Travelrific® Travel Journal
A blog for travel enthusiasts. Listen to our podcasts at Travelrific® Radio, and visit our Wanderful Places® Travel Shop!Archive for international travel
The Towers of San Marino
By Linda Tancs
San Marino is the world’s oldest republic and is surrounded by Italy. This medieval gem is beloved for its three towers, perched atop Monte Titano in the capital city of San Marino. The oldest of the three towers is Guaita (constructed in the 11th century). Next is the 13th century Cesta, located on the highest of Monte Titano’s summits. The youngest, 14th century Montale, is on the smallest of Monte Titano’s summits and is still privately owned. As you might expect, the landmark takes pride of place on the flag and coat of arms of this enclave. It also boasts its own confection, the Torta Di Tre Monti (“Cake of the Three Towers”), a layered wafer cake covered in chocolate.
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Iceland’s Tallest Church
By Linda Tancs
You’ll get about 10 hours of daylight this time of year in Iceland. That’s enough time to soak in the stunning views of Hallgrimskirkja in Reykjavik, a church resembling a giant ice carving. At 244 feet, it is the nation’s tallest building. Located in the city center, its bell tower (accessible via an elevator) provides the best views in the city.
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Happy Ingvald Day
By Linda Tancs
A unique aspect of Scandinavian culture is the celebration of Name Days. Originally derived from the names of saints and martyrs from the Middle Ages, the custom today is to assign two contemporary names to each day of the year except 1 January, 29 February and 25 December. Some names are assigned to dates connected to historical figures with the name. For example, Snorre is assigned to 23 September, the birth date of Icelandic saga scholar Snorre Sturlasson, and 22 June is assigned to Håkon and Maud, the date of the coronation of King Håkon VII and Queen Maud in 1906. Today Ingvald and Ingveig take top honors.
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Jerusalem on Ice
By Linda Tancs
Jerusalem is celebrating its first ever ice festival from 6 March to 30 April at the Old Railway Station. There you’ll enjoy sculptures of many of the city’s tourist sites, such as Jaffa Gate, the Tower of David, the Israel Museum, and the new Jerusalem Light Rail. A family friendly event, the festival includes an ice skating rink. Adults can enjoy a drink at the ice bar. If you’re wondering how an event such as this fares well in the glorious Mediterranean sun, worry not. The area is artificially cooled to about -10 degrees Celsius!
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Netherlands’ Theatre of Nature
By Linda Tancs
Today marks the start of Floriade, a world horticultural exposition that is held in the Netherlands once roughly every 10 years. So you know that something that long in the making has to be really special. Consider the last Floriade in 2002, featuring a floating roof made out of 19,000 solar panels and Spotter’s Hill, a 30-metre-high pyramid. This year’s event, running through 7 October, features 163 acres of park and 98 acres of showgrounds covering five distinct theme worlds: Relax & Heal, Green Engine, Education & Innovation, Environment, and World Show Stage. As you might suspect, the exhibitions are aimed at explaining how flowers, plants, trees, vegetables and fruit impact your daily life. For the first time ever, the event will take place outside the Randstad, in Venlo. On the border between the Netherlands and Germany, the region is one of the largest horticultural areas in Europe.
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Heavenly Bliss in Singapore
By Linda Tancs
Thian Hock Keng (Temple of Heavenly Bliss) is one of the oldest and most important temples in Singapore. A few things make this place of worship unique. First, it stands at the location of Singapore’s waterfront before reclamation. Also, its construction represents an international venture of sorts, with ironwork and tiles from the British Isles and granite from China, among other contributions. A national monument, this amazing structure was built in traditional southern Chinese architectural style, without nails.
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600 Years in the Making
By Linda Tancs
Golf is a 600-year-old sport. Hard to believe that it’s taken that long to get a golf festival going where it all began. The St Andrews Golf Festival is the first-ever celebration of golf at its birthplace in St Andrews, Scotland. Today through 1 April, the free calendar of events includes the Seve exhibition at The Scores Hotel, an exclusive talk by Mungo Park (grandson of the first winner of the Open Championship in 1860), the Bobby Jones exhibition and golf correspondent Lewine Mair’s talk on the history of women’s golf.
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Vacation Deal of the Week
By Linda Tancs
Trafalgar is celebrating 65 years of insider experiences with an Anniversary Sale. Get a limited-time offer on 2012 air-inclusive First Class Europe guided vacations that could save you up to $1,000 per couple. Sale ends soon! Contact me at Wanderful Cruises for details.
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The Real Deal in Chelsea
By Linda Tancs
Now the oldest antiques fair in Britain, London’s Chelsea Antiques Fair wants visitors to be assured of high standards. They secure outside experts to check the veracity of labels as well as the quality and authenticity of the pieces on show. So you rest assured that those new 17th century entrants this year are the real deal. Other selections include fine Victorian and 19th Century European oil paintings, British and Continental porcelain, Art Nouveau and Art Deco glass, antique books, prints and maps, and a smattering of the interesting and unusual. If you can’t manage it all from 21 -25 March, then come back in September. The event is at Old Town Hall on Kings Road. Admission is only £5; that leaves room for spending.
Art Fair Celebrates Quarter Century
By Linda Tancs
The world’s leading art and antiques fair is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year at the Maastricht Exhibition and Congress Center in the Netherlands. Taking place from 16-25 March this year, the event features elegantly displayed genuine masterpieces offered by more than 260 of the world’s most prestigious art and antiques dealers from 18 countries. To celebrate its silver anniversary, two unique contributions this year are (1) an exhibition of master drawings by some of the greatest artists in history, including da Vinci, Guercino, Rembrandt and Rubens, and (2) the first-ever BMW Art Car. This is one jubilee you won’t want to miss.
