Your membership is paused.
You can resume enjoying Wondrium.
Enjoy this course and thousands of other programs with a Wondrium membership
Wondrium is the premier service for people who love to learn. It gives you hundreds of great college-level courses from The Great Courses and hundreds of high-quality documentaries and series made for lifelong learners like you.
Enjoy Anywhere!
Already have an account?
Enter the email address you used to create your account. We will email you instructions on how to reset your password.
Forgot Your Email Address? Contact Us
Overview
Bob Krist is an award-winning photographer whose regular assignments for magazines such as National Geographic Traveler, Smithsonian, and Islands have taken him to all seven continents. Mr. Krist's work has won awards in the Pictures of the Year International, Communication Arts, and World Press Photo competitions. He was named Photographer of the Year by the Society of American Travel Writers in 1994, 2007, and 2008.
Mr. Krist's books include the New York Times best seller, In Tuscany, a collaboration with author Frances Mayes that features 270 pages of his photographs. He is also the author of Spirit of Place: The Art of the Traveling Photographer, and he provided photography for the books Caribbean; Portrait of the Caribbean; Lowcountry: From Charleston to Savannah; A Photo Tour of New York; and Impressions of Bucks County.
Mr. Krist is a Sony Artisan of Imagery and an avid filmmaker who shoots and produces short travel films for a variety of clients, including National Geographic. His movie about Iceland, A Thousand Autumns, won awards at the Johns Hopkins Film Festival, the Reykjavik International Film Festival, and the Trento Film Festival.
Daniel Cabral of Greenzone Azores helps Bob get reacquainted with the island of São Miguel, taking him to a spectacular overlook on the west side of the island, in the area of Sete Cidades. From there, you will view and learn about the big caldera and all its lakes. You’ll also become acquainted with some of the native species and plants, as well as get an overview of some of the most gorgeous sites the island has to offer.
There are only two tea plantations in the entirety of Europe, and they're both in São Miguel. You’ll pay a visit to the older, larger plantation, Gorreana, as they make green tea while you hear the fascinating history of the plantation and the trade.
Unlike those in the United States, most of the lighthouses in the Azores—and indeed throughout all of Portugal—are still manned by naval personnel. Hear from the lighthouse keeper at Farol do Arnel in the northeast part of São Miguel to learn about the lighthouse life, history, and traditions.
Enter the lair of a master winemaker and enjoy a tasting of Generosa wine. Then, to learn about Posada wine, travel to Pico, the epicenter of the winemaking industry and home to the second UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Azores.
Hop on a ferry to learn about Horta, the most sheltered harbor in all the Azores. Explore the art and history of the area and visit the Scrimshaw Museum, which has more than 1,000 pieces on display.
Pay a visit to Terceira, an island of rolling hills, patchwork green fields, and long-dormant volcanic cones. Bull runs have a long tradition on Terceira—the first one on record was held in 1622. Gain insights into the historic event known as Tourada à corda and then travel to a cheesemaking factory and get some suggestions for unforgettable meals.
Founded in 1478, Angra do Heroísmo is a city of churches, monasteries, manor houses, and palaces. Take a tour of this designated UNESCO World Heritage site and see one of the “can’t-miss” attractions: Captain General's Palace. End with a walk through the Duke of Terceira Garden, which is considered the best way to appreciate the beauty of the city.
Visit the eastern part of São Miguel Island—an area full of lush gardens, bubbling hot springs, spectacular viewpoints, and charming villages. Take a tour of the beautiful scenes, as you make your way to the centerpiece of the Ribeira dos Caldeirões park—a towering waterfall. You’ll also learn about the Terra Nostra Garden and the Ilhéu de Vila Franca.
Mexican American actress, Fabiola Stevenson provides narration as Bob takes you to San Miguel de Allende, located in the Bahia region of Mexico. Celebrate the beginning of the spring planting season with the Concheros, the area's pre-Columbian dance troupe as you learn about the history of this energetic and passionate festival that lasts from sunrise until late in the night. Don’t forget your ear plugs!
The Mexican cowboy, called a Charro, is an iconic figure in the history of this country. Join Bob to explore the world of Mexican rodeo, called Charrería, then take a ride along with thousands of cowboys and cowgirls across the dusty Bahia Desert to a high, mountain top shrine in a pilgrimage called the Cabalgata of Cristo Rey.
The Christian holy week is one of the most widely celebrated and important religious observances in Mexico. From Palm Sunday to Easter, the cities and towns across the country are transformed to host a variety of occasions. Bob will take you to visit several cities across Central Mexico to see their Holy Week traditions, which range from the profoundly spiritual to the downright explosive.
Discover one of nature's greatest migration stories, as Bob takes you to the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve—a UNESCO World Heritage Site containing most of the overwintering sites of the eastern population of the monarch butterfly. Millions of butterflies arrive in the reserve annually.
The small mining village of San Juan de la Vega celebrates Carnival—or Mardi Gras—in an unusual way. Bob introduces you to the Festival of the Exploding Hammers, where young men of the village tie explosives to the ends of hammers and pound them into the ground. You’ll be able to enjoy this vibrant spectacle without needing safety equipment.
Join Bob to visit the Michoacán state in Central Mexico, which is the home to the Indigenous Purépecha people, whose ancestors formed one of the great civilizations of Mesoamerica. This area is known for its renowned artwork, as well as its natural beauty. Travel to villages around Lake Patzcuaro to learn why this area became an epicenter of crafts in Mexico.
Travel up into the mountains to Xilitla, to a garden like no other—created by a rich eccentric Englishman to be a surrealistic fantasy in the jungle. The surrealistic sculpture park Las Pozas, or The Pools, is a group of whimsical, concrete structures, covering over 80 acres of subtropical rainforest. And it just might be the strangest mystery tour in Mexico.
This upgrade requires that you change your password. We've sent a link and instructions to your email address to help you easily reset your password and start exploring the new Great Courses Plus immediately.
