, woods, and fireflies in places like Redwood, Yosemite, and Grand Canyon national parks. On the eve of turning fifty and a little burned out, Mark decided to reconnect with the great outdoors. He'd spend a year visiting the national parks. He planned to take his mother to a park she'd not yet visited and to re-create his childhood trips with his wife and their iPad-generation daughter. But then the unthinkable happened: his mother was diagnosed with cancer, given just months to live. Mark had initially intended to write a book about the future of the national parks, but Lassoing the Sun grew into something more: a book about family, the parks, the legacies we inherit, and the ones we leave behind.

Mark Woods (Author), Corey M. Snow (Narrator)

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Groovin': Horses, Hopes, and Slippery Slopes

Do you have the courage to follow your dreams? In this delightful coming-of-age memoir, Rich Israel takes off on a journey of self-discovery during the late 1960s. Renouncing societal norms, he hitchhikes across the country, works at a circus, and rides a horse hundreds of miles through the Rocky Mountain wilderness-all the while, the draft and Vietnam War are nipping at his heels.Join Rich and his canine companion, Charlie, as they encounter one colorful character after another, from a loudmouthed carnival boss to an ax-loving dishwasher to a sultry flower child, whose bewitching powers lead to lust and longing-and heartbreak. A consummate storyteller, Rich peppers his writing with wit and sensitivity, as well as insights often revealed through mind-blowing acid trips.Against the backdrop of a unique period in American history, Groovin' is certain to warm your heart, bring a smile to your face, and inspire you to make every day an adventure.

Rich Israel (Author), J. R. Moorland (Narrator)

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How May We Hate You?: Notes from the Concierge Desk

Most people think hotel employees are effortlessly cheerful, naturally helpful, and genuinely like their work. Most people are wrong. Find out what really goes on in the world of hospitality with this hilarious book full of funny and absurd stories, anecdotes told in dialogue, factoids, and hoax pop quizzes by two veteran concierges who paid their way while working at a combined 50 hotels in and around Times Square. They are very pleased to help you learn: · The Truth About Bed Bugs · The Mythology of "Loyalty Programs" · The 411 on Hotel Residents · And so much more Filled with photographs and infographics, How May We Hate You? is both romp and commentary on the hospitality industry and life behind the nametag.

Anna Drezen, Todd Dakotah Briscoe (Author), Anna Drezen, Todd Dakotah Briscoe (Narrator)

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Ethiopia - Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture

Culture Smart! Ethiopia provides essential information, ensuring that you arrive at your destination aware of basic manners, common courtesies, and sensitive issues. These concise guides tell you what to expect, how to behave, and how to establish a rapport with your hosts. This inside knowledge will enable you to steer clear of embarrassing gaffes and mistakes, feel confident in unfamiliar situations, and develop trust, friendships, and successful business relationships. Culture Smart! Ethiopia offers illuminating insights into the culture and society of a particular country. It will help you to turn your visit-whether on business or for pleasure-into a memorable and enriching experience.

Sarah Howard (Author), Peter Noble (Narrator)

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Dominican Republic - Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Customs and Culture

For those who choose to break out of the confines of all-inclusive tourist resorts, Culture Smart! Dominican Republic offers a tantalizing insight into this warm, vital, and intriguing people. It takes you on a journey from the unspoiled coastline to the agricultural interior, to the imposing mountains and to the hamlets where time appears to have stood still. It then catapults you into the twenty-first century, through poverty and opulence, to the hustle and bustle of the large cities and the lifestyles of the luxury coastal tourist resorts. It offers practical advice on what to expect and to how to behave in a Dominican home, or in social and work settings.

Ginnie Bedggood (Author), Peter Noble (Narrator)

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Provence A-Z

An indispensable, richly informative, and always entertaining sourcebook on Provence by the writer who has made the region his own. Though organized from A to Z, this is hardly a conventional work of reference. It is rather a selection of those aspects of Provence that Peter Mayle in almost twenty years there has found to be the most interesting, curious, delicious, or downright fun. He writes about subjects as diverse as architecture, expatriates, scorpions, the ProvenÃ§al character, legends, lavender, linguistic oddities, the origins of "La Marseillaise," wild boars and Frenchwinds. And, of course, he writes about food and drink. Provence A-Z is a delight for Peter Mayle's ever-growing audience and these unabridged selections are the perfect complement to any guidebook on Provence, or, for that matter, France.

Peter Mayle (Author), John Lee (Narrator)

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