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
Europe’s Destination Station
By Linda Tancs
Tax-free shopping. Chauffeur service. Europe’s longest champagne bar. Musical entertainment. Public art. Is it any wonder that London’s St. Pancras is acclaimed as Europe’s destination rail station? One of the city’s greatest Victorian buildings, its iconic roof was constructed of a series of wrought iron ribs resulting in a space 100 feet high, 240 feet wide and 700 feet long. Its only rival is perhaps the presiding St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel, hailed as London’s most romantic building. Its glorious Gothic Revival metalwork, gold leaf ceilings, hand-stenciled wall designs and jaw-dropping grand staircase are as dazzling as the day Queen Victoria opened the hotel in 1873. Walking tours of the station complex are available for individuals and groups.
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Motoring in Britain
By Linda Tancs
Beaulieu Palace House in Hampshire, England, is the ancestral seat of the Barons Montagu of Beaulieu. It’s also the place where over 250 vehicles tell the story of motoring in Britain from its pioneering origins to the present day. The 3rd Baron Montagu of Beaulieu created Beaulieu National Motor Museum in tribute to his father, who was the first to drive a motorcar into the yard of the Houses of Parliament. The exhibition includes land speed world record breakers like Sir Malcolm Campbell’s Bluebird and the equally fantastical Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
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Monkeying Around in Israel
By Linda Tancs
At the Ben-Shemen forest near Modi’in is a monkey park containing 250 species of monkeys from locales around the world like Africa, Asia and South America. You’ll find one of the smallest monkeys in the world–the marmoset–here. Another citizen is the crab-eating macaque, a medium species of monkey found in the tropical and subtropical forests and jungles throughout southeast Asia. The white-ringed eyes of the dusky leaf langur, a native of Thailand, Myanmar and Malaysia, give it the appearance of wearing eyeglasses. Located halfway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, the park provides guided tours every half hour on weekends.
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The Island of 20,000 Saints
By Linda Tancs
Just a short boat ride west of the Llŷn Peninsula in North Wales is a place of pilgrimage since the early years of Christianity. That’s Bardsey Island, a wisp of a place that became a focal point for the Celtic Christian Church. Its moniker, Island of 20,000 Saints, dates from the early Middle Ages, when three pilgrimages to Bardsey were said to equal one to Rome. Although day trips are limited to around 3 ½ hours, visitors who want to stay longer can choose from nine self-catering houses managed by the island’s trust. The renting week is from Saturday to Saturday, April to October. The island is designated a National Nature Reserve, a Site of Special Scientific Interest and is in the Llŷn Peninsula Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
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The Young Europeans
Kosovo is a young country—in more ways than one. The small, landlocked country in the Balkans declared its independence from Serbia in 2008. Apart from its political infancy, though, Kosovo boasts a youthful population. Purportedly with more than 70 percent of the population under the age of 35, they’ve taken on the moniker “the young Europeans.” But don’t let all of this youthfulness get in the way of centuries-old delights awaiting you. A series of monasteries dating to the 12th century are at Peja Patriarchate, just down the road from the Church of Saint Catherine, built between the two world wars. Vushtrri’s iconic arched stone bridge is one of the oldest bridges in the country. Five of its arches originate from early medieval times; four semi-arches were added in the 18th century. And then there are caves. Although discovered in the 1960s, the marble cave in Gadime is one of the most popular attractions. So named for the marble limestone rock, it is believed to originate from the Paleozoic or Mesozoic Era.
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Gateway to the Dukeries
By Linda Tancs
Worksop is at the northern edge of Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire, England. It’s known as the Gateway to the Dukeries thanks to the number of ducal estates in its environs. One such gem is Clumber Park, boasting the longest avenue of lime trees in Europe at around two miles in length. Another attraction is Thoresby courtyard and gallery, a place where local artisans mix and show off their wares. It sits beside Thoresby Hall (rebuilt by the third Earl Manvers in 1860), which is now a luxury resort. Welbeck Abbey was first mentioned in the Domesday Book. Although privately owned, some of its outbuildings have been renovated and are open to the public in the form of a cooking school, a farm shop (selling prized stichelton) and an art gallery. The town’s namesake estate, Worksop Manor, is where Mary Queen of Scots was held prisoner by her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I. The mansion, however, was destroyed in the 1800s after some fire damage, leaving only a servant’s wing. This peaceful country escape is just one hour away from Nottingham city centre.
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Tribute to the Tire Man
By Linda Tancs
Art Nouveau. Proto-Art Deco. Secessionist Functionalism. Geometrical Classicism. However you’d describe it, London’s Michelin House is a symbol of quality and style in Chelsea. A beloved London landmark, the building was commissioned in 1909 as the British headquarters for the tire company, Michelin. When Michelin vacated the premises in 1985, it was converted into the Bibendum Restaurant, Oyster Bar and Café. Bibendum is commonly referred to as the Michelin Man, the iconic symbol of the tire company. It should come as no surprise that the converted space is a tribute to the famous tire man, its floors, walls and windows adorned with his image.
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Bear With It in Japan
By Linda Tancs
Located in eastern Hokkaido in Japan, Shiretoko’s unspoiled nature is epitomized by the five lakes, Shiretoko Goko. Formed long ago by the eruption of nearby Mount Io and fed by underground springs, the lakes are accessible via an elevated wooden path (leading to the first lake) or a ground pathway (offering views of all five lakes). Visitors are free to walk along the elevated wooden path to the first lake throughout the season (which opens in late April and closes in November). The ground pathway, however, is subject to guided tours during bear season, which is generally May 10 to July 31. But bears live in the lakes region all year, so bear encounters are always possible and may result in path closures. Further regulations apply during this time of year (ecosystem aware season), when tourist traffic threatens the tender vegetation in the area. For the privilege of viewing the pristine lakes and surrounding mountains, you’ll need to attend a lecture and wait your turn to hike because there’s an hourly limit to the number of visitors allowed on the trails. So just grin and (ahem) bear it.
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An Underwater Nature Path
By Linda Tancs
Port Cros is a small, charming island in the French Riviera. In fact, the entire island is a national park (the smallest in France), affording nature lovers ample opportunity to discover its flora and fauna. There are 602 land species of flora, 500 algae species, 144 bird species, 180 fish species and some endemic tenants like the Tyrrhenian painted frog. Its unspoiled, pristine nature gives rise to one of its most unique attractions: an underwater marked nature path. Beginning at Plage de la Palud, the trail takes about 30 minutes to complete. Thanks to a prohibition on mooring at the beach to protect the underwater species, you’ll be assured remarkable views.
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A Cathedral of Limestone
By Linda Tancs
Tsingy is the Malagasy word for “walking on tiptoes,” quite appropriate for the limestone cathedral dominating Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve. Its otherworldly, needle-like rock formations hundreds of feet tall draw tourists not only for the views but also for a chance to see amazing endemic flora and fauna. Decken’s sifaka, the red-fronted brown lemur, fat-tailed dwarf lemur, grey mouse lemur, Cleese’s woolly lemur and the Sambirano lesser bamboo lemur are only found here. You might view some over the several hanging bridges kissing the karsts. The park is only open during the dry season (April through November).
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