Burt Wolf: Travels and Traditions

During this half hour, we’ll visit the most popular beer garden in Europe… enjoy some Bavarian snacks… discover why Bavarian maypoles must be guarded 24 hours a day… visit a palace that didn’t quite turn out the way the king expected… and take a driving tour through some of the most beautiful scenery in Europe.

Greater Miami and the beaches have been described as the American city of the future. We’ll tour the town on a water taxi… visit Little Havana and Coconut Grove… and attend a party that lasts all day and all night in this sophisticated subtropical city.

We’ll explore a group of remote islands that are only accessible by small craft. We’ll look at their unique plant and animal life and reach new heights in our search to understand their amazing adaptations. We’ll learn the secrets of some of the smallest creatures on our planet… and the very largest.

We’ll take a look a Brussels… sample some unusual beers, including one flavored with cherries… discover why the hand of a giant became the symbol of the city of Antwerp… stop into one of the most colorful festivals in Europe… and check out some authentic Belgian foods.

Asheville is considered to be one of the best places to live in the United States. The city itself is surrounded by the natural beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains…mountains that are filled with local craftsmen who are producing some of the finest handmade objects in the world. At the edge of town is the largest private home in North America, over four acres on the inside. The traditional forms of dance and music have been preserved and are easily available to visitors. And there’s an Inn that stands as one of the highest-rated family resorts in the nation. And of course we’ll sample some Southern recipes.

We’ll see how the ancient Viking need to go exploring in search of food has led the Norwegians into outer space to grow strawberries! It’s no accident that the NASA spacecraft that explored Mars was named Viking. We’ll visit the site of a miracle that turned a Viking warrior into the patron saint of Norway. At the Trondheim Folkmuseum we’ll tour an 800-year-old Christian church that evolved from a Viking house of worship… and take a look at the technique for making flatbread. We’ll also find out what’s good to eat.

In Florida’s Tampa Bay, we’ll experience a safari at Busch Gardens, tour the town, visit one of the oldest Cuban and Italian communities, and march along in the Gasparilla invasion.

Take a look at Virginia's oldest plantation (in operation for over 350 years), learn about the Civil War Trails and the battlefields of Virginia, go white-water rafting through the center of town and sample some of the traditional foods.

Take a walk into one of the most unusual swamps in the world, discover the origins of the teddy bear, unearth an orchid that smells like chocolate, sample one of the great coconut cakes, and visit a zoo where video technology gives visitors an amazing close-up view of some of the rarest animals on the planet.

The new Hong Kong (the British gave it back to the Chinese in 1997) has seen some changes, but it remains a fascinating city of contrasts: buy jade in the finest jewelry store or in a street market, have soup for breakfast and pancakes for lunch.

Discover how the ancient Roman Feast of Saturn (a 2000-year-old festival) has been turned into a 24-hour-a-day celebration, see how the Vegas Strip became the prototype for shopping strips around the world, learn about the relationship of marriage and food, look into the history of gaming.

Only six hundred miles off the coast of Carolina, Bermuda is an ideal island resort for a quick and easy getaway -- packed with interesting historical sites, beach front dining and lots of local food specialties.