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 Pride of Norway
By Linda Tancs
One of Norway’s best loved attractions is just an hour’s drive north from Oslo. There you’ll find Skibladner, the world’s oldest paddle steamer, ploughing Lake Mjøsa, Norway’s largest inland lake. The pride of Norway, the oldest preserved paddle steamer in timetabled service is celebrating 160 years of sailing this year. Skibladner sails between the villages and towns around Lake Mjøsa as she has always done: Lillehammer, Moelv, Gjøvik, Hamar and Eidsvoll. Sailings began on June 22 and continue through August 14.
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World’s Steepest Cogwheel Railway
By Linda Tancs
A feat of engineering, the cogwheel railway system was invented by Colonel Eduard Locher-Freuler in the 1880s. It enabled gradients of up to 48 percent and made possible the construction of a railway up Switzerland’s Mount Pilatus. Eliminating the need for a tiresome ascent on foot, the system started out in 1889 as a steam coach and was later electrified in 1937. From Alpnachstad to Pilatus Kulm, the world’s steepest cogwheel railway gives visitors to Lucerne a bird’s-eye view of lush meadows carpeted with Alpine flowers, sparkling mountain streams and imposing rock faces.
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Endurance Racing in France
By Linda Tancs
The engines are getting ready to roar as the time nears for France’s annual endurance race, Le Mans. One of the oldest races, 24 Hours of Le Mans is taking place from June 18 to June 19 in Le Mans (less than an hour west of Paris). Over the course of the 24 hours, racers clock in with approximately 18 times the length of an average Formula 1 Grand Prix, so it’s easy to see why it’s considered the greatest endurance race in the world. This year will be the eighth time that the contest has fallen on this weekend. In 1932, this weekend saw Frenchwoman Odette Siko put her name in the record books with the best result for a female driver.
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Helsinki’s Maritime Fortress
By Linda Tancs
One of the world’s largest maritime fortresses, Suomenlinna was built off the coast of Helsinki, Finland, in 1748. In addition to the homeland, this notable monument of military architecture has defended Sweden and Russia. Anything but staid, the bastion fortress is a living district inhabited by 850 city residents. Open year round, you’ll want to reserve at least a half day to explore its many turns and tunnels.
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Into the Cliffs
By Linda Tancs
A time capsule from World War II, Fan Bay Deep Shelter is a labyrinth of tunnels built underneath the White Cliffs of Dover in 100 days for bombproof accommodation. Now open to the public, hard-hat and torchlit tours are led by specialist guides for intrepid tourists. There is a 45-minute walk along the cliffs to reach the site, and the tunnels are only accessible by a steep 125 steps to get into the shelter and back out again.
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In the Heart of the Reef
By Linda Tancs
In the heart of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is Hayman Island, a private island open to the public and the nearest of the Whitsunday Islands to the Outer Reef, including the famous Heart Reef. It’s home to One&Only Hayman Island, a premier resort where guests can enjoy their arrival by luxury yacht. With direct access to the reef, visitors flock to Blue Pearl Bay, located on the northwestern side of the island. A must for snorkelers and divers, its charms include the resident Maori Wrasse, defending the reef by eating its arch enemies. Best coral cover is in the shallow waters off the southern beach.
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Kuwait Will Implement DNA Testing for Tourism
By Linda Tancs
In a one-of-a-kind move, Kuwait has announced the imminent implementation of an earlier law requiring the collection of DNA from visitors, residents and citizens in an effort to thwart crime and terrorism. A swab of saliva or drop of blood will do the trick, which is intended to form a national database. Citizens and expats can perform their civic duty via mobile collection centers and visa renewal requirements, respectively. Tourists will be required to submit a sample at the airport to gain access to the country’s archeological and cultural delights.
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Swinging in Germany
By Linda Tancs
Germany’s longest rope suspension bridge is a relatively new tourist attraction, having opened in October last year. The pedestrian bridge spans Geierlay canyon between the towns of Mörsdorf and Sosberg near the border with Luxembourg. The 1,200-foot-long bridge sits nearly 300 feet above the canyon floor, offering thrill seekers dizzying yet picturesque views of the forested valley. The footbridge complements the area’s hiking trails.
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A Hot Spot in the North Atlantic
By Linda Tancs
Second only to a robust fishing industry, tourism is hot in the Faroe Islands. The idyllic, self-governing archipelago (part of the Kingdom of Denmark) lies northwest of Scotland and halfway between Iceland and Norway in the heart of the North Atlantic. Despite the cool latitude, it has a number of hot attractions. Historic Kirkjubøur, for instance, has a church from the Middle Ages still in use and one of the world’s oldest inhabited log houses as well. On the western island of Mykines you’ll find a birder’s paradise that is believed to be the site that the seafaring Irish monk St. Brendan described in the middle of the sixth century. Add to that deep grottos dominated by soaring, sheer cliffs in Vestmanna, located beyond ancient villages like Kvívík, the site of remains of a well preserved Viking farmstead. Small and unspoiled, the islands have received top marks for preservation of nature, historic architecture and national pride.
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Lilies of the Amazon
By Linda Tancs
Close to seven feet. That’s how large the water lily gets in the Amazon at Victoria Regia Nature Reserve. It’s just a 15-minute boat ride from Leticia, Colombia’s southernmost city located on the banks of the Amazon on the Colombia—Brazil border. Once you’ve ogled your fair share of flora, take in the tourist boardwalk in Leticia where you can enjoy the breeze from the Amazon and admire fiery sunsets amidst many stores and food courts.
