Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for england
Last of the Corn Mills
By Linda Tancs
In 1132, 13 monks came to England’s Fountains Abbey in North Yorkshire to live a simpler life and created what now remains the most complete Cistercian corn mill in the country. You can have a whack at grinding some corn and watch the water wheel go round. But that’s only part of the charm of this estate, a World Heritage Site. The locale lays claim to some interesting monikers: The Temple of Fame in Studley Royal Water Garden; Anne Boleyn’s Seat (site of a decapitated statue before John Aislabie inherited the estate in the 1700s); The Serpentine Tunnel (a dark, winding tunnel cut through rock that was designed to spook guests of Aislabie); and the Temple of Piety (originally dedicated to Hercules). There’s also the Hermit’s Grotto and The Way of the Roses, a 170 mile coast-to-coast cycle route passing through the deer park.
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A Coronation Festival
By Linda Tancs
Last year saw exciting displays of honor and affection between Queen and country as Queen Elizabeth celebrated her Diamond Jubilee. But the party isn’t over as the Queen’s coronation in 1953 is saluted this month with a unique event in the gardens at Buckingham Palace. From 11 to 14 July, 60 years of royal service and tradition will be celebrated amidst a company of Royal Warrant holders (purveyors of goods and services to the Queen and other members of the royal family) at the Coronation Festival. An invitation-only royal preview will kick off the event on 11 July, followed by a public evening gala on both Friday and Saturday night. The musical entertainment features performances by Katherine Jenkins, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and the English National Ballet.
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The Legend of Drake’s Drum
By Linda Tancs
Buckland Abbey is a centuries-old manor in Devon, England. Originally occupied by Cistercian monks in the 13th century, the structure became best known perhaps as the dwelling of the Elizabethan-era adventurer Sir Francis Drake. A highlight of the Tavy Valley estate is Drake’s Drum. Reputedly Drake took the snare drum on voyages to sound his men to action. Since that time it has been rumored to beat whenever England is in peril, including during both world wars.
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Chim Chim Cher-ee
By Linda Tancs
Even chimney sweeps have a holiday to call their own. Around 400 years’ strong, the Sweeps Festival has morphed from a May Day procession to a festival weekend with merriment enough to evoke memories of ol’ Bert in Mary Poppins. Held in the town centre of Rochester, England, the event this weekend features music, dancing and entertainment coinciding with Morris celebrations of spring. Sounds supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, doesn’t it?
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The Bionic Man
By Linda Tancs
Television viewers may remember the show The Six Million Dollar Man, a popular series about a former astronaut named Steve with bionic implants who goes after the bad guys as a secret agent. Steve, meet Rex. That’s the new bionic man appearing now at the Science Museum in London. Created for less than one million dollars, Rex is the world’s first complete bionic man, featuring an artificial circulatory system and organs. Life (or should I say, science) imitates art–and at a price much less than six million dollars.
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The Gem of Downton
By Linda Tancs
Downton Abbey is a massively addictive British period drama television series. This post-Edwardian chronicle follows the life of the aristocratic Crawley family in the fictional Yorkshire enclave known as Downton Abbey. As any fan knows, Highclere Castle is used for exterior and interior filming. Located to the west of London, the castle is not in Yorkshire but rather in Berkshire and is home to the Earl and Countess of Carnarvon. Not surprisingly, the castle has become a hot commodity, but it’s only open to tourists for 70 or so days a year–during Easter, May bank holidays and in summer. Ticket sales are fast and furious. Summer 2013 is on sale now. Better hurry.
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Visit the Tea Experts
By Linda Tancs
Thomas Twining bought a coffee shop in London in 1706 and distinguished himself from the competition by selling tea. Since then, Twinings has become synonymous with tea. The flagship shop at 216 Strand in London is a mecca for tea aficionados. The location offers a free tasting bar, a museum, tea classes and, of course, a wide range of tea accessories, teas and infusions. Stop by for a cuppa.
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An Underground Celebration
By Linda Tancs
London’s famed Underground–the Tube–is celebrating 150 years of service this month. The oldest of all underground systems, it comprises 250 miles of track, circuiting the capital both overground and underground. Its 426 escalators perform the equivalent of two trips around the world every week, and the miles traveled per year add up to 90 return trips to the moon. On that note, we love you to the moon and back–and happy anniversary!
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Angel of the North
By Linda Tancs
In northeast England’s Gateshead there’s an angel watching over you. Named The Angel of the North, the nearly 70-foot-high steel structure with outstretched arms sports a wingspan of 177 feet. That’s the width of a jumbo jet. Now that’s a bear hug.
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The Neverending Drawing
By Linda Tancs
London’s V&A Museum is the world’s largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4 million objects. It is, one might say, neverending. Amongst those collections you might miss the Neverending Drawing, a piece of public art beckoning your contribution. Launched in 2004 at the RIBA architecture gallery, just open the walnut box housing the drawing and add your own interpretation of the theme, The Street.
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