Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for england
A Place Apart
By Linda Tancs
It’s a place apart, an unspoiled and uncluttered island where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Bristol Channel. Situated off the coast of Britain’s North Devon, it’s Lundy Island. The views, needless to say, are amazing–even more so from the helicopter that runs this time of year (November to March) from Hartland Point on Mondays and Fridays. It’s the only way in until the MS Oldenburg starts running from April to October. A favorite of day trippers, you can also rent a self-catering property for a longer break; the options range from a 13th century castle to a fisherman’s chalet.
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Cocktails and Creatures
By Linda Tancs
Talk about creature comforts. For one week beginning on 19 March some lucky pub goers will be able to get up close and personal to one of Nature’s most fascinating raptors: the owl. Annie the Owl and her posse will be the nocturnal guests of honor at a pop-up bar in Soho, London. A ticket lottery will determine who gets dibs at a two-hour, two-drinks encounter. Fashioned after the wildly (no pun intended) popular owl cafes in Tokyo, proceeds from the event will benefit an owl conservation group. Don’t worry–the owls will be handled by professional falconers to ensure their comfort and safety. What a hoot!
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The Hawk Walk
By Linda Tancs
Established in 1967, the International Centre for Birds of Prey is the world’s oldest and largest center dedicated to birds of prey–owls, hawks, eagles, kites and vultures. Now shared across two locations in the U.K. (Newent and Duncombe), this epicenter for raptor breeding and conservation offers three different flying displays daily. Most of the trained birds are located at the Hawk Walk. Head for the flying fields at the end of the walk. Awash in daffodils this time of year, the flying demonstrations and natural surroundings are a photographer’s delight.
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The Crown Jewel of Jump Racing
By Linda Tancs
The focus of jumping season in England is The Festival at Cheltenham. Taking place today through 13 March at Prestbury Park, it’s the place where dreams are made, where the best horses, jockeys and trainers forge their reputation for excellence amidst a crowd of 235,000 people. The environment isn’t too shabby, either. Located at the edge of the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire, Cheltenham is a Regency spa town with a flair for culture and style.
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A Tale of Two Monuments
By Linda Tancs
London’s oldest monument is Cleopatra’s Needle at Victoria Embankment. And no, it has nothing to do with Cleopatra and, aside from its shape, has nothing to do with a needle. Erected in London in 1878, it’s younger than Monument, constructed in the 1670s to commemorate the Great Fire of 1666. The Needle, however, was erected in the Egyptian city of Heliopolis on the orders of Thutmose III around 1450 B.C. In that respect, at least, it is the oldest monument. But, alas, there’s no view from the top. For that, head over to the other Monument (via Monument Underground), where a 311-step trek to the balcony will net you amazing views and a certificate to boot.
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A Bit of Swiss in Bedfordshire
By Linda Tancs
A nine-acre garden with a hint of Swiss graces the heart of England’s Bedfordshire. Located in Old Warden just outside Biggleswade beside an aviation museum, the 200-year-old garden is a recently restored gem of the Regency era. Known as the Swiss Garden, it is, as the name implies, an alpine-inspired haven hailing a bygone era when the cognoscenti vacationed in the Swiss Alps. The centerpiece is the thatched Swiss Cottage, complemented by other listed buildings as well as bridges, urns and arches. A high terrace walk provides ample views of the renewed landscaping. Enhance your visit with new interpretation and activity programs. The garden is open daily.
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A Sailor’s Life in London
By Linda Tancs
England’s long history as a port is revealed at the Museum of London in Docklands. In this thriving business hub, there’s little evidence of its 18th century roots–a place where dockers, merchants and sailors mixed with smugglers and thieves as countless vessels unloaded rum, sugar and coffee from the Caribbean. The area’s maritime character comes to life, though, at Sailortown, a permanent exhibit recreating an alehouse, sailors’ lodging house and chandlery, among other things. Just two minutes away from West India Quay, the museum is easily reached by tube via Canary Wharf or West India Quay on the DLR.
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Remains of the Day
By Linda Tancs
Richard III was England’s last king of the House of York and last of the Plantagenet dynasty. His remains were found, quite unceremoniously, beneath a car park in Leicester’s city centre. Excavations of the site revealed an ancient friary church alleged to be the burial spot of the king after he was killed in the Battle of Bosworth in 1485. Along with the King Richard III visitor centre commemorating the find, Leicester also features the Richard III Walking Trail, tracing his journey from Leicester to Bosworth Field. Nearby the centre is Leicester Cathedral, where the king’s remains will be reburied next year.
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Arts and Letters at Holkham
By Linda Tancs
One of the finest surviving examples of the Anglo-Palladian architectural style is Holkham Hall, an English country manor on the Norfolk coast occupied by Viscount Coke and two other families. Its three libraries house over 10,000 books, one of the most important and enviable literature collections in the country. So vast is its collection that the libraries form half the area of the first floor of the family wing. The property has an equally compelling manuscript collection (some dating to the 12th century), frequently loaned to galleries and museums in Italy, Germany, England, Japan and America. Holkham is two miles west of Wells-next-the-Sea; the nearest rail station is King’s Lynn. The Norfolk Coasthopper runs from King’s Lynn to Sheringham and has two stops at Holkham.
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A Moving Tribute in London
By Linda Tancs
Through year end you can experience James Bond in motion–sort of–at the London Film Museum’s Bond in Motion exhibition in Covent Garden. Boasting the largest official collection of James Bond vehicles, the venue is displaying over 100 individual original items from all 23 films–the largest display of its kind ever staged in London. What’s included? The Aston Martin DB5, Goldfinger’s Rolls-Royce Phantom III and the Lotus Esprit S1 submersible from The Spy Who Loved Me. Will you leave shaken, or stirred?
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