Shows
Spirit of the Camino5.2 - The Magna Via FrancigenaAs we continue our exploration of pilgrimage routes in Italy, Nick recounts his solo walk on the Magna Via Francigena in Sicily. Buon cammino!
Show Notes:
Main Attractions: Palermo, Monreale, Agrigento
Most Beautiful Villages/Towns: Sutera, Racalmuto
Nick's Best Sunset Spot at Agrigento: The east side of the Temple of Juno (Giunone)
Goat Art: Realised by Domenico Cocchiara; article (in Italian) with photos:
https://ripost.it/2023/08/15/le-capre-girgentane-di-domenico-cocchiara-sulle-vecchie-porte-di-30-comuni/
2024-07-1335 minSpirit of the Camino3.9 - The Portuguese Coastal RouteIn this episode, Wendy takes the reins as host to interview Nick about the Portuguese Coastal route that he just finished walking. Among other insights, Nick answers the big questions as to whether the coastal path feels like a camino and whether he recommends the coastal or central route from Porto.
2022-09-0640 min
English in 10 MinutesEpisode 125: Language Tips and TricksIn the last episode of English in 10 Minutes, Nick and Wendy give their top tips for language learning, including how to enjoy the process, how to practice speaking, and which smartphone apps to use.
2019-02-0600 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 123: FavelasNick and Wendy talk about visiting two favelas, the famous slums of Rio de Janeiro. In particular, they discuss the security situation and the level of development in the favelas.
2019-01-2300 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 122: Return to RioNick and Wendy return to the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the last major destination on their trip in South America. They talk about Rio’s staggering natural beauty, from the beaches to the mountains.
2019-01-1600 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 120: Afro-Brazilian ReligionWhile in Salvador, Nick and Wendy attended a ceremony of the Afro-Brazilian religion candomblé. In this episode, they talk about the experience and the religion in general.
2019-01-0200 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 119: SalvadorNick and Wendy visit the Brazilian city of Salvador de Bahia. They talk about the Afro-Brazilian culture of Salvador, including music and capoeira.
2018-12-2600 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 118: Colonial CitiesNick and Wendy continue their trip in Brazil and visit three colonial cities in the northeast of the country: São Luís, Recife and Olinda. They talk about their experiences in each city.
2018-12-1900 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 117: Planned CitiesNick and Wendy visit the Brazilian capital Brasília. They talk about their impressions of Brasília and about other planned cities such as Washington, D.C. and Canberra.
2018-12-1200 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 116: The PantanalBack in Brazil, Nick and Wendy discuss their visit to the world’s largest wetlands area: the Pantanal. In particular, they talk about the various animals they saw while they were there.
2018-12-0500 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 115: Into the MinesNick and Wendy visit a working silver mine in Bolivia. They talk about the extremely difficult conditions they saw and the impactful experience they had in the mines.
2018-11-2800 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 113: Beautiful BoliviaNick and Wendy talk about returning to Bolivia 13 years after their last visit. In particular, they discuss the country’s amazing natural beauty, including the world-famous Salar de Uyuni salt flats.
2018-11-1400 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 112: ParaguayNick and Wendy talk about spending a few days in Paraguay. They discuss Paraguay’s attractions such as the Jesuit missions in the south and the capital Asunción.
2018-11-0700 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 110: Iguaçu FallsNick and Wendy visit Iguaçu Falls for the second time and have a much better experience than on their disappointing first visit. They talk about the wonders of both the Brazilian and Argentine sides of the falls.
2018-10-2400 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 109: São PauloNick and Wendy begin their South American trip in the mega-city of São Paulo, Brazil. They talk about their expectations before they arrived and how São Paulo turned out to be a big surprise for them.
2018-10-1600 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 108: MunichIn our first ever three-person conversation, Nick, Wendy and Nick’s brother Tim talk about the German city of Munich. In particular, they talk about Munich’s parks, its traditional beer culture and its untraditional urban surfing culture.
2018-10-1000 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 107: Rio de Janeiro, 1995As Nick and Wendy prepare to go to Brazil, Wendy reminisces about the time she went to Rio de Janeiro to study Portuguese as a university student in 1995.
2018-10-0300 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 105: Learning GermanOur guest is Nick’s brother Tim, who returns to the podcast to talk about his experiences learning German while living in Germany, both as a teenager and as an adult.
2018-09-1900 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 104: Roman Stories I (Nick)In the first of our Roman Stories episodes, Nick shares the story of how he visited Rome for the first time and how he eventually came to live there and to fall in love with the city.
2018-09-1200 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 103: SlovakiaNick and Wendy talk about their recent trip to Slovakia in Central Europe. They discuss Slovakia’s natural beauty as well as its cities and castles and how it’s a fairly undiscovered country.
2018-09-0500 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 102: FamilyOur guest, Nick’s mother Marion, talks about her mother’s life journey, from the Netherlands to Indonesia to spending time in a Japanese prison camp in World War II to finally moving to Australia.
2018-08-2900 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 101: PragueNick and Wendy recently visited Prague in the Czech Republic. They talk about what they did there and they also reminisce about their previous trips to Prague in 2000-2001.
2018-08-2200 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 100: RomeFor our 100th episode, Nick and Wendy talk about their favourite city in the world: Rome, Italy. They discuss Rome's historical layers and the difficulty of having a functioning modern city on top of a ruined ancient city.
2018-08-1500 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 99: Europe, 1969Our guest, Nick’s mother Marion, talks about visiting Europe as a 21-year-old in 1969. In particular, she talks about travelling to Europe from Australia by boat and visiting places places like London, Prague and Rome.
2018-08-0800 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 98: TunisiaNick and Wendy talk about visiting the North African country of Tunisia. They talk about enjoying Tunisia’s cultural heritage, taking a Roman bath, and accidentally stumbling onto a tourist resort.
2018-08-0100 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 97: EthiopiaNick and Wendy talk about one of their favourite countries in Africa: Ethiopia. They discuss the country’s history and food and talk about some of the places they liked the most in Ethiopia.
2018-07-2500 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 96: SydneyOur guest, Nick’s father Geoff, is back to talk about his home town of Sydney, Australia. He talks about Sydney’s harbour, beaches and beauty.
2018-07-1800 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 95: FadoNick and Wendy talk about the famous Portuguese music style known as fado. They discuss the concept and origins of fado, and how to see it in Lisbon.
2018-07-1100 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 94: The Maya WorldNick and Wendy talk about visiting Maya archeological sites in Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras. They discuss the Maya pyramids, the surrounding landscapes and the value of visiting several different sites.
2018-07-0400 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 93: AustraliaNick and his father Geoff talk about their home country of Australia. In particular, they talk about identity and development in Australia, the country’s popular sports, and some special places in Australia that Geoff has visited.
2018-06-2700 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 92: The Original WayNick and Wendy talk about walking the Camino Primitivo - the Original Way - of the Camino de Santiago in Spain. They talk about the people they met along the way, the difficult weather conditions, and the spirit of the camino.
2018-06-2000 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 91: The Douro ValleyNick and Wendy talk about their recent trip to the Douro Valley in northern Portugal. They talk about the region’s famous vineyards and its other attractions.
2018-06-1300 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 89: PortoNick and Wendy talk about Porto, the second largest city in Portugal. They talk about life along the riverfront and the other things they did during their recent trip to Porto with Nick’s family.
2018-05-2300 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 88: Exploring EgyptNick and Wendy talk about another one of their favourite countries: Egypt. They discuss Egypt’s incredible ancient sites as well as its natural beauty.
2018-05-1600 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 86: Picturesque PeruNick and Wendy talk about the country Wendy listed as her second favourite in the world: Peru. They talk about Peru’s archeological sites and incredible nature.
2018-05-0200 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 85: Surprising PakistanNick and Wendy talk about one of their favourite (and most surprising) countries: Pakistan. They discuss Pakistan’s friendly people and beautiful mountain scenery.
2018-04-2500 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 83: Summer in IcelandNick and Wendy talk about Iceland, which Wendy ranked as her fourth favourite country in the world. They discuss the extraordinary natural beauty of Iceland and doing a hike that didn’t exactly go according to plan.
2018-04-1100 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 82: Lemurs in MadagascarNick and Wendy talk about their visit to Madagascar several years ago. The highlight, of course, was all the different lemurs they saw while they were there!
2018-04-0400 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 80: Chocolate FestivalNick and Wendy talk about visiting the chocolate festival held in the beautiful medieval town of Óbidos in Portugal.
2018-03-2100 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 79: Alternative BerlinOn a short trip to Berlin, Nick and Wendy take an ‘alternative’ walking tour to discover some of the lesser known sites and areas of the city.
2018-03-1300 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 78: Berlin, 1989Our guest, Nick’s brother Tim, talks about being in Germany as a teenager when the Berlin Wall came down in November 1989 and visiting Berlin shortly afterwards.
2018-03-0700 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 76: The Winter OlympicsNick and Wendy talk about their memories of the Winter Olympics from childhood, and Nick talks about his experiences volunteering and working at four Winter Olympics for the Olympic News Service.
2018-02-2100 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 74: Santiago de CompostelaAfter walking for 39 days to get there, Nick and Wendy talk about the Spanish city of Santiago de Compostela: the Celtic atmosphere, the historical architecture, and going up to the rooftop of the cathedral. This episode is part of our special audio series The Way. Find out more: https://englishin10minutes.com/theway/
2018-02-0700 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 73: Townships and TowersIn their last conversation from Southern Africa, Nick and Wendy talk about visiting two historically poor but very different areas of Johannesburg: the township of Soweto and the Ponte Tower.
2018-01-3100 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 71: Community Tourism in LesothoNick and Wendy talk about two community tourism projects in the small African country of Lesotho. Special italki offer: http://go.italki.com/englishin10minutes.
2018-01-1700 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 70: The Mountain KingdomNick and Wendy talk about the Mountain Kingdom of Lesotho, the ninth and last country that they visited on their trip in Southern Africa.
2018-01-1000 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 68: Robben IslandNick and Wendy talk about visiting the famous Apartheid-era prison on Robben Island, near Cape Town in South Africa - where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned - and being guided by an ex-prisoner.
2017-12-2700 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 67: The Namibian DesertNick and Wendy talk about visiting the Namibian Desert and enjoying its spectacular scenery. Special italki offer: http://go.italki.com/englishin10minutes
2017-12-2000 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 65: Botswana by CanoeNick and Wendy talk about their overnight camping trip in a canoe in the Okavango Delta in Botswana. Special italki offer: http://go.italki.com/englishin10minutes
2017-12-0600 min
English in 10 MinutesEpisode 64: Africa by TrainNick and Wendy talk about the first two train trips in sub-Saharan Africa that they took recently: an overnight train in Zimbabwe and a day train in Mozambique.
2017-11-2900 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 62: Great ZimbabweNick and Wendy visit the archeological site called Great Zimbabwe in the country of Zimbabwe. They talk about the atmospheric nature of Great Zimbabwe and the things they liked about it.
2017-11-1500 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 61: Elephant OrphanageNick and Wendy talk about their visit to an elephant orphanage project in Zambia. Special italki offer: http://go.italki.com/englishin10minutes
2017-11-0800 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 59: The Road to LivingstoniaNick and Wendy talk about the Scottish colonial village of Livingstonia in Malawi and the road that leads there. Special italki offer: http://go.italki.com/englishin10minutes
2017-10-2500 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 58b: Stone Towns (Part 2)In the second part of a two-part episode about Stone Towns off the east coast of Africa, Nick and Wendy talk about wonderful Mozambique Island.
2017-10-2000 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 58a: Stone Towns (Part 1)In the first part of a two-part episode about Stone Towns off the east coast of Africa, Nick and Wendy talk about the wonderful destinations of Lamu and Zanzibar.
2017-10-1610 min
English in 10 MinutesEpisode 56: MafalalaNick and Wendy talk about visiting the Mozambican capital Maputo and, in particular, the historic and fascinating Mafalala neighbourhood.
2017-10-0411 min
English in 10 MinutesEpisode 55: Swaziland Reed DanceNick and Wendy talk about the spectacular African festival that is the Swaziland Reed Dance. Special italki offer: http://go.italki.com/englishin10minutes
2017-09-2810 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 54: Nostalgic for TaiwanNick’s friend Ted grew up in North America but has Taiwanese parents. In this conversation he talks about how his father was nostalgic for Taiwan and what happened when he eventually returned.
2017-09-2010 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 53: Walking SafariNick and Wendy talk about their walking safari in Kruger National Park in South Africa. Special italki offer: http://go.italki.com/englishin10minutes
2017-09-1310 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 52: Chimp EdenNick and Wendy recently visited a chimpanzee rescue sanctuary in South Africa called Chimp Eden. In this episode they talk about the sanctuary and the chimps who live there.
2017-09-0610 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 51: San FranciscoNick’s colleague Melissa talks about her home town of San Francisco in the USA. Special italki offer: http://go.italki.com/englishin10minutes
2017-08-3110 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 50: Top 5 CountriesTo celebrate the 50th episode of the podcast, Nick and Wendy each list their five favourite countries in the world. Some of their choices might surprise you!
2017-08-2313 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 49: Trekking in NepalNick and Wendy talk about hiking the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal. Special italki offer: http://go.italki.com/englishin10minutes
2017-08-1610 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 48: Swiss LanguagesNick’s friend Yassin is an English teacher in his native Switzerland. In this conversation, he talks about the four Swiss national languages: (Swiss) German, French, Italian and Romansh.
2017-08-0910 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 47: Return to MoroccoSix years after their overwhelming first experience in Morocco, Nick and Wendy returned. In this conversation, they talk about their second trip to Morocco.
2017-08-0210 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 46: Morocco ... the 1st timeNick and Wendy have travelled a lot, but the first time they went to Morocco in 2001 they were inexperienced and unprepared. In this conversation they talk about the culture shock they experienced in Morocco.
2017-07-2610 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 45: Trinidad and TobagoNick’s friend Cathy is from the English-speaking Caribbean country of Trinidad and Tobago. In this conversation she talks about her family background and Trinidad’s history and culture.
2017-07-1911 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 44: AntarcticaSeveral years ago Nick and Wendy had the great pleasure of visiting Antarctica. In this episode they talk about the white continent and their amazing experience there.
2017-07-1210 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 43: The Islamic FestivalNick and Wendy recently went to the Portuguese town of Mértola to experience the Islamic Festival that is held there every two years. In this episode, they talk about the markets and other activities of the festival.
2017-07-0500 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 41: Illegal Chinese RestaurantsNick and Wendy talk about the fun (and tasty) experience of going to illegal Chinese restaurants in their new home city of Lisbon, Portugal.
2017-06-2110 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 40: Lisbon LookoutsNick and Wendy talk about their new home: Lisbon, Portugal. They discuss the city’s hills and some of the lookout points that afford great views of old Lisbon.
2017-06-1310 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 39: CopenhagenNick’s English friend Sarah lives in Copenhagen, the capital city of Denmark. In this episode she talks about the life she leads in Copenhagen and why she loves it.
2017-06-0710 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 38: Chasing CaravaggioDuring their trip to southern Italy and Malta, Nick and Wendy saw several paintings by their favourite painter, Caravaggio. In this episode they talk about Caravaggio’s life and about why they like his paintings.
2017-05-3110 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 37: Losing NatureNick and Wendy discuss their recent visit to Malta. In particular, they talk about visiting the site of Gozo’s famous Azure Window, which collapsed and disappeared a few weeks earlier.
2017-05-2310 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 36: Learning RussianNick’s English friend Helen is a Russian-English interpreter. In this conversation she talks about learning Russian and her experiences in Russian-speaking countries.
2017-05-1710 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 35: Markets in PalermoNick and Wendy are in the Sicilian capital Palermo. They talk about the famous Ballarò produce market, the unusual vegetables you can find there, and how it’s different from markets in their home countries.
2017-05-1010 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 34: Climbing a VolcanoAs part of their recent trip to southern Italy, Nick and Wendy climbed the volcano on the island of Stromboli. In this conversation they talk about the climb and what they saw at the top of the volcano.
2017-05-0310 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 33: Making PotteryNick’s friend Caitriana used to be a potter. In this conversation she talks about how you make pottery, how she got into the profession, and how artists are viewed in society.
2017-04-2610 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 32: The Sacred MileIn their second conversation about the Italian city of Naples, Nick and Wendy talk about walking ‘The Sacred Mile’ in the Sanità neighbourhood, a fascinating and undiscovered part of the city.
2017-04-1910 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 31: Holy Week in SpainNick and Wendy have spent Easter in Spain for the last two years. In this conversation, they talk about seeing the famous Semana Santa (Holy Week) celebrations in three different Spanish cities, including Seville.
2017-04-1210 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 30: Being BilingualNick’s colleague Sandra grew up speaking English and French and now she teaches both languages. In this conversation she talks about her language experiences.
2017-04-0410 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 29: Pizza in NaplesNick and Wendy talk about traditional Italian pizza from the city of Naples and about how it’s different from American pizza. They also discuss the concept of 'cucina povera' (poor man’s cooking) in Italian cuisine. Delicious!
2017-03-2810 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 28: Hadrian's WallLast year, Nick and Wendy spent several days walking alongside Hadrian’s Wall in northern England. In this conversation, they talk about their visit and about the Wall itself.
2017-03-2110 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 27: Half and HalfNick’s friend Ciaron is half English and half Irish. In this conversation he talks about his family background and his experiences related to both countries and cultures.
2017-03-1410 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 26: Carnaval in PortugalNick and Wendy recently saw two very different Carnaval parades in Portugal - one in Portuguese style and the other in Brazilian style. In this conversation they discuss the two parades.
2017-03-0810 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 25: Snow in BerlinNick and Wendy have been to Berlin twice together, and it snowed both times. In this conversation they talk about these two snowy experiences in the German capital.
2017-03-0109 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 24: HungaryOur last guest Zsuzsa is back to tell Nick about her home country, Hungary. She talks about living under communism as a child, what Hungarians are like, and where to go in Hungary as a tourist.
2017-02-2210 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 23: Learning ChineseNick and Wendy talk about learning Chinese. Wendy explains why she decided to start learning Chinese, why she likes it, and why it’s different from other languages.
2017-02-1510 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 22b: Turtles in Panama (Part 2)In the second part of a two-part episode, Nick and Wendy talk about seeing baby turtles hatch on a beach at a turtle conservation project in Panama.
2017-02-1010 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 22a: Turtles in Panama (Part 1)In the first of a two-part episode, Nick and Wendy talk about volunteering at a turtle conservation project in Panama and seeing a mother sea turtle come up to the beach in the middle of the night to lay her eggs.
2017-02-0810 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 21: Living LanguagesNick’s friend and former boss Zsuzsa talks about the FIVE languages she speaks every day, and she teaches Nick a thing or two about Hungarian.
2017-02-0110 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 20b: The Great Wall of China (Part 2)In the second episode of this two-part conversation, Nick and Wendy talk about seeing several other sections of the Great Wall of China, including both the eastern and western end points of the Wall.
2017-01-2610 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 20a: The Great Wall of China (Part 1)In the first part of a two-part episode, Nick and Wendy talk about visiting the Great Wall of China at Badaling, near Beijing.
2017-01-2510 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 18: Los AngelesNick’s American friend John talks about the city he lives in: Los Angeles, California. He explains the appeal of the city, why he always wanted to move there, and the things you can do in L.A. as a tourist or a local.
2017-01-1110 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 17: PalmyraNick and Wendy reminisce about their visit to Palmyra before the Syrian civil war. They talk about the spectacular Roman ruins and the tragedy of what has happened in Palmyra and in Syria because of the war.
2017-01-0410 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 16: Winter in SwitzerlandWinter has arrived in Switzerland and even though it’s cold, it’s still an enjoyable time of year. Nick and Wendy talk about the different winter activities they do and other aspects of winter life in Switzerland.
2016-12-2810 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 15: Living in GreeceGreece is a wonderful holiday destination for many people, but what’s it like to live there? Nick’s Australian friend Phil talks about his experiences living in Greece, both positive and negative.
2016-12-2110 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 14: Orang-utansNick and Wendy talk about seeing orang-utans on their travels in Southeast Asia. They compare their experiences at rehabilitation centres in Indonesia and Malaysia.
2016-12-1410 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 13: A Local FestivalNick and Wendy talk about the Escalade, a local festival celebrated in Geneva every December. They talk about the history behind the festival and how it is celebrated each year in the old city.
2016-12-0710 minEnglish in 10 MinutesEpisode 0: IntroductionIn this introductory episode, host Nick Leonard explains what the podcast is all about, why listening is important in language learning, and how you can use English in 10 Minutes to improve your English.
2016-09-3009 min