The Escape Artist Travel Podcast Edwina Hart

Today’s guest is one of the world’s greatest living photographers. So, in this very special season finale, we’re going to look at travel through the lens of the legendary visual storyteller Steve McCurry. 
We’ll delve into the story behind the photograph that defined his career: the portrait of a young Afghan girl (Sharbat Gula) with her torn shawl and piercing green eyes that appeared on the cover of National Geographic magazine in June 1985. It’s one of the most iconic images of the twentieth century and easily one of the most recognizable magazine covers ever printed. The portrait is likened to a modern-day Mona Lisa due to her captivating gaze.
Steve McCurry has captured many powerful and poetic photographs over an exceptional career that spans five decades. He’s devoted a lifetime to documenting the essence of humanity with a sharp focus on conflicts, vanishing culture and ancient traditions, as well as scenes from contemporary life.
His long-held fascination with photographing far-off places began when he quit his job at a local newspaper and bought a one-way ticket to India. In this episode, you’ll get a snapshot of Steve’s most memorable travel moments as we hitchhike across the USA, pick fruit on a kibbutz in Israel, swim with sea lions in the Galapagos and accidentally spend the night in a Buddhist monastery in Ladakh.
Of course, some of Steve’s adventures aren’t for the faint-hearted – he’s covered extreme weather events and warzones, survived a plane crash in Slovenia and got his big break as a photojournalist in 1979 after crossing the border into Afghanistan disguised as a mujahideen rebel.
STEVE McCURRY’S CULTURE GUIDE
Monsoon photo-essay in Life Magazine (1961) by Brian Brake
DESTINATION INSPIRATION
Ragusa, Sicily
Philadelphia
South Carolina
London
Stockholm
Amsterdam
Israel
India
Slovenia
Afghanistan
Chitral, Pakistan
Peshawar, Pakistan
The Galápagos Islands
Ladakh, India
Cuba
Mandalay, Myanmar
Iran
For a real visual treat visit stevemccurry.com or look out for Steve’s brand-new book In Search of Elsewhere, which is a unique and brilliant collection of previously unseen images from over forty years of travel. Buy it here.
You might also like to follow @stevemccurryofficial on Instagram.
If you enjoyed this episode, please be sure to subscribe, rate and review so others can discover this podcast as well. If you’re looking for some more travel inspiration, you can find me on Instagram @escape.artist.podcast or visit www.escapeartistpodcast.com
Thanks so much for listening to the podcast over the past few months. See you soon for more wild and whimsical adventures in 2021 for Season Two of The Escape Artist!
Xx Edwina
(Music by the talented Giselle Rosselli) 

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Today’s guest is British travel journalist and author Sophy Roberts.
It takes a special kind of person to hear the sentence ‘the lost pianos of Siberia’ uttered in casual conversation and have those words ignite an obsession that eventuates in a three-year odyssey across the vast, white wilderness of Siberia in search of a piano.
Sophy’s self-described ‘oddball quest’ is documented in her debut book The Lost Pianos of Siberia, which has been received with critical acclaim.
Sophy Roberts is one of the finest travel writers of our time, having carved out an exceptional career as an editor-at-large for titles such as Condé Nast Traveller and Departures magazine, and a columnist for the Financial Times' How to Spend it.
In recent years she’s felt a call to the wild, trading the glitzy hotels and glamorous getaways for a chance to tell untold stories from remote parts of the world, reporting on wildlife conservation, threats to eco-systems and fragile cultures.
 
SOPHY ROBERTS’ CULTURE GUIDE
The Road to Oxiana (book) by Robert Byron
As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning (book) by Laurie Lee
In Patagonia (book) by Bruce Chatwin
The Magic Faraway Tree (book) by Enid Blyton
The Story of Doctor Dolittle (book) by Hugh Lofting
The Secret Garden (book) by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Sakhalin Island (book) by Anton Chekhov
The Princess of Siberia (book) by Christine Sutherland
 
DESTINATION INSPIRATION
West Dorset, England
Andalucía, Spain
Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland
Varanasi, India
Ladakh, India
Dal Lake, Kashmir
Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
Pamir Mountains, Tajikistan
The Ennedi Desert, Chad
The Happy House, Nepal (See Sophy's review for CNT here)
The Orkhon valley, Mongolia
Siberia (using Anton Chekhov's description: 'The plain of Siberia begins, I think, from Ekaterinburg, and ends goodness knows where’)
Kamchatka, Russia
The Altai Mountains, Mongolia
Lake Baikal, Russia
The Kuril Islands
Taiga, Russia
The Trans-Siberian Railway
Socotra Island, Yemen
Curious to know if Sophy finds the piano she’s been searching for? Visit thelostpianosofsiberia.com or you can buy the book here.  
Please support your local bookshop if you can! Independent bookstores are really struggling at the moment, let's keep them in business this Christmas!!
You might also like to follow sophy_roberts on Instagram, she takes spellbinding photographs on her travels.
If you enjoyed this episode, please be sure to subscribe, rate and review so others can discover this podcast as well. If you’re looking for some more travel inspiration, you can find me on Instagram @escape.artist.podcast or visit www.escapeartistpodcast.com
Join me next week for the final episode of The Escape Artist Season 1!
Xx Edwina
(Music by the talented Giselle Rosselli) 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today’s guest Rhiannon Taylor is one of Australia’s most sought-after travel photographers. With a keen sense of style and an eye for design, she’s been a go-to editorial photographer for glossy magazines for almost a decade contributing to titles such as Condé Nast Traveler, Gourmet Traveller, Time, Vogue Living and Architectural Digest.
Meanwhile, her wildly successful blog, In Bed With, beautifully curates the most unique hotels from around the world.
If you’ve ever scrolled through Pinterest and found yourself in a daze of dreamy hotel suites in exotic locations – you’ve probably come across Rhiannon Taylor.
Name any extravagant form of accommodation and she’s probably stayed there - African safari lodges, fairy tale palaces in India, Greek villas, Italian villages and ranches in Texan cowboy country. Then add Hong Kong high-rises, overwater bungalows in the Maldives and luxury tented camps set in the Australian outback. She’s certainly seen her fair share of canopied beds, French freestanding bathtubs, infinity pools and buffet breakfasts.
Just wait until you hear her pick for the most romantic hotel on the planet!
CULTURE GUIDE
The Darjeeling Limited (film) by Wes Anderson
Murder on the Orient Express (book) by Agatha Christie
The Great Railway Bazaar (book) by Paul Theroux
DESTINATION INSPIRATION
Melbourne
Chin Chin, Melbourne
Supernormal, Melbourne
Pt. Leo Estate, Mornington Peninsula
Jackalope Hotel, Morington Peninsula
The Ghan
Coober Pedy, South Australia
Aman-i-Khás, Rajasthan 
Ranthambore National Park, Rajasthan
Taj lake Palace, Udaipur
The Kimberley
Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef
Gibb River Road, Western Australia
Hotel Esencia, Yucatán 
Cenotes, Yucatán
Tulum, Yucatán
Coqui Coqui Perfumerìa, Merida
Istanbul, Turkey
Bodrum, Turkey
Roscioli, Rome
Austin, Texas
Lord Howe Island, Australia
Grand Hotel Tremezzo, Lake Como
Finca Cortesin, Casares
Restaurante Sarmiento, Casares
I thoroughly recommend visiting Rhiannon's blog In Bed With for a dose of escapism or keep up with the latest in boutique hotels on Instagram at @inbedwith.me
If you enjoyed this episode, please be sure to subscribe, rate and review so others can discover this podcast as well. If you’re looking for some more travel inspiration, you can find me on Instagram @escape.artist.podcast or visit www.escapeartistpodcast.com
See you next week for another episode of The Escape Artist!
Xx Edwina
(Music by the talented Giselle Rosselli) 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today’s guest is the tea-loving Londoner Henrietta Lovell, also known as 'The Rare Tea Lady’. Who, for the last 20 years, has traversed the globe in search of the world’s most exquisite teas.
Henrietta’s love of loose-leaf tea was awakened when a highflying corporate job took her to the dazzling harbour of Hong Kong, where a single sip of oolong transformed her life. She was seduced by the extraordinary flavour and set out to revolutionise the way we drink tea in the West by starting the Rare Tea Company.
 
Since then she has worked alongside the most celebrated chefs, such as Noma’s René Redzepi, Heston Blumenthal and Momofuku’s David Chang – who all seek her expertise in tea.
Henrietta’s quest to source leaves directly from farmers and connect with tea growing communities has enticed her to estates in some of the most remote and unlikely of places. Pop the kettle on and make a cuppa because I can feel a rather enchanting episode brewing!
DESTINATION INSPIRATION
Copenhagen
Noma, Copenhagen
South West Scotland
Hong Kong
Fujian, China
Sikkim, India
Satemwa Tea Estate, Malawi
La Paz, Bolivia
Coroico, Bolivia
San Pedro de Atacama, Chile
Ryōan-ji, Kyoto
Higashiya Ginza, Tokyo
Claridge's, London
Zealong Tea Estate, Waikato
If our conversation has given you a taste for quality tea you can visit rareteacompany.com or uncover more of her stories in Henrietta's beautiful book 'Infused: Adventures in Tea' available here.
If you enjoyed this episode, please be sure to subscribe, rate and review so others can discover this podcast as well. If you’re looking for some more travel inspiration, you can find me on Instagram @escape.artist.podcast or visit www.escapeartistpodcast.com
See you next week for another episode of The Escape Artist!
Xx Edwina
(Music by the talented Giselle Rosselli) 



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Lonely Planet is a guidebook publishing empire that has shaped the travels of millions of people around the globe. Today’s guest is the founder of Lonely Planet, Tony Wheeler. He has been described by The New York Times as ‘the trailblazing patron saint of the world’s backpackers and adventure travellers’. 
It all began when Tony Wheeler and his wife Maureen embarked on an overland odyssey driving a banged-up old car along the ‘Hippie Trail’; a popular route for free-spirits in the 1960s and 70s from Europe to Freak Street in Kathmandu. The Wheelers eventually arrived in Australia with only a few cents left in their pockets
Little did they know when they set off, that their adventure halfway across the world would take them on a much bigger journey from printing the first Lonely Planet pamphlet ‘Across Asia on the Cheap’ in 1973 to building a multi-million-dollar travel publishing giant.
TONY WHEELER’S CULTURE GUIDE
Space Captain (1970 song) by Jo Cocker ("Once I was traveling across the sky, this lovely planet caught my eye")
Arabian Nights (1974 film) by Pier Paolo Pasolini
DESTINATION INSPIRATION
Socotra, Yemen
Karachi, Pakistan
The Bahamas
London
Iran
Afghanistan
Freak Street, Kathmandu
Bangkok
Singapore
Kuta, Bali
Western Australia
Paddington, Sydney
Tehran, Iran
Shiraz, Iran
Iraq
Siggy’s, Kabul, Afghanistan
Pyongyang, North Korea
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
The Falkland Islands
Cartagena, Colombia
Ciudad Perdida, Colombia
Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Antarctica
The Himalayas, Nepal
The Australian Outback
Montevideo, Uruguay
You can find more of Tony’s travels at tonywheeler.com.au
If you enjoyed this episode, please be sure to subscribe, rate and review so others can discover this podcast as well. If you’re looking for some more travel inspiration, you can find me on Instagram @escape.artist.podcast or visit www.escapeartistpodcast.com
See you next week for another episode of The Escape Artist!
Xx Edwina
(Music by the talented Giselle Rosselli) 


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today’s guest in Paris-based travel writer and bestselling author, Lindsey Tramuta.
After studying French literature and becoming enamoured with the language, Lindsey packed up her bags and moved from Philadelphia to Paris in 2006.
Lindsey contributes to The New York Times, Conde Nast Traveler, Afar, Travel & Leisure, Bon Appétit, and Fortune Magazine. She’s also the acclaimed author behind the widely popular book The New Paris, which celebrates the creative movement changing the shape of the world’s most storied city.  
Lindsey’s recently released follow up, The New Parisienne, is equally illuminating, as she explores the women and ideas influencing the French capital today – as well as taking on the tired tropes of the idealized Parisian woman.
    
After calling Paris home for 14 years and writing two books on the subject, you’ll be hard pressed to find an expat who is more of an expert on French culture. So fellow Francophiles, here’s your chance to explore Paris like a local and to get a real feel for the city beyond its grand boulevards, museums and monuments. We’ll cycle through lesser-known neighbourhoods, explore Left Bank bookstores and get a taste of the city’s evolving culinary scene.  
DESTINATION INSPIRATION
Marseille
Le Perche, Normandy
D’une Île, Normandy
11th Arrondissement
Bambino
Le Mary Celeste
Martin
Canal Saint-Martin
Ten Belles
 
Holybelly
Belleville Brûlerie
Coutume
13th Arrondissement
Belleville
L'Homme Bleu
Goutte d’Or
Hotel de Crillon
Shakespeare and Company
Jardin du Palais Royal
Jardin du Luxembourg
Red Wheelbarrow Bookstore
Treize Bakery
Pantheon
Boulevard Saint-Germain
Institut du Monde Arabe
The Grande Mosquée de Paris 
Bastille
Boulevard Beaumarchais
Merci
Cafe Mericourt
Helwayat Al-Salam, Bierut
Beit Douma
Baalbek
If you loved Lindsey’s episode, you can find more of her refreshing insights into life in Paris and French culture at lostincheeseland.com
You can purchase The New Paris: The People, Places and Ideas Fuelling a Movement here and her recently released The New Parisienne: The Women and Ideas Shaping Paris here.
If you enjoyed this episode, please be sure to subscribe, rate and review so others can discover this podcast as well. If you’re looking for some more travel inspiration, you can find me on Instagram @escape.artist.podcast or visit www.escapeartistpodcast.com
See you next week for another episode of The Escape Artist!
Xx Edwina
(Music by the talented Giselle Rosselli) 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.