Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for February, 2025
The Fame of Godstow
By Linda Tancs
Located on the banks of the River Thames between the villages of Wolvercote (the site where renowned author J.R.R. Tolkien is buried) and Wytham is the hamlet of Godstow. Godstow Lock has the distinction of being the highest hydraulic-operated pound lock on the River Thames, but the village might be better known for the ruins of Godstow Abbey. It became the burial place of Rosamund Clifford, also known as the “Fair Rosamund,” a longtime mistress of Henry II during the 1170s. Henry VIII destroyed Godstow Abbey during the dissolution of the monasteries. Later, the village was used by Royalists during the Civil War to defend Godstow Bridge. When the Parliamentarians attacked, the whole site was burned down.
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Freedom’s Fortress
By Linda Tancs
Positioned on a 565-acre peninsula known as Old Point Comfort, Fort Monroe National Monument in Hampton, Virginia, is known as “Freedom’s Fortress.” That’s because, due to a legal loophole, thousands of enslaved Africans escaped and found refuge there during the Civil War. Strategically located at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, it was a key defensive site. The site’s military history is chronicled at the Casemate Museum. Buildings of note include the oldest house (Building #1, Old Quarters), where Abraham Lincoln stayed while planning the attack on Norfolk in 1862, and Building #17, where Robert E. Lee and his family stayed while he was a young engineer helping to oversee the construction of the fort. The peninsula is also home to Old Point Comfort Lighthouse, the second-oldest light in the bay and the oldest still in use.
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The Rock of Dunamase
By Linda Tancs
Overlooking the valley of the O’Moores in County Laois, Ireland, the Rock of Dunamase is a Celtic fortification that was once a very important Anglo-Norman stronghold. It was part of the dowry of Aoife, the daughter of the King of Leinster, when she was given in marriage to the Norman conqueror Strongbow in 1170. The top of the rocky outcrop offers spectacular views across the plain, especially at sunrise or sunset.
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Ottawa Valley Recreational Trail
By Linda Tancs
The Ottawa Valley Recreational Trail is an all-season trail featuring some of the valley’s best farmlands and historic places. The longest cycling path in Ontario, the multi-use corridor stretches from Smith Falls to Mattawa. A permit is required for ATV and snowmobile use.
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Fishermen’s Island
By Linda Tancs
Accessible only by boat, Fishermen’s Island (Isola dei Pescatori) is the northernmost of Italy’s Borromean islands in Lake Maggiore. The only one to be inhabited year round, it’s particularly known for its fish cuisine given the island’s history as a fishing village. The Church of San Vittore is a national monument, which still has its original apse with a single lancet window dating from the 11th century. The interior includes wooden busts of the apostles Peter and Andrew, the patron saints of fishermen.
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A Symbol of Defiance in Croatia
By Linda Tancs
In 1991, tanks from the Yugoslav People’s Army rolled through Osijek, Croatia. Undeterred, a local resident parked his red Fiat (also called a Fićo) on the street in front of the approaching tanks, blocking the road as an act of defiance. He exited the vehicle before a tank rammed into the car and dragged it along the street before crushing it. A monument was later unveiled to commemorate the event. Known as The Red Fićo, the installation shows a Fiat climbing a tank, symbolizing resistance, and in the end, victory, in the war for independence.
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A Maiden’s Castle in Bulgaria
By Linda Tancs
Vidin is a port city on the southern bank of the Danube in northwestern Bulgaria. One of its most popular attractions is Baba Vida Fortress, a medieval castle preserved in its original form. According to legend, the fortress takes its name from the eldest daughter of a Bulgarian boyar, Vida, who rejected all proposals for marriage after witnessing the unsuccessful marriages of her sisters. Instead, she built an impregnable castle as her hideaway. The fort served as an armory and prison during the reign of the Ottoman Empire. Enjoy the views of the Danube from the top.
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Napoleon’s Place in the Country
By Linda Tancs
Now a museum-château, Malmaison was the private residence of Napoleon Bonaparte and Joséphine from 1799 to 1814. Just half an hour from Paris, it was their country getaway. After the couple divorced, it remained Joséphine’s residence until her death, where she cultivated the gardens still enjoyed today. Be sure to see the black swans in the small pond at the back of the house. In addition to the natural surroundings, the well-preserved home boasts an important historical art collection and exquisite furniture.
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All About Mustard
By Linda Tancs
At the AnnaMax mustard factory in Austria, mustard is more than just a condiment. It’s where factory owner Rainer Haar creates mustard in over 20 different flavors, with each jar meticulously hand crafted like an art form. In addition to the multitude of flavors, you’ll learn about the cultivation of the mustard plant along with its history and medicinal uses. The facility is located in Bad Goisern at Lake Hallstatt.
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Path of the Gods
By Linda Tancs
The Path of the Gods (or Sentiero degli Dei in Italian) is a clifftop trail above the Amalfi Coast. Widely regarded as one of the best hiking trails in Italy, the trek runs from Bomerano, near Agerola, to Nocelle in the province of Positano on the slopes of Mount Pertuso. All along the route you can admire the panorama of the Amalfi Coast and Capri. Legend has it that the the name of the trail comes from Homer’s Odyssey, recounting the gods who once rushed to Ulysses from the sirens of Capri and mapped out this path in the process.
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