We've all seen it: a black-and-white, grainy photo of a long-necked creature surfacing the waters of Loch Ness. This is perhaps the most iconic image of the so-named Loch Ness Monster, or Nessie, ever captured on film. But while the creature has been better documented in recent centuries thanks to photographic and video evidence, sightings of it date back even further to several centuries in the past. Get your swim trunks and floaties, dear listeners, because we're diving into the depths of Loch Ness for a look at the history behind sightings of the world's most famous cryptid!

There are many ways to legitimize a city, but your first thought might not be to steal a holy relic. The Most Serene Republic of Venice, or La Serenissima in the Venetian language, did just that in its formative years and it fast became the symbol of the city itself. How and why did they do it? Was it indeed God's will? And how has this holy relic shaped its identity? Find out in this week's enthralling episode!

The bond between humans and dogs is an unbreakable one. From their domestication some 20000 to 40000 years ago during the Ice Age, they've become loyal companions and dear friends. Across cultures, dogs are often associated with benevolence, but did you know that a town in Medieval France even went as far as to make one a saint? Find out how it all happened in this week's episode, all about Saint Guinefort, the dog saint!

French art in the late 19th Century was at a crossroads. Between Impressionism and Post-Impressionism and the various Modernist movements that would dominate the early 20th Century, the Turn-of-the-Century was a transitional period. And yet, no movement better embodied this transition than the Nabis, a fringe movement that would ultimately bridge the gap between the two. Tune in this week to discover more about them!

With the rise of Benito Mussolini (and, by extension, fascism) in Italy, the colony of Eritrea was hurled into Modern Age. Rapid industrialization and development of infrastructure meant that the capital city of Asmara's population more than doubled within a decidedly short span of time. But the grinding gears of history had other plans for the colony. Find out what happened next in Part Two of Italian Eritrea!

Admittedly, the so-called "Rush to Africa" conjures up the usual European suspects: France, Belgium, and, of course, Britain. But lesser known is Italy who established its own colony in East Africa in a place they called Eritrea (from the Latin name for the Red Sea that borders it). Today, the capital city of Asmara is a hodgepodge of Romanesque churches, Modernist architecture, and businesses with names in both Italian and Tigrinya (the primary native tongue). Come along with me for a tour of this beautiful country and how the Italians shaped the place it became.

You've likely heard the phrase "singing for one's supper," but how about singing for one's freedom? Nearly forty years ago now, the people of the Baltic states did just that in order to cast off the yoke of Soviet oppression. Lend me your ears (and voices) this week for a look at the Singing Revolution!

The sinner-to-saint story is prevalent in Christianity. There are countless examples of men and women who saw the proverbial light and made a change for the better. But what about in other faiths? In the East, such figures can also be found in Buddhism. And in Tibet, perhaps none is as famous as the subject of this week's episode. We return to the Himalayas this week, dear listeners, for a look at the wondrous life of Milarepa!

Despite three of the world's main religions being monotheistic in nature, they were not the first to adopt such a concept. The belief in a sole or chief deity is decidedly older, with roots in Persia and, perhaps surprisingly, in Egypt, where one pharaoh dared to topple the age-old religious order in favor of something new and radical. Tune in this week to learn about Atenism, Ancient Egypt's monotheistic faith, as well as the man behind it, the great Akhenaten!

The subject of colonization of North America typically conjures up a few "culprits": Spain, France, and, of course, Britain. But it's important to remember that other European powers gave it a go here as well: the Dutch, for example, whose colony of New Amsterdam would one day become the city of New York. But even lesser known than the Dutch were the Russians, who, unlike the others who crossed the Atlantic and expanded westward, traveled east from the European part of their domain across Siberia and into North America via the North Pacific. Come with me as we join these intrepid explorers and settlers on their journey to the New World, a place that would come to be known as Russian America!