781a Potsdam; Emperor of Rome; On the Hippie Trail
4/18/202652 min
We hear why the city of Potsdam — home to elegant Prussian palaces and parklands, all in quick reach of central Berlin — is worth a day's visit. Then we get a sense of what life was really like for the emperors of ancient Rome, with the help of classicist Mary Beard. And we travel back to 1978 with Rick and his longtime buddy Gene Openshaw as they retrace their post-college adventures along the infamous "Hippie Trail" from Istanbul to Afghanistan to India, all the way to Kathmandu.
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Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsRick Steves· Host0:00
[gentle music] It was the opulent playground of Frederick the Great and a hotspot during the Cold War. Come along as we explore Potsdam, a short ride away from Berlin.
Jim McDonough· Guest0:09
When they enter Potsdam, they are entering the city of a king.
Rick Steves· Host0:12
How did they control such a vast territory from Britannia to Palestine? Historian Mary Beard has been looking into the day-to-day lives of the Roman emperors.
Mary Beard· Soundbite0:22
I'm as curious and fascinated by the stories of luxury and sadism and violence as anybody is.
Rick Steves· Host0:32
And for the ultimate summer adventure in the 1970s, let's relive what it was like to wing it across Turkey, Iran, and Afghanistan, all the way to the Himalayas. It was a rite of passage we called the Hippie Trail.
Gene Openshaw· Guest0:45
The end of the Hippie Trail, the ultimate mecca of freaks and hippies and us, Kathmandu.
Rick Steves· Host0:53
It's all just ahead on Travel with Rick Steves. [gentle music] The elegant palaces and parks of the historic Prussian kingdom are a quick getaway from Berlin. We'll hear why the city of Potsdam is worth a visit in just a minute. Hi, I'm Rick Steves. Coming up, we'll also visit with historian Mary Beard. She's been exploring what life was really like for the rulers of the Roman Empire. Plus, I'll take you back to 1978 with me as we explore what it was like to be a fearless college graduate traveling with a high school buddy across Turkey, Afghanistan, and Iran