velocityconf: RT @avleen: Ok folks, home stretch! We need 10 more people to record short #OpsSchool videos NEXT WEEK at @velocityconf. We can do it!...

As the Western Cape ramps up its screenings and testing for Covid-19 as confirmed cases rise, the ANC in the province is calling for the return to Level 5 lockdown to be considered.

Seventeen more Covid-19-related deaths have been recorded in the country, bringing the number to 178, while the biggest one-day spike in new cases hit 663.

An investigation over several months has revealed how Coca-Cola ignored the water-saving regulations and how the City of Cape Town failed to take any action.

While at least 19 000 inmates inside South Africa's prisons will be eligible for special parole to curb the spread of Covid-19, those sentenced for a range of serious crimes will not make the cut.

Eight suspected illegal miners, known as zama zamas, have been arrested in Limpopo, following a Hawks investigation.

This episode of Tali's Wedding Diary is proudly shared with you by Channel24 and Showmax.

You can listen to this version of the 'world's most joyous song' here.

Netcare St Augustine's and Netcare Kingsway hospitals have been given the green light to reopen.

Stay up to date with the latest news, views and analysis as the number of coronavirus cases in SA increases.

Cosatu in the Western Cape says that it is deeply concerned over the "alarming rate on increase" in Covid-19 infections in the province.

News24 asked young people to send to us their reasons for leaving and what would have to be different for them to return to South Africa, or not leave at all. The response was overwhelming.

With the working class resorting to online vouchers for groceries and the poor eating less bread than before, is it not impractical for the president to expect ordinary citizens to tighten their belts when MPs, Ministers and government officials' well-fed bellies belie the trouble the economy is in?

Life as we knew it will definitely change after this, as firms realise that people can work from home, saving them money, the air is better without traffic and pollution and more and more courses and meetings take place online.

As a digital company, your business is not bound by conventional borders and has the freedom and opportunity to reach customers anywhere in the world. And just as you look outward for new markets, customers are also looking beyond their physical borders for their goods and services. As a study by KPMG shows, online buyers […]

If you’re an entrepreneur nurturing your own company to a full-blown success, you are always looking for insights and ideas to take your business to the next level, right? But you’re probably super busy as well, and don’t always have the time to figure out where you should be looking for those insights.

In many areas of the country, landlords are prohibited from evicting tenants who are experiencing financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Take these steps if you’re losing rental income.

From the virtual 2020 REALTORS® Legislative Meetings, April 27-May 15

Many homeowners have built up wealth in their homes. Owners’ balance sheets remained strong in the first quarter across the U.S., a new report shows.

The Economic Injury Disaster Loan program is now limiting both the amount and recipients it will consider for the emergency loans.

Ashland, Oregon Shakespeare Festival

Cape Town, South Africa

Edmonton and Jasper, Alberta Canada

Peru and Ecuador in South America

Authors of "Europe From a Backpack"

A Year In Europe

Theme Cruise to Panama (Shakespeare at Sea / MacMania)

Lancaster County Pennsylvania

The Amateur Traveler talks to Zora O'Neil who is one of the co-authors of the Rough Guide in the Yucatan guide book. Zora talks about this very beautiful, very tropical and very isolated part of Mexico. Learn about the beach communities (Riviera Maya - Cancun, Talum, Playa del Carmen; Costa Maya - Majahual, Xcalak; Isla Holbox), getting around, the food (Xni Pec, Achiote), the colonial cities (Merida) and the Mayan ruins (the Ruta Puc, Uxmal, Calakmul).

The Amateur Traveler was nominated for a Lonely Planet Travel Blogging Award in the Podcast category and I could use your help. You will find a link to vote on http://AmateurTraveler.com

The Amateur Traveler talks to Doug McConnell of OpenRoad.tv about his love for the Eastern Sierra Nevada mountains. Doug has been going to this rugged, stark and beautiful area of California and Nevada since he was a kid. He tells us about Hollywood's love of this area, the oldest trees on the planet, the water wars of California, the tufa fields of Mono Lake, the ghost town of Bodie and more. He also tells of his friends Galen and Barbara Rowell who called this area their home until their deaths in 2002. Galen was a renowned nature photographer and Barbara was his partner and pilot.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Christine Cantera about her time living in the Languedoc region of France in the city Montpellier. Montpellier is sometimes called the San Francisco of France. Christine shares with us a few thoughts about cafes, bars, which museums are worth it (and which aren’t), beaches, fortified cities, when to visit, and the one day of the year when nobody in France gets any work done. She discusses what are her favorite 3 places to see in Languedoc including one seaside town that still has jousts but with a very nautical twist.

News

Southwest attendant takes baby after slap from mother
American Airlines to Charge for Front-Row Seats
Nursing at Sea

Show Notes

France Travel Guide
Montpellier
Languedoc
Jardin des plantes de Montpellier
Le Petit Train Touristique du Centre Historique
Languedoc wine
Le Jardin du Champs de Mars
Paparazzi
La Dolce Vita
Aigues-Mortes
Carcassonne
Parc naturel régional de Camargue
Musee Fabre
Antigone District
Palavas-les-Flots
Sète
Nîmes
Beaujolais nouveau
Bar le Saint-Roch
MissExpatria’s photostream

Community

Sam was looking for a show on Malta
Don't use the first LukeDon’t use the first Luke

The Amateur Traveler talks to Chris Bogdon who talks to us about his hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This former steel capital has undergone a renaissance since its steel business went away and Chris tells us some of the reasons to visit this city at the headwaters of the Ohio River. Pittsburgh boasts both historic Fort Pitt and nearby Fort Necessity where George Washington made a name for himself. It is the home to many different ethnic neighborhoods which it celebrates with food and festivals and commemorates in an Immigration Museum in the Carnegie Library of the University of Pittsburgh. The town now hosts students in greater numbers than steelworkers. It is near Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwaters and a wine region. Chris also talks about side trips to Bethlehem, PA and Jim Thorpe, PA.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Kara Williams of TheVacationGals.com about Aspen, Colorado. Like so many locals who live in that area of Colorado, Kara came for the winters but stayed for the summers. She tells us about this historic silver-mining town that is better known as a winter playground for the wealthy now than for its mining past. Whether you are skiing, hiking or fly fishing it has a wealth of outdoor activities. It offers great, if not always inexpensive, food and a wealth of artistic events set in a gorgeous mountain valley. Kara describes side trips to the Ghost towns of Ashcroft and Independence, to the continental divide at Independence Pass and to the caves at The Grottos. She also tells you whether the Aspen Crud is something you want to get. Aspen also hosts festivals as diverse as the Aspen Institute, Jazz Aspen Snowmass, the Aspen Music Festival and School and Aspen Summer Words.

The Amateur Traveler talks to Francis Tapon about European Russia west of the Ural Mountains. Most people only know 2 cities in Russia – Moscow and St Petersburg. In St Petersburg he recommends the Hermitage and the Peterhof. Moscow is so central culturally to Russia that the trains all run on Moscow time across the 9 timezones of Russia. Francis extends the suggested itinerary to include Kazan and Kaliningrad. Kazan is the capital of Tatarstan which is a mostly Muslim area of Russia. Kazan is over 1000 years old. Kazan is right by the Volga river with a large mosque and classic cathedral. Kaliningrad is a Russian exclave in what used to be East Prussia.

The Amateur Traveler talks to to Gary Arndt about the 4 micro-states in Europe: Andorra, Liechtenstein, Monaco, San Marino.  "They all have very unique histories and the one thing that they are all very small"

The Amateur Traveler talks to Nick Stanziano, co-founder of SA Luxury Expeditions and newly minted Peruvian citizen about his new country of Peru. We talk about Lima, Machu Picchu and other well known Peru landmarks as well both ancient and modern.

Hear about travel to Perth, Australia as the Amateur Traveler talks to Carmen from double-barrelledtravel.com. Carmen grew up in Perth and lived for 21 years in this city on Australia’s Western shore. Perth is a beautiful city located where a river his the white sand beaches. 

Hear about travel to Arequipa, Peru as the Amateur Traveler talks to Sam from Indefinite Adventure. Arequipa is Peru’s second largest city after Lima. It is in the south, inland, west of Lake Titicaca and south of Cusco. Sam heard about Arequipa from other travelers and lived and worked there for a month as a temporary local.

Hear about travel to Winnipeg, Manitoba as the Amateur Traveler talks to return guest Michael Soncina of Sonchy’s Adventures about this city on the great plains of Canada. 

Hear about volunteer travel with the Peace Corps as the Amateur Traveler talks to Peace Corps Director Carrie Hessler-Radelet. Director Hessler-Radelet not only served in the Peace Corps herself in Western Samoa but 4 generations of her family have done so. 

Hear about cruising from Buenos Aires, Argentina to Valparaiso, Chile around Cape Horn in South America as the Amateur Traveler relates stories of a recent Holland America cruise on the Zaandam. 

Hear about travel to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as the Amateur Traveler talks to Larissa and Michael Milne of changesinlongitude.com. They recently authored the "Philadelphia Liberty Trail" book.

Hear about travel to Michigan's Upper Peninsula (the UP)  as the Amateur Traveler talks to Jennifer Schuitema from Grand Rapids Michigan about travel to the northern remote part of the Great Lake State.

Hear about travel to Flanders in Belgium from the Amateur Traveler. I recently traveled to 5 cities in Belgium: Antwerp, Ghent, Ieper, Bruges and Brussels. Each of these historic cities is wonderfully picturesque, even on a grey November day. 

Hear about travel to the Russian Far East as the Amateur Traveler talks to freelance travel journalist Robert Reid about his numerous journeys to this remote part of Russia.

Hear about hiking the Peaks of the Balkans trail in Albania, Kosovo, and Montenegro as the Amateur Traveler talks to Dan and Audrey from uncorneredmarket.com about this off the beaten track route in Europe.

Hear about travel to Jordan as the Amateur Traveler himself, Chris Christensen, relates stories about his visit to the country. 

Jasper National Park in the Canadian Rockies is one of the most beautiful places in the world. Learn what to see and do, where to hike and when to come.