Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for england
UK Dining Discounts
By Linda Tancs
There’s a dining revolution taking place in the UK. A Tastecard membership gives you 50% off the total food bill or 2 meals for the price of one at all 5,000+ participating restaurants. You can always order from the full a la carte menu, so your choice will not be restricted in any way. Buy the card online or at the Visitor Centre at Regent Street.
London’s Sweetest Attraction
By Linda Tancs
Now the candy that “melts in your mouth and not in your hand” has its own showcase across the pond. Opening earlier this month, M&M’s World in London’s Leicester Square is the first overseas attraction for the brand’s candy maker. The 35,000-square feet behemoth features a Union Jack comprising M&M’s logos, a Wall of Chocolate and a range of merchandise from apparel to bedding.
Snail Racing in Congham
By Linda Tancs
“Snail racing” is as oxymoronic as you can get, which might explain why there’s only one such championship in the world. Now in its 40th year, the World Snail Racing Championship is due to take place on 16 July in Congham, an English village in Norfolk. And what prize awaits the winner at the finish line, you might ask? Why, a silver tankard stuffed with lettuce, of course! Slow and steady just might win this race.
A Mistletoe for Any Season
By Linda Tancs
There’s no need to hold out until the Christmas season to fall under the amorous spell of the mistletoe. At the Mistletoe Lodge outside England’s Amberley Castle in West Sussex, summer is the perfect time to play Cupid. Perched upon the beautiful sycamore trees by the Castle’s main entrance, the lodge is a tree house reached by a rope bridge and walkway, offering spectacular views of the 900-year-old Sussex castle and its lakes and grounds. The tree house is available for rental for a ‘dîner à deux’ from May to September (weather permitting), offering up seasonal fare and a floral ambience custom crafted to your liking. No wonder the luxury retreat is a favorite for marriage proposals.
A Taste of London
By Linda Tancs
There’s great taste abiding at Taste of London. From 16 to 19 June, 40 local restaurants and world class chefs will compete for your palate in Regent’s Park. The event features a boutique food market, cooking lessons from culinary greats in the Taste Theatre and a Secret Garden. No roses there, just a gourmet oasis of wines and first-class foodstuffs. Hope you’re hungry.
Cheap Train Tickets in UK
By Linda Tancs
Given the relative uncertainty of travel costs in the UK, it’s worth exploring all of the options for cheap travel, like rail bookings using thetrainline. Use the Best Fare Finder to locate the best deal or the Ticket Alert for notification when advance purchase options become available. You can even download a free application to buy tickets from your mobile. Want a package deal? You can select among train, hotel and theatre options for a customized experience. There’s even a carbon calculator for the environmentally conscious among you.
Some Enchanted Evening
By Linda Tancs
As the state apartments of London’s Kensington Palace undergo a mulitmillion pound restoration, its enchanting history is coming out of the dust. Transformed into the Enchanted Palace, each room celebrates the life of one of seven princesses who once lived there. Merging fashion and fairy tale, you’ll romp through rooms like The Room of Royal Sorrows, the Room of Flight and The Room of Royal Secrets to uncover the identity of the estate’s inhabitants and their life stories. At last, walls that talk.
The Windsor Tattoo
By Linda Tancs
Now in its fourth year, the Windsor Castle Royal Tattoo takes place today through 15 May on the private grounds of Windsor Castle. Featuring traditional military tattoo and a tournament, the event takes on an international flair this year with the addition of 250 personnel from the French Army, Navy, Air Force and Gendarmerie. Why don’t you march on over.
All the Queen’s Horses
By Linda Tancs
The largest outdoor equestrian Show in the U.K. is the Royal Windsor Horse Show at Windsor Castle, taking place now through 15 May. Over 65 years’ strong, the event features over 3000 horses and ponies taking part in more than 250 jumping, showing, and carriage driving classes. Have you bought your ticket yet? Finally, a reason to horse around.
Cuckoo About Cuckoo
By Linda Tancs
In Tabley, Cheshire, two dedicated horologists keep one of the most important collection of cuckoo clocks in the world. Cuckooland boasts a wide variety of genuine Black Forest cuckoo clocks, including a shop for purchase. You can be the proud owner of such treasures as a nursery cuckoo clock, a collector clock, a limited edition, a cuckoo & quail clock, a musical cuckoo, or a 1 or 8 day cuckoo clock. 300 years of history await you.


