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
Strasbourg’s Seat of Power
By Linda Tancs
Strasbourg is a city with its heart in France and its head in the European Union. A cradle of European power, the city is home to the Council of Europe, a meeting site of the European Parliament and the Court of Human Rights, all of which are accessible to visitors in some respect. For a summary of the city’s role in these European institutions, a visit to the Information Centre on European Institutions at the Lieu d’Europe is in order. Its mission is to provide the general public with information on the European Union and all the European institutions present in Strasbourg.
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Sun City
By Linda Tancs
Bright—and blue. That’s the way to describe Jodhpur, one of the largest cities in Rajasthan, a northwestern state of India. Bright for the sun-kissed weather year round, earning it the moniker “Sun City.” Blue is the color of choice adorning dozens of buildings in the old part of the city. It’s a sight best viewed from Mehrangarh Fort, the seat of the Rathore rulers from the House of Marwar, located at a height of 400 feet above the city. The fort houses a museum highlighting the golden age of the Rathores and boasting a gallery that houses one of the finest collections of Mughal miniature paintings. The fort is also the venue for the Rajasthan International Folk Festival and World Sufi Spirit Festival.
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Off the Tourist Trail in Africa
By Linda Tancs
Equatorial Guinea is a small country on the western coast of central Africa, the only independent nation in Africa where Spanish is an official language owing to its past as a colony. Lacking the glam of safari sites like Tanzania and Kenya, it’s perhaps no wonder that it bears the ignominious distinction of being one of the least visited countries in the world. But its off-the-beaten-path status is exactly why you should go. The country’s national park, Monte Alén, is located near the center and is one of central Africa’s hidden gems. Over 100 mammal species are registered there (more than 16 types of primates alone), as well as 2,300 types of birds and 65 species of reptiles. Moreover, the park’s hotel situated on a jungle ridge is an excellent place to experience the lush rainforest—without the crowds.
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Sardine History in Portugal
By Linda Tancs
Sardines are an important part of Portuguese culture. In fact, the nutrient-rich relative of the herring is consumed at a rate of at least 12 pounds per person. The coastal city of Setubal is at the heart of the sardine industry; the first factory was founded there in 1880 to overcome the shortage of fish on the Breton coast. Get ready—sardine season runs from May through October. Be sure to enjoy it with a glass of the region’s globally acclaimed moscatel wine.
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Far East in England
By Linda Tancs
Famous for being the most easterly town from which to watch the sunrise in England, Lowestoft occupies the northernmost part of the Suffolk Coast. Home to the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the family-friendly town has two piers, a zoo, a theme park and a maritime museum exploring the town’s long history with the North Sea. And that’s in addition to the award-winning beach, staffed with lifeguards from April to September. If you’re not beachy keen, then check out The Scores, a series of ancient narrow lanes leading to the sea. Trail leaflets are available in many High Street shops. Visitor information points are located at Claremont pier, the library, the train station and Windsor Gallery.
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Dutch Blue and Orange
By Linda Tancs
Blue and orange embody the Dutch city of Delft. For instance, its blue earthenware has been a popular export for over 400 years. Royal Delft, established in 1653, is the last remaining Delftware factory from the 17th century, and its prized pottery is still entirely hand-painted according to centuries-old tradition. The canal-ringed city in the western Netherlands is also the former seat of the royal House of Orange (named for a medieval province in southern France). One of the oldest royal families in the world, almost every deceased member of the family since William of Orange has been interred in the royal crypts at the New Church.
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Ireland’s First Waymarked Trail
By Linda Tancs
The oldest and one of the most scenic long distance walks in Ireland, Wicklow Way lies just south of Dublin and is one of the nation’s most popular trails. The 80-mile waymarked journey runs from Marlay Park in the southern suburbs of Dublin through County Wicklow and ends in the village of Clonegal in County Carlow. The traditional route is north to south, beginning at Marlay Park and ending in Clonegal. Amidst the heathery moorland and the Wicklow Mountain range is the treasured stop at Glendalough (valley of two lakes), an ancient monastic site providing respite for tourists from around the world.
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Malaysia’s First Garden
By Linda Tancs
Taiping is a small and quiet town in Perak, Malaysia. The unassuming little place might go largely unnoticed but for the popularity of its lake gardens. Taiping Lake Gardens is the first public garden, established during British rule in Malaysia (then Malaya). Built atop an abandoned tin mine (a prime natural resource in the 1800s), the park’s huge ancient rain trees drape the crystal clear waters of the lake. Spread over 158 acres, the area has 10 scenic lakes and ponds framing the gardens as well as charming bridges and tracks for jogging. Taiping is well connected to the rest of Peninsular Malaysia by express buses from the long-distance bus station at Kamunting and Simpang.
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Steel, Beer and Coal
By Linda Tancs
Dortmund, the largest city in Westphalia, lies on the eastern edge of the Ruhr in Germany’s historic Hellweg corridor. Once home to a thriving steel and coal industry, its industrial heritage is barely evident in the thriving tech-driven city seen today. That small army of industrial workers also meant there was plenty of thirst to quench; Dortmund became one of the largest beer producers in the world. Visitors can learn all about the triad of industrialization in the region by visiting the Brewery Museum on Steigerstraße 16.
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Napoleon’s Water
By Linda Tancs
The second largest town in the Auvergne, the French town Vichy is known for its hot springs. Napoleon III, who developed the town in the 1800s, introduced the thermal waters to the public. Not surprisingly, this city on the Allier River is noted for its spa facilities, such as Thermes des Dômes or Spa Les Celestins. Their prized commodity is also marketed as bottled waters that are exported around the world under the names of Vichy Celestins and Vichy Saint-Yorre.
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