Best Siena And Toast Podcasts (2025)

1
An Interview with Author Bijan Omrani who discusses his book God is an Englishman: Christianity and the Creation of England 30:01

15h ago30:01

30:01

Good evening. Thank you for joining me as I chat to Bijan Omrani about the vital importance of Christianity in the development of England. Thank you Bijan for your time as we perched in the nippy wind outside Temple Church in London. Support the show Love Gretel 🌝By Gretel le Maître

1
An introduction to the author Bijan Omrani and Pepys worries for his Wife in preparing for his Sea Voyage 25:55

1d ago25:55

25:55

Support the show Love Gretel 🌝By Gretel le Maître

1
Dear Samuel Pepys tells that all London doth now toast the health of King Charles 23:23

3d ago23:23

23:23

Support the show Love Gretel 🌝By Gretel le Maître

1
Pepys toasts the King, as the Restoration appears inevitable; and we touch on dear Bede once more, to explore his early Influence 31:05

4d ago31:05

31:05

Good evening and a very happy Saturday 3rd May. We have now finished the first two months of 1660 and I hope you are getting a feel for Pepys’ character. Thank you if you have joined me for tonight’s episode. Do come back. I’m here every day, with new readings. Best wishes 😊 Support the show Love Gretel 🌝…

1
Welcome to Friday evening’s progress with Pepys, the Saints, with a bit of live Bach. And - huge joy - the swifts have returned! 24:07

4d ago24:07

24:07

Support the show Love Gretel 🌝By Gretel le Maître

1
All of London joyfully watches and applauds every step of General Monke. 40:38

6d ago40:38

40:38

Good evening and thank you so much for joining me. Support the show Love Gretel 🌝By Gretel le Maître

1
Pepys talks of wine, General Monke, unpaid soldiers and huge buttocks in today’s episode; To pick up the ashes or not? 36:01

7d ago36:01

36:01

Support the show Love Gretel 🌝By Gretel le Maître

1
Garden birds, Saint Catherine of Siena and we finish Pepys’ first month 32:15

7d ago32:15

32:15

Support the show Love Gretel 🌝By Gretel le Maître

1
Pepys takes us into his world where it is a cold and frosty January and no-one knows how the country will be governed. 34:20

9d ago34:20

34:20

Support the show Love Gretel 🌝By Gretel le Maître

1
The Diary (wonderful, fascinating and joyful) of Samuel Pepys. Day One: let’s go 🤗🤓 28:42

10d ago28:42

28:42

Hallo dear friends and a very good evening. It’s a hot (I would say but it’s only 20 degrees so an American would say mild 😆) day in merry England. I’ve planted many hollyhocks of all colours, a rose bush ‘New Dawn’ given to me to help with grief by my best friend Victoria, some ornamental poppies and wisteria. We also planted the unusual and Bibli…

1
A Visit to Thomas Hardy’s cottage; and a Tender Farewell to Bede in his own Words 1:05:58

11d ago1:05:58

1:05:58

Support the show Love Gretel 🌝By Gretel le Maître

1
Saint Mark is remembered; Eustacia is rebuked and we hear of Bede’s death from Saint Cuthbert 25:03

12d ago25:03

25:03

Support the show Love Gretel 🌝By Gretel le Maître

1
We come to the end! A tender close to Bede’s Ecclesiastical History 33:35

13d ago33:35

33:35

Support the show Love Gretel 🌝By Gretel le Maître

1
Saint George’s Day! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Witches 🧙 of Dorset; a piece of perfection from Thomas Hardy 32:20

13d ago32:20

32:20

Support the show Love Gretel 🌝By Gretel le Maître

1
An evening Ponder; history of St Edmundsbury; a trio of Saints and the Tonsure Matter 42:42

15d ago42:42

42:42

Support the show Love Gretel 🌝By Gretel le Maître

1
Spooky Easter Evening Wanderings in Bury St Edmund’s; Caedwalla and other Saints; and finally we understand Easter dating 😊 41:34

16d ago41:34

41:34

Hello and a very good evening. Thank you for joining me and thank you especially to my subscribers 😊 As I’m coming up to the 200th episode I’m going to pop a small Sherborne Abbey present in the post to those who subscribe. Do feel free to remind me of your address or a Post Office address if you prefer. With very best wishes ⭐️ Support the show Lo…

1
St Edmund’s Abbey and St Edmundsbury Cathedral in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk; a family visit for Easter Sunday 16:37

17d ago16:37

16:37

Hullo and a very happy Easter. We’ve had warm sunshine all day today in beautiful Suffolk. I visited the old, now ruined, 10th century Abbey, and then attended Evensong in the thriving Cathedral, built adjacent to it. Support the show Love Gretel 🌝By Gretel le Maître

1
The magnificent achievements of the Scriptoriums. And more dense ‘explanation’ of the Easter problem. 🤓 24:58

17d ago24:58

24:58

Support the show Love Gretel 🌝By Gretel le Maître

1
Good Friday! Mozart and Easter. 23:44

19d ago23:44

23:44

Support the show Love Gretel 🌝By Gretel le Maître

1
Sunshine in Dorset as we learn of Bernadette of Lourdes; We ponder most people are seeking to be kind; and King of the Picts shows us how Dilpmacy is done. 30:01

20d ago30:01

30:01

Helloooo and a very happy Thursday dear friends and I wish you a happy day. Thank you for joining me and just a reminder that you should be able to rate and review this podcast from whichever platform you use and that these ratings make me as happy as a child at Christmas. It makes all the work worth it, especially when I read kind words. Some (dis…

1
Norman the Photographer; an Arundel Church and Bede’s Progress 25:25

21d ago25:25

25:25

Support the show Love Gretel 🌝By Gretel le Maître

1
An art exhibition at the National Gallery; Downing Street Preacher; Grievous Tears and Obscure Celtish Saints 21:18

21d ago21:18

21:18

Thank you for joining me on another day on this beautiful earth, navigating its hills and dales; fording its brooks and streams; and trying to find peace. Support the show Love Gretel 🌝By Gretel le Maître

1
A Blackbird, Tudor houses and Abbey Music 33:06

23d ago33:06

33:06

Support the show Love Gretel 🌝By Gretel le Maître

1
We visit Arundel Castle and climb the Norman Keep; Two April Saints and the death of Wilfrid 31:30

24d ago31:30

31:30

Good evening and thank you so much for joining me. My very best wishes to you. Support the show Love Gretel 🌝By Gretel le Maître

1
A trip to Arundel; more tales of Wilfred’s life 16:31

24d ago16:31

16:31

Support the show Love Gretel 🌝By Gretel le Maître

1
The Count of Mortain’s Cornish land; a Great Tit; Wilfred’s early life and Ponderings on Church and State 32:22

26d ago32:22

32:22

Hullo and a very good afternoon from Dorset on what I fear is the last sunny day for a while. Thank you so much for joining me and welcome Dom, my new subscriber. Tomorrow we go to Arundel. Might we find a tomb? 🌻 Support the show Love Gretel 🌝By Gretel le Maître

1
Some Solitude from May Sarton, the Norman Arch and our own Aldhelm 16:09

26d ago16:09

16:09

Support the show Love Gretel 🌝By Gretel le Maître

1
A trip to see Hamilton with a happy daughter; and Parakeets in St James’s Park 14:03

27d ago14:03

14:03

Good evening Thank you for joining me for another episode on my path of ponderings, one day at a time. I apologise for the hurried ending - I had to jump in a cab at short notice. 🌝 And thank you to my lovely new subscribers 🤗 Happy Wednesday evening. Support the show Love Gretel 🌝By Gretel le Maître

1
Green grass and blue skies in England are the beautiful backdrop to this evening’s ponderings 🌻 27:53

29d ago27:53

27:53

Support the show Love Gretel 🌝By Gretel le Maître

1
Organ music from Evensong; a Salad of Saints and a Marvellous description of pre-Crusade Jerusalem and Bethlehem 21:05

30d ago21:05

21:05

Support the show Love Gretel 🌝By Gretel le Maître

1
The Great Gatsby’s prescient diagnosis of America; a very persistent Wren; Abbey bells a-calling; and the founding of Shaftesbury. 26:45

1M ago26:45

26:45

A very good morning from sunny, warm, blissful Dorset where the birds are singing and all is well. Welcome to any new listeners - do say hello and let me know who you are. I know I have regular listeners in Australia, Germany, Slovakia, Ukraine and Russia, as well as America, Canada and the UK, so do tell me who you are and I can say hello either p…

1
Ponderings on Melancholia; More strange Saints and yet another Tale of Alarm from our Pious Friend of Yore 29:52

1M ago29:52

29:52

Hello and thank you for joining me. 👋🤗🙋‍♀️ Support the show Love Gretel 🌝By Gretel le Maître

1
Murder in medieval Cornwall; St Ambrose and our Venerable Bede 🤓 28:51

1M ago28:51

28:51

Good evening and thank you for joining me for these gentle readings from history. April is a beautiful month and I hope you are able to enjoy it. With my love and best wishes 🤗🌷🕯️ Support the show Love Gretel 🌝By Gretel le Maître

1
Origins St Gennys Church in North Cornwall; Today’s two Saints; and a warm Hello 👋 28:52

1M ago28:52

28:52

Support the show Love Gretel 🌝By Gretel le Maître

1
Dorset Smugglers; Naked Welsh Saints and the sound of the Atlantic Ocean. Welcome to Cornwall 🤗 23:13

1M ago23:13

23:13

Support the show Love Gretel 🌝By Gretel le Maître

1
The Alchemy of Poetry; More on Roman Roads; and Bede conjures up devilish imaginings 25:17

1M ago25:17

25:17

Dear friends I look forward to taking you to Cornwall tomorrow for some time by the sea, some visits to local churches, and an opportunity to do not much but read and rest, after a long slog of a few months in Dorset and London. If you pop by or if you join me most days, thank you. I would be so pleased if you had half a moment to write a nice revi…

1
Evidence for Roman Roads into Cornwall; and Bede tells of testimony of a man who rose from death. 18:53

1M ago18:53

18:53

I hope you are well, dear friend and listener. Do tell me who you are and where you are from so I can say hello to you on this humble effort of a podcast. With best wishes to you, whatever path you are on. Gretel x Support the show Love Gretel 🌝By Gretel le Maître

1
Commemorating today’s Saints; Early English architecture and our Gentle Bede 22:30

1M ago22:30

22:30

Support the show Love Gretel 🌝By Gretel le Maître

1
River sounds; Crying a river; Poorly Doggo and Marvellous Alfred. 20:07

1M ago20:07

20:07

Support the show Love Gretel 🌝By Gretel le Maître

1
Come to Thomas Hardy’s land of birth, passing a Roman Road; and then let’s hear of a double murder 20:00

1M ago20:00

20:00

Today’s photograph is Hardy’s house of birth and childhood. Set in glorious woods and heath. Support the show Love Gretel 🌝By Gretel le Maître

1
Alfred the Great, master strategist, creates currency from oaths. 20:30

1M ago20:30

20:30

Support the show Love Gretel 🌝By Gretel le Maître

1
A spring visit to a pretty Dorset church; and King Alfred burns the cakes. 18:49

2M ago18:49

18:49

Support the show Love Gretel 🌝By Gretel le Maître

1
Live violin 🎻 magic from Dorset Fiddlers; and pondering that Wonder and Beauty often springs from cracks and imperfections. 45:05

2M ago45:05

45:05

The price to pay? Surrender .. 🎻🙋‍♀️🌷 Support the show Love Gretel 🌝By Gretel le Maître

1
A Grandson on losing his Grandma; and a return home to routine and restful reality. 13:07

2M ago13:07

13:07

Support the show Love Gretel 🌝By Gretel le Maître

1
The dreadfulness of crematoriums. What a forlorn end to a wonderful life. And so we read about Gothic architecture to clear the mind and cleanse the palette. 25:41

2M ago25:41

25:41

Support the show Love Gretel 🌝By Gretel le Maître

1
Histories of Four Saints and Throwing Control to the Four Winds; the Serenity to accept the Things we Cannot Change is Hard to Harness 13:49

2M ago13:49

13:49

Support the show Love Gretel 🌝By Gretel le Maître

1
We learn about popular Saint Patrick, for whom many Guinnesses will have been drunk today. Melancholy as a quiet, tidal emotion. 22:56

2M ago22:56

22:56

Support the show Love Gretel 🌝By Gretel le Maître

1
A Happy Sunday with Family and Sunshine; Wise words from a Young Girl; and Gentle Bede 22:21

2M ago22:21

22:21

Good evening. I am keeping my social-media use to a minimum until after my beloved Mother’s funeral on Wednesday so my apologies if I’ve not replied to a message; I will busily attend to them on Thursday and Friday. Very best wishes, dear friends and passers-by. There is always hope to be found, beauty to be found, and kindness to give. One day at …