Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for international travel
The Traveling Show Chronicles
By Linda Tancs
Based at the University of Sheffield in Yorkshire, England, the National Fairground and Circus Archive chronicles every aspect of the fair, circus and allied entertainments, and the culture, business and life of traveling show people in Britain. The collection includes photographic, printed, manuscript and audiovisual materials on entertainment related to fairground, circus, variety and music hall, magic, sideshows, boxing booths, traveling cinematograph shows, pleasure and zoological gardens, amusement and theme parks, menageries, performing animals, optical illusion, traveling exhibitions, seaside entertainment and world’s fairs and expositions. Among the highlighted collections you’ll find one of the most important collections of early British cinema ephemera in the U.K. curated by leading film historian, author and collector Bill Barnes as well as the largest public collection of circus history in the country. A reading room is available during opening hours for exploration of the archives.
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Minimalist Ice in Taiwan
By Linda Tancs
Minimalist design focuses on simplicity and functionality. It isn’t a term you generally hear applied to ice cream, unless you visit Minimal in Taiwan’s Taichung City, the world’s first and only ice cream establishment to receive a Michelin star. It earned its award due to the way its artisans skillfully layer flavors and textures through temperature variations and creative combinations. The two-story venue on Meicun Road has both a takeaway outlet on the first floor and a dine-in section on the second floor that offers a seven-course tasting menu.
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Sri Lanka’s Most Famous Park
By Linda Tancs
Yala National Park is a huge area of forest, grassland and lagoons bordering the Indian Ocean in southeast Sri Lanka. Renowned for its leopard population (the highest density anywhere), it also hosts elephants and crocodiles as well as hundreds of bird species. The animals are more likely to come into the open when the water levels are low between February and July although sightings (particularly of the elusive leopard) are not guaranteed. Safaris are plentiful.
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The Potteries
By Linda Tancs
Often called “The Potteries,” Stoke-on-Trent is the heart of British pottery. Since the industry’s start there over 300 years ago, brands like Wedgwood, Spode, Royal Doulton, Burleigh, Emma Bridgewater and many others have shaped the city’s identity. That’s why no visit to the area would be complete without touring the many factories and museums. In addition to the outlets and opportunities at the potter’s wheel, don’t miss Dudson Museum, housed in an atmospheric, original Grade II-listed bottle oven about a mile from the Dudson factory outlet. When you step through the “oven” door you will experience the company’s heritage from 1800 until the present day and discover the history of the oldest surviving family business in the ceramic tableware industry.
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Paris of the Caucasus
By Linda Tancs
The capital of the Georgian republic of Adjara, Batumi is a Black Sea resort and port city often referred to as the Pearl of the Black Sea or Paris of the Caucasus. Apt descriptions, considering that the city features expansive views of sea and mountain regions. The best vantage point is the observation deck at Alphabet Tower, a 526-foot-high structure modeled like a strand of DNA located on the Boulevard. As its name suggests, it features the 33 letters of the Georgian alphabet known as Mkhedruli, a unique writing system considered a significant symbol of Georgian national identity and cultural heritage.
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Wordsworth House
By Linda Tancs
Wordsworth House in Cockermouth is a Georgian townhouse where William Wordsworth, England’s great nature poet, first discovered his twin loves of literature and the landscape. His childhood home features a walled, riverside garden presented as it may have been when William and his sister Dorothy played games along the flower beds. Winter blooms of snowdrops and crocuses prevail this time of year. You may still see them when the season opens in March. Take a guided tour of the house or explore at your own pace. Located on Main Street, the closest rail station is Maryport.
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Last Call in Italy
By Linda Tancs
Located at the end of the upper Great St. Bernard Valley at an altitude of 5,354 feet, Saint-Rhémy-en-Bosses is the last municipality in Italy before the Swiss border. The 15th-century castle of Bosses is a prime tourist attraction. Another delight is the area’s seasoned raw ham with mountain herbs, aged for over 12 months on beds of hay. This time of year, though, the ski slopes of Crévacol overlooking the village take center stage, boasting 13 miles of slopes suitable for all experience levels.
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St. Patrick’s Well
Named for an Irish cave in which St. Patrick prayed, St. Patrick’s Well (Pozzo di San Patrizio) is a stunning shaft in Orvieto, Italy. The well shaft is 203 feet deep and 42 feet wide, adorned by 72 windows and two staircases that meet at the bottom. It was dug at the behest of Pope Clement VII, who had taken refuge in Orvieto during the Sack of Rome in 1527, an event that saw the capture of Rome by the mutinous troops of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor. You’ll find it in the center of Orvieto near gardens that include Etruscan remains.
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Trekking Sri Lanka
By Linda Tancs
Touted as one of the best-kept secrets in Asia, the Pekoe Trail in Sri Lanka winds its way through the Central Highlands. Trekking through tea plantations, cloud forests, waterfalls, heritage estates and rural villages, the 186-mile trail is divided into 22 stages. The country’s first long-distance hiking trail, most stages are open from dawn to dusk except for those in wildlife corridors and protected areas. Some stages may also require special ticketing or permits, particularly those on private lands. The trail is open year round, but the best time to walk most of it is December to April and July to September.
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Swan Valley
By Linda Tancs
The Swan Valley is a region in the upper reaches of the Swan River between Guildford and Bells Rapids in Western Australia. Home to Western Australia’s oldest wine region, it’s also the only wine region in the country that you can cruise to from a capital city. Just 25 minutes from Perth, you’ll find the visitor’s center in Guildford. Be sure to pick up a map of the food and wine trails, featuring more than 40 world-class wineries, 10 breweries, five distilleries, three cideries, a meadery, gourmet producers, markets and art studios. Besides the self-drive or chauffeured option, you can take a scenic Swan River cruise from Perth or go wine-hopping in a horse-drawn wagon.
Travelrific® Travel Journal 