Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for August, 2009
Picasso’s Castle Opens to Public
By Linda Tancs
Opening to the public for the first time this summer is Château de Vauvenargues, Picasso’s château near the Provençal town of Aix-en-Provence in the south of France. Nestled in the foothills of Mont Sainte-Victoire, the grand estate was purchased by Picasso in 1958–a fitting acquisition, given that the mountain playing host to this dwelling has been often depicted in paintings by Paul Cézanne, Picasso’s idol. Among the sites to be seen are the guardroom where Picasso’s body lay in state and five interior rooms, including the ground floor dining room and the master bedroom upstairs. The property will be open until 27 September, and tickets must be purchased in advance.
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400 Dollars for 400 Years
By Linda Tancs
You still have 6 days to get a $400 resort credit at Bermuda’s ultra-casual 9Beaches Resort for travel until 21 August as part of their celebration of Bermuda’s 400th anniversary. Hotels are so yesterday. Here you’ll stay in a private cabana (beachside or over water) with an ocean-view veranda. If this all sounds fancy schmancy, you’re quite wrong. Flip flops, not ties, are in order. With names like Top Banana, Aqua Vista, Sea Forever or Coco Coral, you should have no problem finding lodging that meets your personality type. Bring the kids, too; an extra cabana can be had for 50% off. And yes, there are 9 beaches!
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On the Fringe
By Linda Tancs
Now until 31 August it’s time for The Fringe in Edinburgh, Scotland. Hailed as the #1 tourist attraction in Britain, this arts festival commandeers a few streets in Scotland’s capital city during its duration. Not that anyone seems to mind, of course. For the uninitiated, the event is a combination of music, dance, comedy and carousing involving very large numbers of people. That means you better book your dinner early because the eateries will swell. You can book the events you’d like to see online as well.
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Brač and Bol
By Linda Tancs
The Croatian island of Brač is the largest island in Dalmatia and the third largest in the Adriatic. Site of the highest peak of all Croatian islands (Vidova Gora), it might be better known for its limestone and dolomite, used in early Roman times in the building of cities, amphitheaters, temples, palaces and graves all over Dalmatia. Oddly enough, it has no permanent water source except in Bol, the island’s southernmost and oldest town. Needless to say, this makes Bol the isle’s best bet as a tourism center. The magnificent winds for surfing, local and appealing gastronomy, sandy beaches and a dreamy Mediterranean villa feel amidst the ancient stone abodes don’t hurt, either.
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Single Supplements Waived
By Linda Tancs
Single travelers, take note: some tour operators, like Overseas Adventure Travel, are waiving or reducing certain single supplements. Good through 2009, perhaps you can thank the economy for this turn of events. The company also offers a travel companion search service and a free roommate matching service to help avert applicable solo surcharges. How do other operators compare? Write in with your experiences!
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Beaune Uncorked
By Linda Tancs
Winemaking is an ancient custom. In Beaune, the heart of France’s Burgundy wine industry, they’ve been at it since 300 AD. Practice makes perfect, as the saying goes. Will you agree? There are lots of places to taste the fruits of their vines to find out. At Patriarche Père et Fils, there are miles of cellars to peruse and a tasting of 13 or so wines. History buffs won’t want to miss Musée de la Vigne et du Vin (Burgundy Wine Museum), housed in the former private residence of the Dukes of Burgundy. The museum balances both past and present. You’ll see giant wine presses and a collection of traditional winemaking equipment as well as learn about the history of the Burgundy vineyards and wine. Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson said, “Wine is bottled poetry.” Surely the vintners in this little medieval French town would agree.
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Humble Beginnings in Canada
By Linda Tancs
The humble roots of Canada’s first national park originated in the fall of 1883, when three Canadian Pacific Railway construction workers discovered a cave containing hot springs on the eastern slopes of Alberta’s Rocky Mountains. From that inauspicious backdrop has blossomed over 2500 square miles of valleys, mountains, glaciers, forests, meadows and rivers now comprising Banff National Park in the province of Alberta in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. The park sports three ecoregions: montane (3% of the park area), subalpine (53% of the park area) and alpine (44% of the park area) and a vast array of wildllife, including bears and elk. Hire a local guide to learn the most about this area’s natural wonders and cultural treasures. If you go it alone, watch out for our four-footed friends; they most certainly will feel entitled to the right of way.
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Travelrific® Travel Journal 