Podcasts about Southern Europe

This episode is sponsored by Cain International and Arrow Global and first appeared on The PERE Podcast After several years defined by rising rates and pricing uncertainty, Europe's property market may be at an inflection point. Jay Patel, managing director at Arrow Global, and Arvi Luoma, who heads Cain International's European investment committee, share perspectives on how capital is rebalancing toward the continent in this special episode. Patel notes that allocators from the US, Middle East and beyond are looking to Europe in ways they weren't just a year ago, opening the door for both credit and equity strategies. Luoma, meanwhile, emphasizes that valuations appear to have bottomed and that green shoots are starting to show as financing conditions stabilize. The two also highlight where opportunities are clearest: Germany's distressed construction projects, Southern Europe's structural tourism boom, student housing, and continued undersupply in residential and hospitality. Data centers and logistics remain attractive, while ESG regulation – once seen as a hurdle – is increasingly embedded in business plans, shaping how new assets are built and old ones are repositioned. Taken together, their outlook is one of cautious optimism. Core capital is beginning to return, early movers are testing distressed opportunities, and Europe's mix of stability, rule of law and long-term demand drivers are drawing greater global interest.

The 3 Everyday Habits That Win Trust Sales rises or falls on trust. As of 2025—post-pandemic, hybrid, and time-poor—buyers have less patience for fluffy rapport and more appetite for authentic, repeatable behaviours. This guide turns three classic human-relations principles into practical sales moves you can use today: be genuinely interested, smile first, and use people's names naturally. What's the fastest way to build trust with time-poor buyers in 2025? Lead with curiosity, not a pitch. Ask about their context before your product, and mirror back what you heard in concrete terms (KPIs, deadlines, constraints). This converts a transactional meeting into a partnership from minute one. In Japan, the US, and Europe alike, executives are bandwidth-constrained; they remember the seller who reduces cognitive load. In enterprise deals, curiosity surfaces hidden stakeholders and post-purchase risks. In SMEs and startups, it reveals cash-flow windows and procurement shortcuts. Curiosity isn't manipulation; buyers detect feigned interest instantly. Done right, it creates common ground that makes every later ask easier. Start every meeting with one “business-human” question (e.g., “What must be true by quarter-end for this to be a win?”). Mini-summary: Curiosity first → faster trust → smoother deals. Do now: Prepare three context questions per persona. How do I show genuine interest without going off-topic? Be human, but keep it business-linked. Tie personal context to business impact; keep it relevant, short, and anchored in their role, industry, and timeline. Ask about post-purchase adoption (“What would success look like for your users in the first 30 days?”), operational realities (e.g., Japan-specific compliance), and leadership pressures (“What will your CFO scrutinise most this quarter?”). Compare contexts—APAC vs EU privacy, B2B vs consumer rollout, startup urgency vs multinational governance. Document what you learn and open the next meeting by recapping their words—snippet-ready proof you listened. Mini-summary: Human questions, business purpose. Do now: Build a one-page “interest map” per account. Does smiling still matter in serious, high-stakes meetings? Smile first to set the social temperature, then match the room. Under deadline pressure, many sellers present a tense “serious face” that raises defensiveness. A genuine, early smile lowers friction and signals “I'm safe to talk to,” especially in first meetings or escalations. In Japan's formal settings, a measured smile plus a slight nod communicates respect and openness; in the US, a warmer smile can accelerate rapport. The key is timing: smile as you greet, then calibrate to the buyer's style within seconds. The goal isn't cheeriness; it's creating a cooperative atmosphere where tough topics (risk, price, delivery dates) can be discussed without posturing. Mini-summary: Smile first, calibrate fast. Do now: Add “reset face → greet with smile” to your pre-meeting checklist. How can using names increase influence without sounding fake? Use names sparingly at moments of emphasis. Offer your own name first, confirm pronunciation, then use theirs to mark alignment and commitment—never as filler. In group settings with multiple stakeholders, sketch a quick seating map to avoid missteps later. This habit personalises without pandering and helps you track the real decision network behind procurement. Close clearly: “Aiko-san, we'll send the red-lined MSA by Friday.” Mini-summary: Names for signal, not filler. Do now: Practise name recall and pronunciation before the meeting. What's the cross-market playbook (Japan vs US vs Europe) for relationship momentum? Universal habits, local nuance. The same three behaviours—interest, smile, names—work everywhere, but settings differ. In Japan, invest more time upfront on context and internal harmony; be precise with honorifics and follow through meticulously. In the US, move faster to value articulation and next steps, keeping warmth high. In Europe, expect variance (Nordics vs DACH vs Southern Europe) in decision cadence and consensus. Align to company type: startups reward speed and flexibility; multinationals reward consistency and risk management. Hybrid selling post-2020 demands tighter summaries and clearer asynchronous follow-ups. Mini-summary: Universal habits, local settings. Do now: Add a “market nuance” line to every call plan. How do I turn these habits into a repeatable system my team can use? System beats intention. Bake the habits into templates, rituals, and measurable checkpoints. Create a pre-call sheet with (1) three curiosity questions, (2) a reminder to smile on entry, (3) stakeholder names and pronunciations, (4) a 90-second recap script for follow-ups. In your CRM, add fields for “buyer language used,” “stakeholder map,” and “adoption risk notes.” In weekly pipeline reviews, inspect not just stages but relationship signals: trust markers logged, name usage at key moments, and recap emails sent within 24 hours. Train using short, scenario-based drills (enterprise renewal, startup pilot, public-sector RFP). Mini-summary: Process it so it happens. Do now: Standardise a one-page “relationship checklist.” Final wrap Make the buyer—the human—the centre of the conversation. Start with interest, open with a smile, and use names with intent. Then systemise the behaviours so they happen every time. When products look similar, these micro-habits become the differentiator. About the author Dr. Greg Story, Ph.D. in Japanese Decision-Making, is President of Dale Carnegie Tokyo Training and Adjunct Professor at Griffith University. He is a two-time winner of the Dale Carnegie “One Carnegie Award” (2018, 2021) and recipient of the Griffith University Business School Outstanding Alumnus Award (2012). As a Dale Carnegie Master Trainer, Greg is certified to deliver globally across all leadership, communication, sales, and presentation programs, including Leadership Training for Results. He has written several books, including three best-sellers — Japan Business Mastery, Japan Sales Mastery, and Japan Presentations Mastery — along with Japan Leadership Mastery and How to Stop Wasting Money on Training. His works have been translated into Japanese, including ザ営業, プレゼンの達人, トレーニングでお金を無駄にするのはやめましょう, and 現代版「人を動かす」リーダー. Greg also publishes daily business insights on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, and hosts six weekly podcasts. On YouTube, he produces The Cutting Edge Japan Business Show, Japan Business Mastery, and Japan's Top Business Interviews.

Resuelven las dudas  Fernando Gragera, Director de Litigation Insurance y Contingent Risks de Aon; y Alex Noguera, Underwriting Manager – Benelux, Nordics and Southern Europe de Dual Asset de Aon.

At EUVC Summit 2025, one of the most anticipated sessions broke down a powerful data set: 100 of Europe's breakout startups. This wasn't theory—it was company-by-company insight, straight from interviews and bottom-up analysis.Yes, there were rogue slides.Yes, the crowd wanted to skip to the AI part.And yes, it delivered.~75% of these startups are based in Germany, France, and the UK.Despite growing noise around new hubs, Europe's big three remain dominant. It reflects ecosystem maturity—but also a challenge: how do we better back breakout teams in the Nordics, Baltics, Southern Europe, and CEE?For the first time in years, Fintech dropped in sector rankings.Instead, we saw a wave of AI-native sales and marketing tools—building products that help companies grow smarter, automate go-to-market, and personalize customer acquisition at scale.“This year's cohort is selling before building. AI is their leverage.”One of the most notable shifts: a significant increase in solo-founder companies.This reflects:A rise in repeat operatorsGreater early-stage toolingMore confidence in focused executionIt also implies VCs may need to shift their bias—many of these founders are no longer waiting for a co-founder to “complete” them.The moment everyone waited for: AI-native insights.49% of these 100 startups are AI-native at their core.This means:AI is not bolted on—it's the product itselfMany founders have already moved beyond horizontal LLMs to verticalized applicationsThey're monetizing via use-case depth, not just model architectureLast year's 100 had an average of 25 employees per company.This year's cohort? Just 14. That's a 40% drop.But don't mistake that for weakness—roles are more specialized, and teams are more surgical. These aren't MVPs—they're hyper-focused execution machines.“Today's teams are smaller, sharper, and trained on efficiency from Day 1.”Across hundreds of founder interviews, one theme stood out:Tool loyalty is low.Founders are switching infra, models, APIs, and tooling with no hesitation.That's not a sign of flakiness—it's a sign of rapid evolution, where AI-native teams optimize continuously.Controversially, the speaker closed with a contrarian take:“I believe European AI regulation will actually accelerate enterprise adoption.”Why?Clarity breeds confidenceCorporate buyers need frameworksKnowing what's allowed = faster go/no-go decisionsIn a twist, Europe might become the first-mover on enterprise AI—not in spite of regulation, but because of it.Final Message:“AI-native is not a trend. It's a new category of company. And Europe is building it—faster and leaner than ever before.”Let's keep watching the signals. Let's keep fueling the flywheel.

Industry leaders should concentrate on cash, security of raw materials and trends which will drive chemicals demand as tough conditions continue in Europe.- Preserve cash, keeping debt under control in this tough environment- Focus on securing feedstocks amid upstream closures- Identify consumer trends, future customer needs- Tentative signs of improvement for Europe's economy- Expect more closures across the region- Oxford Economics forecasts return to growth from mid-2026- Southern Europe ports may get busier as more imports flow from Middle East, Asia- Sustainability has to be about affordability- Market talk of some aviation fuel buyers opting to pay a fine for undershooting sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) mandates due to the cheapness of conventional fuels

We've well and truly kicked off season 7 in style as we welcome our first guest onto the show - IAAPA Board Chairman, Massimiliano Freddi. In this episode, Paul sits down with Massimiliano Freddi, the first Italian to ever hold the role of IAAPA Chairman in the association's 107-year history. From his early dream of running a theme park to founding Wonderwood and shaping Italy's unique attractions landscape, Massi shares how passion, storytelling, and a people-first mindset continue to drive his vision for the industry. Skip The Queue is back for Season 7 and we're announcing some big changes! Get ready for new hosts, a fresh new look, weekly content and find out where you can catch us live at events to be part of the action.Skip the Queue is brought to you by Rubber Cheese, a digital agency that builds remarkable systems and websites for attractions that helps them increase their visitor numbers. Your host is Paul Marden.If you like what you hear, you can subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, and all the usual channels by searching Skip the Queue or visit our website SkiptheQueue.fm.If you've enjoyed this podcast, please leave us a five star review, it really helps others find us. And remember to follow us on LinkedIn, or Bluesky for your chance to win the books that have been mentioned in this podcast.Competition ends on 24th September 2025. The winner will be contacted via LinkedIn or Bluesky. Show references:  https://iaapa.org/https://www.linkedin.com/in/freddi/Massimiliano Freddi  a leading figure in the amusement and entertainment industry, has been appointed president of the steering committee of IAAPA (International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, the leading international association for attractions and theme parks) for 2025. This is the first time since the foundation of the World Association of Attractions (1918) that this position has been entrusted to an Italian.The appointment underscores his extensive experience and significant contribution to the global industry. Freddi brings a wealth of experience gained at some of the industry's most prominent companies. His career began in marketing and press office for the Italian market at Disneyland Paris. He subsequently joined Leolandia.A visionary entrepreneur, in 2018, Massimiliano Freddi founded Wonderwood, an adventure and amusement park for all ages, of which he is currently CEO, in his hometown of Trarego Viggiona, in the Verbano-Cusio-Ossola region on Lake Maggiore. This growing business has redeveloped several local facilities and provided employment to several young residents of the small towns in the area. His passion for the sector also extends to academia. Since 2016, he has been a member of the coaching staff of Seth Godin's Altmba and is a professor of marketing and experience design at IULM University in Milan. At the same university, where Italy's first course in theme park and attraction management was introduced, he teaches subjects such as consumer experience, marketing, and soft skills as an adjunct professor. Freddi was also one of the original founders of Parksmania, the first newspaper dedicated to amusement parks.Freddi will continue to bring his innovative vision and deep industry knowledge to the global association, helping shape the future of attractions internationally. Regarding Italy, he commented that he sees great potential and wants to help realise it. Transcriptions:  Paul Marden: Welcome to Skip the Queue, the podcast about the world's best visitor attractions and the people that work in them. I'm Paul Marden, along with my co-hosts Andy Povey and Sinead Kimberley, I spend my days working with ambitious attractions like theme parks, museums, galleries, and science centres to help them to attract more guests. Paul Marden: Today on Skip the Queue, I'm joined by someone who has been shaping the attractions industry in truly remarkable ways. Massimiliano Freddi is the first Italian ever to hold the role of chairman in IAAPA's 107-year history. A milestone that not only celebrates his career, but also shines a light on Italy's growing influence in the global attractions landscape. Massimiliano has worn many hats across his journey, from fulfilling his childhood dream of becoming a Theme Park Managing Director at just 28, where he grew guest numbers from 300,000 to over 800,000, to founding his own destinations like Wonderwood on Lake Maggiore and Wonderwood Spina Verde, overlooking Lake Como. Along the way, he's pioneered inclusive and eco-conscious practices, championing the power of storytelling and shown how attractions can thrive by creating meaningful experiences for every guest.Paul Marden: Beyond his leadership roles, Massimiliano is also a Professor of Marketing and Experience Design at IULM University in Milan, where he's passionate about nurturing the next generation of talent in our sector. Often described as both a dreamer and a doer, he brings together vision and practicality in a way that continues to inspire operators around the world.Paul Marden: Massimilliano, welcome to the show. It really is a pleasure to have you with us. We always start Skip the Queue and the kickoff of season seven, no less, is going to be no different. We always start with an icebreaker question. And I'm thinking back to, we're just back off of our summer holidays, aren't we? For your perfect holiday, would it start with planes, trains or driving.Massimiliano Freddi: Oh, that's a beautiful question. By the way, congratulations because you've pronounced Massimiliano in a very correct way. So that's unusual. I have a complicated name. I know, I know.Massimiliano Freddi: Hey, I would say train. Train is really, really part of the way that I love to travel with. And unfortunately, too often it happens by car, which I like a little bit less. I get dizzy, you know, and stuff. Train is my ultimate, ultimate way to travel.Paul Marden: I did a sleeper train to Scotland a couple of years ago, and it was amazing. I absolutely loved it. And what's brilliant is there's more of those sleeper trains hitting Europe, aren't there now? So there really is very few excuses for us not to be holidaying with the start with some elegant sleeper train. My only disappointment was that there was no murder on the train, so I couldn't have an Agatha Christie style novel themed around my train  journey, but uh, you know.Massimiliano Freddi: I mean, I mean, it could have been the Hogwarts Express, but apparently, it doesn't run every day, so.Paul Marden: That would be pretty cool as well. I've just come back from Edinburgh, actually, and we saw, you know, the viaduct where the train goes to Hogwarts, and completely unplanned, there was a steam train that went over the bridge whilst we were there. It was amazing.Massimiliano Freddi: Happy go lucky.Paul Marden: Yeah. So enough of my holidays. Let's kick off talking about you and IAAPA. What can international markets learn from attractions in Italy? Tell us a little bit about the attractions landscape over there in Italy at the moment.Massimiliano Freddi: Yes. So let's say that the attraction landscape is very similar, somehow, to how the restaurants or the retail landscape has always been, which means a lot of mom and pop stores. And I think that what people who travel to Italy love is to find something that is one of a kind that you can find only in Italy. I have a deep respect for Starbucks, but I'm always... questioning myself, you know, when somebody comes to Italy, do they really want to find Starbucks? Is this a real thing? So when it comes to parks and attractions, Italy has not faced a big concentration in players like it has happened in other countries. Of course, some big players are there. Parques Reunidos owns Mirabilandia, which is the second most important Italian park. And the most important Italian park is Gardaland, owned by Merlin Entertainment. Then we have a few other groups. Owning and operating some of the facilities, but let's say that, out of 250 parks between—or, you said, attractions— that's very correct now, if we talk about attractions, now the number is endless, because where is the border?Paul Marden: What is an attraction? Yeah, that's a big philosophical question.Massimiliano Freddi: Okay, okay, so let's say that, once upon a time, we used to count parks. So when we talk about parks, we have roughly 250 parks in Italy, and most of them are tiny, tiny, tiny, and they are independently owned. That's my case. I own and operate two parks right now, and I'm about to open, a third location that will be an indoor one this November. And so, yes, I think that what what others can learn from Italy i think is to keep this respect for your roots and to make sure that you don't make every attraction look like another one, but you kind of keep it, you know, different.Massimiliano Freddi: And so it's a matter of the mix of how people can have fun and get entertained. But it's really also about retail and about food and about shows and festivals and you name it, you know. So there are these places that we see on Instagram and immediately we say, oh, that's, I mean, when I see a picture of the Empire State Building or of the Tower Bridge. I know immediately where it belongs to. And so I think that, with attractions, we need to think in the future always about this. Guests coming to visit us, they want to have the ultimate experience and they want to have something that's different from anything they've done before. So this is the responsibility we have.Paul Marden: And a big one it is. Let's talk a little bit about the experience economy. And especially when we think about, you know, beyond the parks, there's this... massive ecosystem around the outside of different ways that people can enjoy themselves. What does that experience economy mean to you, especially in Italy?Massimiliano Freddi: The experience economy, first of all, it truly matters to me, the book. Because in 1999, it was once upon a time, it was really difficult to find literature and scientific literature on the leisure industry. And so I think that at that time, we thought that everybody could take inspiration from the attractions industry. And it has happened because right now. Yes, definitely. You know, food is experience and travel is experience and lodging is experience. You name it, you name it. You know, even there is also a funeral house in Italy, which has become very famous because they are really based on the experience they will give, you know, not to the people who passed away, unfortunately, you know, but the people remain. So I think that it's very hard now to find an industry that doesn't think, that we are in the experience economy and that everything should be experienced and experiential. And so I think that when I go back to my example, I think that we as attractions, we need to be even more wise in how we choose to present ourselves and what we cater to our guests.Massimiliano Freddi: Because of course, we need to raise the bar. So right now, we know that some access... And some services to our attractions have become better with technology. But still, we are, you know, long lines sometimes. And we feel we are paying too much for what we are getting back.Massimiliano Freddi: I would say that in the end, experience economy starts with people and ends with people. And so we need to be people-centric. And only like this, we can be truly experiential. I don't think that an experience is about technology.  It's always, always about people.Paul Marden: Absolutely. I wonder as well, I'm always struck by this industry, how close we are, how we collaborate with one another. And really, the competition aren't the other parks or attractions. The competition is getting people out and doing something. There are so many things at home that could keep you at home, getting you out and about and visiting places and enjoying those experiences. I wonder whether collaboration is the answer to this.Massimiliano Freddi: I think you nailed it because it's crucial. Everybody who has not been working for this industry, when they enter the industry, because they might change jobs, everybody is so surprised that we collaborate so heavily. And I think that a key to this success has always been this big collaboration. I have almost always in my career been part of smaller facilities. And to me, IAAPA and the associations were, it's been crucial, you know, because you are alone. Very, very often your facility is in the middle of nowhere. No matter if you're part of a big group, because even big groups have facilities in the middle of nowhere, but for family-owned and operated attractions, that's almost the golden rule.Massimiliano Freddi: And so there are so many days in your life, in your career, in your profession, where you would benefit strongly from talking to somebody else who's been through something like you before and who's found a different solution and who can open up your eyes. So I think that's the beauty of our industries is getting together. Again, if we don't get together, how can we make people get together?Paul Marden: Yeah, I'm very excited about getting together because I've got my first IAAPA in Barcelona coming up. And I'm very excited about what this is going to be like.Massimiliano Freddi: Oh, you will be blown away.Paul Marden:  I can't wait. I absolutely can't wait. Now, look. Someone has once described you as a dreamer and a doer. One of your dreams was to be managing director of a theme park. Where did that inspiration come from?Massimiliano Freddi: So it comes from a terrible childhood. And so it comes from the fact that, yeah, the world around me when I was a kid was not a positive world. And my family had a lot of troubles. And I'm an orphan from the side of my mother. I mean, I went through several things. And so I think that the attractions industry, to me, it really meant this place that's always happy and where grownups can really take great care of kids and kids at heart.Massimiliano Freddi: So I think that my passion came out of that. Now, dreaming and doing, of course, we all have as a big myth and as a reference, Walt Disney himself, and he was the guy who first said, 'Dreamers and doers' talking about, what enterprises, so his imagineers. I think that whenever I see something, I want to say something. Everybody who knows me knows pretty well. But it means that I love to see the world in a constant improvement. So, if I check in at a hotel and I see that there is something in there that, you know, it even doesn't impact me. But with a small step, they could make it better and fix it. I just share it and I share it, you know, wherever I am. And so I think that maybe this was a bit of my secret weapon because I got involved in several things. I think because I'm curious and maybe because I'm generous in sharing.Massimiliano Freddi: And I don't know if there is a secret there. There is just that in the moment in which you accept yourself the way you are and you acknowledge that you have some talents, and you don't have some others, and some skills you can get better, some others no way—okay. I could never never be an attorney, I could never do a lot of jobs on the planet, but now I know, at the age of 44, that I know what I'm good at, and even if I'm good at that, I want to constantly improve. So I think that maybe the support that I could bring to the table to the companies I've worked for, to the associations, to my own business, and so on, it's always been this obsession with constant improvement every day.Paul Marden: I think it takes a certain vulnerability, doesn't it? To spot something that you think can be improved and to offer a suggestion. And I think it's so valuable. I was at an attraction recently and I got the email at the end of the day, saying, 'How was it?' Please leave us a review. I went to click it and it didn't work. I knew the head of marketing, so I just pinged him off a quick email that just said, 'Oh, I had such a brilliant time but I couldn't leave you a review. I wanted to give you a brilliant review, but I couldn't do it because it didn't work. And that led them to go and look at all of their outbound emails, and none of them were working properly. But you know, you could walk by and just leave that alone. But I can't do it. However, it is sometimes does make you feel really awkward, couldn't you? But when I get great services in a restaurant, when somebody looks after me while at an attraction, I want to tell them how good it was, and if I can see something they can do better, I want to tell them what they could do.Massimiliano Freddi:  Totally, totally. And I'm so much on the same page. I was about to say that it's equally important to call people out when they're doing well.Paul Marden: Yeah.Massimiliano Freddi: So to make sure that they are aware. And sometimes, you know, to say there was one day where I travelled during a bank holiday, and I arrived at the entire bank holiday, and I arrived to the airport, and I decided I wanted to thank each and every employee that I would meet because they were there that day. I mean. We got used that Sundays are no longer Sundays, but the bank holidays, these are the moments in which you spend time with your family and with your kids and so on. And if you're there and you're working, I mean, it's good that somebody sees you and tells you, 'Hey, thank you because you're working even today, you know?' And you can tell how everybody gets surprised. So I think that we learn so much more by positive reinforcement.Massimiliano Freddi: And so how important it is also to tell attractions, facilities, managers, CEOs. I mean, CEOs, they are so used to just getting... I can't use swear words. Yes, you can. Under those kind of storms, you know, all the time, all the time. And so when a CEO does something good, come on, let's tell her.Paul Marden: Yeah, it's a really lonely job. And all you get is... is the spankings and the tellings off. Isn't it? So when they get it right, they definitely need a pat on the back because they're not going to get it. They're not going to get it. So I can't believe this. At the age of 28, you made your dream come true and you were managing director of a theme park in Italy for Minitalia, which became Leolandia, in this role you took guest numbers from 300, 000 guests a year to over 800,000.Paul Marden: Tell us that story. How do you so dramatically increase footfall at the attraction?Massimiliano Freddi: I don't think it was me. I think it was a great teamwork because it's a great teamwork, you know, and you can grow this much. If your operation is working very well, if your safety is right on spot, if the park is clean, you know, and so on. I can tell you one thing that when we were at the basic level, so at the very beginning, of course, we couldn't afford to buy big attractions or too heavily themed. And we needed really, I remember that the first Halloween, we had a 10K budget, 10,000 euro budget for a whole month of Halloween. Okay, so we would go to the do-it-yourself stores and buy brooms and build everything. I mean, that was a magical moment because it created the capability of the team to envision that, if you want, you can do with the things you have. And of course, with a huge budget, you can do fantastic things.Massimiliano Freddi: But sometimes, you know, this helps. So in that moment... TripAdvisor was a true success still. We're talking about 20 years ago. So TripAdvisor was kind of the reference. That's even before Google Maps and all that. So I remember that I did an analysis and I understood that every restaurant or park who had over 4. 5 out of 5 was growing. And having 4 out of 5 was not enough. Now we call it NPS, we call it a different way. But there, in this practical way, so I remember this moment with my team saying, 'Hey, we need to be obsessed with getting five stars.' And this is the point. So what can we do? First of all, we can have the cleanest toilets on earth. Let's make sure that the smell is good, they are super clean, and so on. Because people, that's a level of service. Of course, this is not a driver of visit, but this is a driver of satisfaction. And in the same way, let's start to work with better suppliers when it comes to food and beverage.Massimiliano Freddi: Let's start to make things more comfortable. So I think that this was the first thing. The second aspect, again, it's very much linked to IAAPA because I think that attending the show every year and knowing the people. At that time, Jakob Wahl, he used to be one of the employees of IAAPA in Brussels. I don't think he was a manager at the time yet. He was in charge of keeping relationships with members. So I reached out to him. We are the same age. I reached out to him and I said, 'Hey, I would love to visit a few facilities in other countries because I need to get fresh ideas.' It was a very delicate moment. We came out of two bad seasons due to bad weather. Because then you know, you don't go from here to here as a straight line, but always as this roller coaster. And in a moment you think, 'Oh, I made it.' There's a dip.Paul Marden: Yeah.Massimiliano Freddi: You can never sleep. And so he put me in contact with several facilities. I visited some in Belgium, in the Netherlands, and in the UK. And in the UK, I visited this, at that time, small park still called Paulton's Park. You might know that. I remember it was a weekday with bad weather and the parking lot was packed. And I was like, 'How comes?' Kids are not at school today. What is the point? I enter the park. The park is, yeah, not so crowded. So I really suspect that they are, you know, keeping the people all shut down together in a place. I don't know. I don't know what the point was. And then I enter the Peppa Pig's World.Massimiliano Freddi: And it blows my mind. And again, what blows my mind is that it didn't have any huge attraction. But it had that feeling. And people were just so happy. It was magic. Little kids there with their families, a lot of strollers all over the place, traffic jams due to strollers. And so I came back and I said, 'Hey, we need to get Peppa Pig.' And I remember that the team was like, 'It can't happen.' It has happened. In the end, we were the second park in the world after Paulton's Park to get Peppa. And that reshaped the entire strategy of the park we had at that time, turning it into what we wanted to achieve, is to become the best park for the kids under the age of 10 in Southern Europe. And best means really the best, rated from the bottom of the heart. And so this is what has happened. So I think that, you know, before Leolandia, I had worked for Disneyland Paris and I'm a big Disney fan. So that was kind of the school I had attended and I just had to apply. The theory that I've learned, I had to apply it, and I had a fantastic team and the resources to do that.Paul Marden: Amazing. Now, fast forward to 2018, and you've taken the step from MD to founder and founded Wonderwood on Lake Maggiore. Now, let's test my Italian. You've also founded Wonderwood Spina Verde. Massimiliano Freddi: I'm speechless. I can't correct anything.Paul Marden: Wonderful. Overlooking Lake Como, both of which, by the way, were... So I've been to Maggiore and Lake Como for my honeymoon. So a beautiful, beautiful place. And you've put two parks there. How has that been?Massimiliano Freddi:  It has been crazy. So I remember that the first year, and I mean, we created the company at the end of 2018. We've opened our gates in the summer of 2019. Now, if we all remember what has happened at the beginning of 2020.Paul Marden: Yeah.Massimiliano Freddi: Okay, so perfect timing. Now, I can tell you that the first season, every day, I would literally cry, but for real.Massimilliano Freddi: I was exhausted. My husband was exhausted. We thought that this was a nightmare, the worst possible nightmare. And if somebody had knocked on my door and asked me, 'Hey, could I just take it over?' I don't give you a penny. I will just take home the loans. I would have said yes. And that's because, of course, every project is over budget. Of course. No matter. No matter.Massimiliano Freddi: And when it's a family company and you don't have the money because you've contracted several loans and so on, it makes it super, super difficult. So in that moment, my call for action was because the possibility of Lake Maggiore was in the town where I spent every summer as a kid. So it was a love story. And I wanted to give back to the community. I wanted to do something in the nature that would inspire kids to hike more. To become more active and just not only to stay in front of a screen, but to do something different. So that came out of this kind of dream. And so it was a nightmare. It was a nightmare at the very beginning. Then COVID hit and we were very lucky, of course, because we didn't lose anyone from our families and friends. So I am very thankful for that. And at the same time, it gave us the possibility to stop for a second, rewind, and refine our strategy.Massimiliano Freddi: Because we had just closed the park in, I mean, the week before Christmas, and we were supposed to reopen in less than three months, but we were exhausted. So I'm telling this story because usually it's so nice to tell that the triumphs, you know, and say, 'Hey, it's been fantastic.' Yeah, we nailed it. We had, no, we made 200 mistakes.Massimiliano Freddi: And we paid for all the mistakes. So I think that in that moment, yeah, we were struggling at the beginning. We were reflecting in the middle part. And then three years ago, two to three years ago, I woke up one morning and I understood that I really loved what I was doing. And it had changed. It had changed. And seeing so many families happy and so many people visiting and seeing... How many young professionals or students started to work with us and then you see them leaping? I think that this is the most beautiful thing on earth. It's very empowering. So right now I'm in this situation where I am so grateful for this entire six years, even if they started in a way that was very, very heavy. But, you know, the Latins used to say 'per aspera ad astra.' It means... 'towards the stars through the asperities.' And so we need to go through that thing, that tunnel.Paul Marden: Absolutely. Now, as if founding your own parks wasn't enough, you also mix your time as a professor at the university. I can hear from what you were talking about, about bringing the young professionals into the park, that there's an element to you of apprenticeship almost, of teaching that next cohort of people that are going to come and take over the world.Paul Marden: How exciting is that for you to be able to mix that in at the university?Massimiliano Freddi: It's fantastic. It's fantastic. And again, it came out of passion. It came out. I didn't do a PhD after my university. My career wasn't supposed to be the academic one. And I didn't trust I would be able to do that. And then I got called for a lecture, then two lectures, and three lectures. And then, right now, I have several courses at university.Massimiliano Freddi: There's a point. The point is that, if we meet between our age of 14, 14, 15, until our 25, and if we narrow it down, it's between maybe 16 and 22, this is the moment in which it's more important to meet some mentors. And most of us don't meet mentors. They meet nice people around them, giving them very nice advice based on their experience and not seeing the talents they have in front of them. And in several cases, we are scared. We think that we are not enough. And so I really think that it's such a huge privilege for me to be able to be at university and to meet so many hundreds of students every year and to try to make my small impact so that, first of all, they can believe in themselves and they can believe that the world can be a better place, even if right now it's kind of a tough moment. But from tough moments, again, we can learn things.Massimiliano Freddi: Even at IAAPA, one of the things that I really am passionate more about is what are the spaces we can create for young professionals and students. So I want to give two very short examples. The IAAPA Foundation has evolved a lot over the last few years. We were able to collect so many more donations.Massimiliano Freddi: And now, this year, it will be a record-breaking year when it comes to scholarships to which students can apply in universities around the globe. So I think that's... But to me and to all of us in the board of the IAAPA Foundation, that's like the starting point. We are here celebrating because it's a big achievement and then we look each other in the eyes and say, 'Okay, now what's next?' Now, how can we make sure that the impact is even bigger? And if we go on the side of IAAPA, I think we are very... We pay a lot of attention to make sure that the membership fees are very low for the people entering. The word of leisure. Just a few weeks ago, it got launched on the IAAPA job board that whoever has a company and wants to post an internship, that's free to post. So that, you know, there could be thousands of internships available for students.Massimiliano Freddi: Of course, as a big association, we are used to talk to members and maybe older members because we visit facilities and we visit manufacturers and we need to deal with safety and stuff. But students and young professionals are not on the back of my head. They are like near and dear to my heart. And so my real question is: when this year ends in a couple of months, how can I dedicate myself even more to contribute to young people? Because I think that they are making a change. They will make a change. And we are learning so much from them because the work we are leaving you and me right now. I have bad news. It's no longer our world. We don't have the code to decode that. So we don't have the keys. We can just support people that are better than us and make sure that they can live, that they can teach, that they can learn.  That's a bit of what I see.Paul Marden: I completely agree with you. I think it's interesting because you talk about what you're giving, but you're also getting something back. This is not entirely altruistic, is it? The support that you're giving for these young people and early career professionals, you're getting something back, enriching yourself and learning new things from them.Massimiliano Freddi: Always, always. And I think that, you know, I don't always teach. Market leisure marketing and stuff— you know, I teach marketing at a at a Master's Degree in Management of Beauty and Wellness, total different industry, you know, food and wine. As I was telling, but what I bring home every time is how much young people need to feel seen and, and this is truly important because if we create for them not a safe zone, because of course we want them to get messy. We want them to take risks, but they need to feel safe as humans and they need to feel safe as seen. And so I appreciate a lot this because then the energy that I... And you know, when we talk about IAAPA, we have so many ambassadors that have been contributing to the IAAPA trade shows and events all over the globe. We have young people joining the committees.Massimiliano Freddi: Right now, there are a few, more than a few young professional task forces around the globe that are really helping us, old people, to understand what they need. So I think that we are at the very beginning. And if I could say a dream out loud, I wish that IAAPA in five or ten years, maybe in five years, can multiply the number of young engaged people in the association by 100. 10 is not enough. 20 is by 100. We need to make an impact. And I think we want to make an impact. So hopefully.Paul Marden: Well, there's an ambition for you. And I think every... worthwhile project— every it always starts with that kind of ambitious goal— at the very beginning of it you need to be driven by that  hundred times impact not the 10 times impact we we always like to finish our interviews with a book recommendation, fiction, non-fiction, industry-related or not, give us a view uh into your reading habits, okay, so can I mention more than one book? You bankrupt me because I always offer the book recommendation as a prize for people, but you can have more than one.Massimiliano Freddi: Okay. Okay. Thank you because I'm a big reader. So the first author that I would love to mention is J. K. Rowling because Harry Potter is not just a story of a kid or of magic, but it's a story of a woman who was a bit desperate. And then... She followed what she was feeling. She allowed her emotions to flow. And she has created a masterpiece. And she has impacted us all, you know, no matter business-related, non-business-related, and so on. So I think that, to read again, the first Harry Potter book, it's very important because it brings us back to some reason why, you know, and to some things. The second book that I would love to mention is a book written by Seth Godin. I have had the privilege to work for Seth for several years.Paul Marden: Really?Massimiliano Freddi: And yeah, he's an amazing guy. He's an amazing guy. And come on, he's such a generous person and he's amazing.Massimiliano Freddi: I don't have any other words that's amazing. He wrote a book maybe 10 years ago, 15 years ago called Linchpin. And Linchpin is not his most famous book, but it's the book that changed my life because it really nudges you. In a gentle and not so gentle way sometimes. No, I'm saying in a gentle way. It nudges you to don't set for what you have, but to see your inner talents and to innovate and to be creative, be generous, and so on. So, Linchpin to me is the book that changed it all for me. So, I think that everybody, young, less young, everybody should read once in a lifetime.Paul Marden: I feel like I need to go and read this because that is one Seth Godin book I have not read. So there we go. Listeners, if you would like a copy of Linchpin, then the first person that heads over to LinkedIn and reposts our show notice and says, 'I want Massimiliano's book' and can spell Massimiliano correctly, will have a copy of the book sent to them. We've got IAAPA Europe taking place next week in Barcelona.Paul Marden: And we have a very special Skip the Queue announcement. We are going to be hitting the show floor on a daily basis. We are going to go live for daily episodes of Skip the Queue from the show floor. We're going to be talking to operators about what their challenges are like. Finding out what new supplier announcements are coming out. And the Skip the Queue team is going to be feverishly working away. We'll be recording during the day and Steve and Wenalyn will be editing and producing through the night, ready to post the show the following morning. So I'm very excited about that.Massimiliano Freddi: And I think we are super excited to have you guys on the trade show floor. And I recommend... Of course, visiting it, making the most out of it, and don't underestimate the fantastic education sessions that take place. There is a strong lineup of speakers that will impact the way that the industry will be in a few years. So, great opportunity.Paul Marden:  How's that for a trailer? That sounds amazing. Massimilliano, it really has been a pleasure to talk to you.Massimiliano Freddi: Thank you so much, Paul, for me as well. And see you in Barcelona.Paul Marden: Yes, how exciting. Looking forward to it.Paul Marden: Remember, if you'd like a copy of today's book, head over to LinkedIn and repost our show notice saying, 'I want a copy of Massimiliano's book.' If you've enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on your podcasting platform. It really helps people to find the show. If you didn't enjoy it, or you've got ideas about how we could improve the show, then let us know at hello@skipthequeue.fm. My thanks to Massimiliano and his team at IAAPA for their help with this episode. Skip The Queue is brought to you by Rubber Cheese, the digital agency that creates amazing websites for ambitious visitor attractions. This episode was written by Emily Burrows, produced by Wenalyn Dionaldo and edited by Steve Folland. To Skip the Queue team, also includes Sami Entwistle, Sinead Kimberley, Claire Furnival, and Andy Povey. The 2025 Visitor Attraction Website Survey is now LIVE! Dive into groundbreaking benchmarks for the industryGain a better understanding of how to achieve the highest conversion ratesExplore the "why" behind visitor attraction site performanceLearn the impact of website optimisation and visitor engagement on conversion ratesUncover key steps to enhance user experience for greater conversionsTake the Rubber Cheese Visitor Attraction Website Survey Report

In this episode of our Global Edition, we're joined by Renate Roeleveld, CEO of the Golf Course Association of Europe (GCAE). Renate brings deep industry experience from her years as a Multi-Course Manager in the Netherlands, a background that now shapes her leadership as she guides the association through an exciting period of growth. Looking ahead, the GCAE Annual Conference will take place in Madeira, 10th–12th November. Our conversation covers a wide range of topics, including: The diverse golf business models across Europe – from tourism-led operations to traditional member clubs and hybrid approaches. How regional dynamics differ between Northern Europe & Scandinavia, Central Europe, and Southern Europe (particularly the Iberian Peninsula). The importance of adapting and evolving the game – the central theme of this year's conference. Renate's passion for supporting women in golf, and how the industry can create the right environments for women to thrive. An insightful discussion with a respected leader, offering valuable perspectives for anyone involved in the global golf industry. https://gcae.eu/ https://www.gcaeconference.eu/gcae-conference/   Connect with Us: Instagram: @golfclubtalkuk Website: Golf Club Talk UK https://www.linkedin.com/in/leighton-walker-2708b627/   A big thanks to our partner  - Toro Click here for more information   https://eddiebullockgolf.com/   Support us here: https://buymeacoffee.com/gctuk Rate & Review Please leave a 5-star review and share this episode with your golf circle!

Best Places in Malta for LGBTQ+ RetirementPalm Springs is cute, but what if your retirement backdrop was honey-colored cliffs, café culture, and 300 days of Mediterranean sunshine?By popular demand, we're spilling the limoncello on Malta—a tiny archipelago that's big on LGBTQ+ rights (ranked #1 in Europe!) and just might be your queer retirement fantasy. From Pride parades in Valletta to drag brunches at Café del Mar, Malta offers more than just Game of Thrones vibes and tax shelters for Crypto Bros.In this episode, we:

Headlines: – Welcome to Mo News + Tropical Storm Erin Update (02:00) – ​​Everything You Need To Know About Today's Trump-Putin Summit (04:00) – US Producer Prices Rise by Most in Three Years on Services (06:20) – Veggie-flation Strikes, With A Warning for Grocery Prices – HHS Revives Child Vaccine Safety Panel Sought By Anti-Vaccine Activists (10:20) – What to Know About the Heat Wave and Wildfires in Southern Europe (13:10) – Young Men Are Struggling In A Slowing Job Market, Even If They Have College Degrees (14:30) – Venus Williams, 45, Gets Singles Wild Card For US Open (16:45) – Everything You Need To Know About Taylor Swift's Appearance On New Heights Podcast (17:50) – What We're Watching, Reading, Eating (21:30) Thanks To Our Sponsors:  – ⁠LMNT⁠ - Free Sample Pack with any LMNT drink mix purchase –⁠ Industrious⁠ - Coworking office. 50% off day pass | Promo Code: MONEWS50 – Incogni - 60% off an annual plan| Promo Code: MONEWS – Leesa – 25% off mattress, plus extra $50 off | Promo Code: MONEWS – Shopify – $1 per-month trial | Code: monews

Your daily news in under three minutes. At Al Jazeera Podcasts, we want to hear from you, our listeners. So, please head to https://www.aljazeera.com/survey and tell us your thoughts about this show and other Al Jazeera podcasts. It only takes a few minutes! Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

Southern Europe is in the grip of another summer of extreme heat, with temperatures soaring to record highs and wildfires burning across the region. The Guardian's Ajit Niranjan explains why Europe is heating faster than other continents, and what that means for people on the ground. Then, University of Waterloo's Daniel Scott on how the tourism industry is adapting to rising temperatures and why more travellers are booking “cool-cations” in cooler destinations.

Wildfires continue to rage across southern Europe, forcing thousands of people to evacuate their homes. In Spain, a third volunteer firefighter has died from severe burns, and as residents across the continent grapple with the loss of homes and possessions, the E-U has sent assistance to Greece, Spain, Bulgaria, Montenegro and Albania.

Damian Mac Con Uladh, Irish journalist in Athens, describes the worsening wildfires in Greece. Stephen Burgen, Barcelona-based journalist, reports on the wildfires spreading in Spain.

Sandrine Dison-Decleve, Commissioner on the new Pan European WHO Commission on climate and health, highlights the wildfires occurring across parts of Southern Europe due to the scorching heatwave.

Hyatt is benefiting from strong luxury travel demand, with its high-end brands driving revenue growth as the company pursues an asset-light strategy focused on management and franchising deals. Expedia has raised its 2025 guidance after a strong quarter fueled by B2B gains, overseas growth, and a successful partnership with Southwest Airlines. Meanwhile, demand for short-term rentals in Southern Europe is softening during peak summer months, a trend analysts link to travelers adjusting plans to avoid extreme heat. Expedia Shows Strength in B2B, Advertising and International, Ups 2025 Guidance Summer Short-Term Rental Demand Slips in Southern Europe. Blame the Heat Hyatt's Luxury Focus and Going Asset Light: ‘Everything Is For Sale' Connect with Skift LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/skift/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ WhatsApp: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAL375LikgIXmNPYQ0L/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://facebook.com/skiftnews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/skiftnews/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.threads.net/@skiftnews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/skiftnews.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/skift⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@SkiftNews⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and never miss an update from the travel industry.

Summer 2025 is setting new tourism records, but also new tensions. In the sunny south of Europe, local patience is wearing thin. As prices rise and crowds grow, the question is: can southern Europe remain a paradise for tourists without becoming unliveable for its own people?Join us on our journey through the events that shape the European continent and the European Union.Production: By Europod, in co production with Sphera Network.Follow us on:LinkedInInstagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Despite Cyprus being better prepared than ever ahead of the wildfire season, last month Cyprus was hit with its worst wildfire in decades. As Cypriots look for answers, countries in the region - including Greece - are also facing similar challenges as they struggle to build resilience and keep up with the impacts of climate change. Nektaria Stamouli, the deputy editor in chief of Kathimerini's English Edition and Politico's Eastern Mediterranean correspondent, joins Thanos Davelis as we dig into this story.You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Confused politics fans the flames of Southern Europe's wildfiresTurkish parliamentary committee begins work on PKK peace initiativeAnti-drone system propels Greek plans for home-grown defence industry

On this episode of Deal Debrief, we're featuring two recent transactions within our real estate business, the sales of Livensa, a student accommodation platform in Southern Europe, and Aveo, one of the leading senior living platforms in Australia. To dive into these deals, we're joined by Ruban Kaneshamoorthy, Co-Head of Brookfield Real Estate in Australia, and Alberto Nin, Managing Director of Real Estate in Southern Europe. Read disclaimers (https://www.brookfield.com/brookfield-perspectives-podcast-disclaimer) for this episode.

Today in Lighting is brought to you by MaxLite, energy-efficient products for over 30 years. Learn more. The DLC's Horticultural Lighting QPL- What You Need to Know, Tivoli Lighting Expands illumiwall™ Series, Pharos Appoints Teodora Marian as Regional Sales Manager for Central and Southern Europe, HLB Lighting Design Transforms Seattle's Summit Building with Award-Winning Illumination.

It's summertime, and Derek is enjoying his well-deserved BaCo's and Guinness somewhere on a beach in Southern Europe.That's why today's episode is a special summer slow-down edition, where we revisit some of the best moments from the amazing guests we've had on the show so far. You'll hear insights from these legends on topics like dividend safety, when to sell, what real conviction looks like, how to keep valuation simple, and whether REITs can truly be a lifelong investment.Enjoy the episode, and we wish you a wonderful summer holiday!P.S. Not a premium subscriber yet? Join us now at www.dividendtalk.eu. You'll get access to 20 deep dives per year, 100+ dividend stock cards, our private Discord group, and our course on the three financial statements.See you on the inside!

July is vacation month in Denmark, and it's ironic that many Danes go elsewhere on vacation at just this time of year, when you have the best chance of good weather in Denmark. And I do mean chance – there is never any guarantee. Some Danes go abroad, driving vacations to Southern Europe are popular. There's a well-known cycle in which the summer weather is good one year, so everyone plans a vacation in Denmark the following year, and then the weather is awful, so everyone plans a foreign vacation the next year, and then the weather is good, and so on. You can surf in Denmark Staying in Denmark, even if you don't own one of the famous Danish summer houses, can be a great choice. There's a surprising amount of nature to experience in this small, flat, country that isn't as densely populated as the UK, or the Netherlands, or even Germany. You can surf in Denmark, along the windy west coast, and when you're done explore the ever changing sand dunes. Maybe visit the little lighthouse that is slowly being swallowed up by the sand. Hike through ancient forests in Denmark In Denmark you can hike through ancient forests, and even sleep there in some of the public forest shelters. Most of the forest shelters are big wooden boxes with one side entirely open, but with a roof to protect you from the rain. You can walk through beautiful meadows filled with wildflowers and butterflies. Watch whales along the coastline. Tramp through marshes and see red foxes and white-tailed eagles. Visit open grasslands with a few wild horses. Chalk cliffs and fossil hunting in Denmark You can enjoy almost any type of Nordic landscape except mountains, because Denmark doesn't really have any. It's tallest peak, Møllehøj, is 1/3 the height of the Empire State Building. But if you insist on rocky peaks, you can visit some lovely chalk cliffs in Denmark and try fossil hunting in the sand. And what ties them all together is the Marguerite Route, or Daisy Route, that runs all over Denmark. The Daisy Route isn't a straight line from one place to another, like Route 66 in the US or the Trans-Siberian express. It's 4200 kilometers, or 2600 miles, that looks like a plate of spaghetti, with lots of curves and twists. It takes you on back roads where you can see the quiet side of Denmark. It never doubles back on itself and, with one significant exception – the Big Belt Bridge between Zealand and Fyn – it involves no highways. Margueritruten Route or the Daisy Route The Daisy Route is named after the former queen, Margrethe, who inaugurated it on her 50th birthday in 1991. Her nickname is Daisy. And the signs you will follow on the Daisy Route are brown squares with white daisies. The Daisy Route is a great way to enjoy Danish nature, although, unfortunately, it works best with a car. Bikes in the city, cars in the countryside One of Denmark's little secrets is that despite all the tourism pictures of healthy Danes riding bicycles, bicycle infrastructure is best in the big cities. Many roads in the countryside don't have a bike lane, and you probably don't want to be on a lonely country road on your bike with a cement mixer truck behind you. Outside of those big cities, most Danes do own cars – and there are more cars in Denmark every year, even though they're very expensive and parking enforcement is draconian. From the window of my home in Copenhagen, I watch cars being hit with parking fines every single weekday. Denmark's founding document, the Jelling Stone What about mass transit? Can you enjoy the Daisy Route using trains and buses? You can indeed, if you want to see some of the major cultural spots on the route. For example, the Jelling Stone, the giant carved stone that is Denmark's founding document, kind of its Magna Carta or Declaration of Independence. Put up by King Harold Bluetooth in the year 965, it marks Denmark's transition to the centralized monarchy it still has today. And yes, Bluetooth on your phone is named after him. The Jelling Stone is very easy to reach by train. Finding Fossils on Møns Klimt Or Kronborg Castle in Helsingør, also known as Elsinore in Shakespeare's play Hamlet. You can easily take public transport to the castle, where Hamlet lived in the play, and the guard Marcellus said “Something is Rotten in Denmark.” Although Shakespeare apparently never visited the castle himself, you can. It's a simple trip with train, bus, or even ferry from Sweden. But the some of the best stops on the Daisy Route in Denmark don't work well with mass transit. For example, Møns Klimt is a dramatic white chalk cliff on an island in southeast Denmark. You can walk along the beach finding prehistoric fossils during the day or go stargazing at night, because there's very little light pollution. Summer vacation chill in Denmark To get to Møns Klimt from my home in Copenhagen is a 90 minute car trip…or a 4-hour odyssey involving three trains, two buses, and a long walk. Or a 7-hour bike trip. It can be done without a car, but it may take away some of your vacation chill. And vacation chill is what July in Denmark is all about. Everything closes down Many companies in Denmark shut down for the last two weeks of July and sometimes the first week of August, restaurants and shops are closed, many church services are suspended. Even my local ice cream shop in Copenhagen closes down, although I'm sure the ones in tourist locations are open and very busy. You may get to enjoy this in glorious summer sunshine, and on a sunny day, there is no country as pretty as Denmark. Or you could experience it in cold, pelting rain – possibly on the same day. Danish summer weather has no guarantees.

Madrid-based journalist, Miguel Murado and Rome-based journalist, Josephine McKenna discuss the sweltering heat in France, Italy, Portugal and Spain.

AP correspondent Charles de Ledesma reports big heat waves across southern Europe, and further north, have pushed temperatures above 104 degrees Fahrenheit, as local authorities issue fresh warnings about the risk of wildfires.

Cathal Nolan, Meteorologist and founder of the Irish Weather Channel // Cliodna O'Flynn, Journalist in Tenerife // Brian O'Connell, RTÉ reporter live from Portugal // Chris Bockman, reporter based in Toulouse

Southern Europe is experiencing a heat wave. AP correspondent Donna Warder reports.

Morse code transcription: vvv vvv Budapest Pride goes ahead, defying Orban threat of legal consequences Children among casualties after tree falls in park In Pictures Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez wedding in Venice Trump on a high after tremendous wins at home and abroad Government condemns Glastonbury chants aired live on BBC M and S strawberries and cream sandwich Japanese fruit sando hits high streets Disposable vape ban I buy my kids vapes to control their addiction Kneecap hit back at Starmer in highly charged Glastonbury set Southern Europe swelters as heatwave spreads Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez wedding leaves Venice divided

Morse code transcription: vvv vvv Disposable vape ban I buy my kids vapes to control their addiction Kneecap hit back at Starmer in highly charged Glastonbury set Budapest Pride goes ahead, defying Orban threat of legal consequences Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez wedding leaves Venice divided Government condemns Glastonbury chants aired live on BBC M and S strawberries and cream sandwich Japanese fruit sando hits high streets Trump on a high after tremendous wins at home and abroad In Pictures Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez wedding in Venice Children among casualties after tree falls in park Southern Europe swelters as heatwave spreads

Morse code transcription: vvv vvv Trump on a high after tremendous wins at home and abroad Children among casualties after tree falls in park Budapest Pride goes ahead, defying Orban threat of legal consequences Government condemns Glastonbury chants aired live on BBC Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez wedding leaves Venice divided In Pictures Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez wedding in Venice Disposable vape ban I buy my kids vapes to control their addiction M and S strawberries and cream sandwich Japanese fruit sando hits high streets Southern Europe swelters as heatwave spreads Kneecap hit back at Starmer in highly charged Glastonbury set

Morse code transcription: vvv vvv Trump on a high after tremendous wins at home and abroad In Pictures Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez wedding in Venice Disposable vape ban I buy my kids vapes to control their addiction Budapest Pride goes ahead, defying Orban threat of legal consequences Kneecap hit back at Starmer in highly charged Glastonbury set Southern Europe swelters as heatwave spreads Government condemns Glastonbury chants aired live on BBC Children among casualties after tree falls in park M and S strawberries and cream sandwich Japanese fruit sando hits high streets Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez wedding leaves Venice divided

Doug and Tracey share their top tips for first-time visitors to Europe, drawing from over 50 years of combined travel experience across the continent in various seasons, budgets, and travel styles.• Consider timing your visit carefully – avoid Southern Europe in July/August due to extreme heat and crowds• Choose fewer destinations and explore them more deeply, rather than rushing through multiple countries• Look into transportation options that suit your travel style – trains offer comfortable and scenic journeys • Book ahead for popular attractions to avoid disappointment and long queues• Take a food tour early in your trip to learn about local customs and discover hidden gems• Pack light but smart – consider the reality of cobblestone streets and hotels without lifts• Prepare for local weather conditions with appropriate clothing and accessories• Plan your money strategy with multiple cards and minimal cash in most European countries• Stay connected with an eSIM and download WhatsApp for communication with hotels and tour guides• Be vigilant about scams and pickpockets, especially in major tourist destinations• Learn a few basic phrases in local languages as a sign of respect• Research accommodation carefully, looking for your must-have amenities• Embrace cultural differences in opening hours, dining times, and local customs• Consider the different electrical outlets and bring appropriate adaptersAlways purchase comprehensive travel insurance – if you can't afford travel insurance, you can't afford to travel.Show notes - Episode 57

My guest on the show today is Thomas Richard, CFA, Portfolio Manager at Philippe Hottinguer Gestion, based in Paris. Thomas has been diving deep into European microcaps – a market segment he describes as “so unloved and uncovered,” with unique inefficiencies and opportunities. In our conversation, Thomas lays out why Southern Europe – especially countries like Spain, Italy, and Greece – is currently one of the most interesting regions for microcap investing. He explains the value of bottom-up research, the importance of direct interaction with management teams, how non-European investors can begin navigating this often-overlooked space, as well as some of the structural risks that exist in this space – including governance concerns and delisting threats. We also touch on specific names like Euroconsultants, Shelly Group, Reway, and ALA, and for full disclosure, I am not a shareholder in any of them. For more information about Thomas Richard and Philippe Hottinguer Gestion, please visit: https://www.philippehottinguer.com/fr/phhgestion/ Planet MicroCap Podcast is on YouTube! All archived episodes and each new episode will be posted on the Planet MicroCap YouTube channel. I've provided the link in the description if you'd like to subscribe. You'll also get the chance to watch all our Video Interviews with management teams, educational panels from the conference, as well as expert commentary from some familiar guests on the podcast. Subscribe here: http://bit.ly/1Q5Yfym Click here to rate and review the Planet MicroCap Podcast The Planet MicroCap Podcast is brought to you by SNN Incorporated, The Official MicroCap News Source, and the Planet MicroCap Review Magazine, the leading magazine in the MicroCap market. You can Follow the Planet MicroCap Podcast on Twitter @BobbyKKraft  

The name hyssop is derived from the ancient Hebrew name ezob, meaning holy herb. Hyssop is a shrub in the mint family native to Southern Europe, the Middle East and the region surrounding the Caspian Sea. It is mentioned several times in the Old Testament and is known as one of oldest herbs used by humanity. During the summer, hyssop produces pink, blue, or more rarely, white fragrant flowers. It is from the leaves and buds we are gifted an essential oil with magical potency. ABOUT ADAM BARRALET Adam Barralet has been observing and living in tune with nature since childhood. Growing up amongst the bushland and wildlife of the hills in Western Australia and residing in various locations around the world has presented Adam with diverse opportunities to access extensive and eclectic teachings about the secrets of Mother Earth. He has used essential oils for over 30 years and teams his experiences with his background in human biology, chemistry, psychology, health sciences and massage.He has now established himself as an international author, presenter, educator and Wellness Advocate, adept at working with essential oils, along with crystals, animal guides, tarot, astrology and mythology. CONNECT WITH ADAM HERE: https://linktr.ee/adambarralet ABOUT ELIZABETH ASHLEYElizabeth Ashley has over 20 books on sale on Amazon under her pen name The Secret Healer. The UK Director of the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy and an overseas speaker for The International Federation of Aromatherapists, Elizabeth's work focuses on understanding the very earliest energetic relationships between certain plants and the human world, right up the modern-day scientific evidence of healing botanicals.A practicing Melissa priestess, a plant and bee shamaness as well as a bee guardian, she has the unique perspective of having one foot in our three-dimensional scientific reality with the other dancing in the spiritual realms.CONNECT WITH LIZ HERE: https://linktr.ee/thesecrethealer

Welcome to "The Readiness Brief," a limited podcast series hosted by The O2X Podcast, designed to explore the critical importance of readiness within the tactical community. In each episode, we bring to the forefront seasoned members of the O2X Integrated Readiness Platform (IRP) network, engaging in insightful conversations with senior leaders across the tactical population."The Readiness Brief" aims to foster a deeper understanding of the O2X Integrated Readiness Platform (IRP) while spotlighting successes and valuable insights from organizations committed to preparedness.Part 2 features O2X Human Performance Integration Manager & former Program Manager w/ DEA Training Academy Dan Williams and the former Unit Chief of the Tactical Training Unit at the DEA Academy Scott Seeley-Hacker.Scott Seeley-Hacker is DEA veteran with nearly 26 years of service, most recently serving as Unit Chief of the Tactical Training Unit at the DEA Academy, where he oversaw all Basic Agent training in Tactical Operations, Defensive Tactics, and Human Performance while managing instructor certification programs and the tactical training budget. His distinguished career includes service as Country Attaché at the US Embassy in Rome, where he coordinated drug trafficking investigations across Southern Europe; Group Supervisor for a New England task force combating heroin and fentanyl distribution; Special Agent in Bangkok building international partnerships; operations in New York focusing on organized crime; a brief assignment as a Federal Air Marshal following 9/11; and initial service in Seattle targeting multi-jurisdictional drug cases.Dan Williams is the Human Performance Integration Specialist Manager for O2X on the West Coast. Starting as an On-Site Human Performance Specialist specializing in Strength & Conditioning, Dan has cultivated extensive expertise in supporting tactical athletes. With over 12 years of experience in the human performance field, Daniel has a deep passion for working with tactical athletes, helping them achieve peak performance and resilience. Since 2015, Daniel has served as a Human Performance Specialist in the special operations community. His career began with the Air Force Special Operations Command, working with the 24th Special Operations Wing, Special Tactics Training Squadron (STTS). After two years with STTS, Daniel transitioned to Naval Special Warfare Group 1, where he spent over four years supporting Navy SEALs in optimizing their performance and readiness.Building Homes for Heroes:https://www.buildinghomesforheroes.org/Download the O2X Tactical Performance App:app.o2x.comLet us know what you think:Website - http://o2x.comIG - https://instagram.com/o2xhumanperformance?igshid=1kicimx55xt4f 

Building the Mosaic Dance Theatre Company with Morgiana Celeste Varricchio & Samara Adell Every dance company has its own unique journey and characteristics, from how it was founded to the style of dance it specializes in. Today, we're joined by the Producing Artistic Director and Founder of the Mosaic Dance Theatre Company (MDTC), Morgiana Celeste Varricchio, and the Artistic Director for Dance and Choreographer, Samara Adell. MDTC showcases the vibrant dance and folkloric heritage of the Mediterranean, spanning North Africa, the Middle East, and Southern Europe. Through captivating performances and educational initiatives, MDTC brings to life the region's music, myths, and traditions, preserving and sharing its cultural tapestry. In this conversation, Morgiana and Samara share how they discovered their affinity for Middle Eastern dance, why they felt it wasn't adequately represented in the US, and how they formed the Mosaic Dance Theatre Company. We discuss the many shows they've produced, including their special upcoming 20th-anniversary show, Visions of the Near East, how they manage their creative partnership, and the challenges of running a nonprofit. Tune in to hear the full scope of Morgiana and Samara's beautiful journey, from becoming friends to running a thriving company together! Key Points From This Episode: An introduction to Morgiana Celeste Varricchio and her dance journey. How she became involved with Middle Eastern dance and met Samara Adell. The success of Morgiana's production of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. How Morgiana and Samara founded the Mosaic Dance Theatre Company in 2005. Their mission to ensure Middle Eastern Dance was properly represented in the US. An overview of their productions, including their original show, Caravan to Cairo. Their upcoming production, Visions of the Near East Some background on Samara and how she became interested in dance. Her time working in New York and the extensive global touring she did as a dancer. The inner workings of Samara and Morgiana's creative partnership. How they prepare for, plan, rehearse, and arrange all the different elements of their shows. Standout experiences during their two decades with Mosaic. “We both agreed that Middle Eastern Dance was not represented properly in the professional world of dance. It is a very legitimate dance form, but not looked upon that [way] here in the US. It was our mission, then, to bring this dance to the public.” — Morgiana Celeste Varricchio Morgiana Celeste Varricchio is the Producing Artistic Director and Founder of Mosaic Dance Theater Company.  Samara Adell is Artistic Director for Dance & Choreographer of Mosaic Dance Theater Company. For more on this episode, Morgiana, and Samara: Movers & Shapers: A Dance Podcast For the latest, follow us on Instagram & Facebook Support this podcast with a tax-deductible donation! themovingarchitects.org/support  

Rudy joins Oisín Gilmore and David Landy, authors of Fragments of Victory Fragments of Victory: The Contemporary Irish Left for a discussion on the unique political history of the Republic of Ireland. We talk about why the country never developed a strong social democratic tradition, the dominance of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, the economic turmoil of the Celtic Tiger crash, and Ireland's distinctive response to austerity compared to Southern Europe. We then move to the major social movements—water charges, abortion rights, and housing—highlighting their impact and legacy. The discussion also covers the role of trade unions, the evolution of the Irish left from Labour's decline to the rise of Sinn Féin and Trotskyist parties, and the influence of figures like Clare Daly and Mick Wallace. Finally, the episode reflects on the recent election results and what they mean for the future of Ireland's left-wing politics.

Stoneshield Capital's Juan Pepa and CBRE's Adolfo Ramirez-Escudero discuss Spain's economic renaissance, which has engendered bountiful investment opportunities.Share these insights about investment opportunities in Spain: Spain has great fundamentals: Gone are the dog days following the Global Financial Crisis. Spain's high economic growth rate has made it an attractive investment destination.Focus on alternative real estate sectors: Some of Spain's strongest sectors are student housing, life sciences and seniors housing.Renewable energy is in demand: Interest in energy and sustainable infrastructure, particularly around data centers and the industrial sectors, is high.Big pharma has a big presence: A consolidation of big pharma companies makes the region attractive for life sciences investment.It's a business-friendly environment: Incentive programs and a supportive regulatory environment has drawn inbound capital.

This week, Dave Bittner is joined by Juan Andres Guerrero-Saade (JAGS) from SentinelOne's SentinelLabs to discuss the work his team and Tinexta Cyber did on "Operation Digital Eye | Chinese APT Compromises Critical Digital Infrastructure via Visual Studio Code Tunnels." Tinexta Cyber and SentinelLabs have been tracking threat activities targeting business-to-business IT service providers in Southern Europe. Based on the malware, infrastructure, techniques used, victimology, and the timing of the activities, we assess that it is highly likely these attacks were conducted by a China-nexus threat actor with cyberespionage motivations. The relationships between European countries and China are complex, characterized by cooperation, competition, and underlying tensions in areas such as trade, investment, and technology. Suspected China-linked cyberespionage groups frequently target public and private organizations across Europe to gather strategic intelligence, gain competitive advantages, and advance geopolitical, economic, and technological interests. The research can be found here: Operation Digital Eye | Chinese APT Compromises Critical Digital Infrastructure via Visual Studio Code Tunnels Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Stefan speaks with a 30-year-old caller from Southern Europe about his journey towards self-awareness after feeling like an "NPC" in life. The caller shares his struggles with passive behavior, resentment, and guilt stemming from an authoritarian upbringing. They discuss the impact of his family dynamics on his marriage, emphasizing the importance of setting boundaries with abusive relatives. Stefan highlights the need for assertive parenting and prioritizing the caller's family's well-being over past familial ties. The episode concludes with the caller expressing gratitude for the transformative insights gained.GET MY NEW BOOK 'PEACEFUL PARENTING', THE INTERACTIVE PEACEFUL PARENTING AI, AND AUDIOBOOK!https://peacefulparenting.com/Join the PREMIUM philosophy community on the web for free!Also get the Truth About the French Revolution, multiple interactive multi-lingual philosophy AIs trained on thousands of hours of my material, as well as targeted AIs for Real-Time Relationships, BitCoin, Peaceful Parenting, and Call-Ins. Don't miss the private livestreams, premium call in shows, the 22 Part History of Philosophers series and much more!See you soon!https://freedomain.locals.com/support/promo/UPB2022