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
A Nut in Tasmania
By Linda Tancs
Stanley is a quaint historical fishing village in northwest Tasmania. It’s located at the base of an extinct volcanic plug called The Nut. Standing 470 feet tall, the ancient plug’s spectacular overlooks can be reached by hiking or by chair lift. Not far away at the southern head of the Arthur River is the fabled “edge of the world,” a great place to watch the unruly seas crashing in from the Indian Ocean.
Share this:
The Cradle of Whipped Cream
By Linda Tancs
It’s hard to imagine an extravagant French estate as “the cradle of whipped cream.” Yet that’s exactly the distinction enjoyed by Château de Chantilly, where crème was whipped up in the 17th century (invented, that is) by a headwaiter for the master of the house, le Grand Condé. You might fancy an association with the lace of the same name, popularized by a song released in 1958. And, indeed, lace was produced in Chantilly in the 1600s. The château is better known, though, for its porcelain production in the 1700s. Just 25 minutes from Paris, Chantilly is France’s horse capital, where daily dressage shows delight visitors.
Share this:
Peterborough’s Most Haunted
By Linda Tancs
Britain’s Peterborough Museum is situated on Priestgate in the city centre, a place dating to the 12th century when the city was planned by the monks of Peterborough Abbey. The town’s origins may be divinely inspired, but it’s the city’s dark side that draws visitors. In fact, the museum is reputedly haunted by eight different ghosts. Are you a believer? Head to the museum’s cellar, where you just might catch a glimpse of one on the ghost cam.
Share this:
Visit the Stone Age
By Linda Tancs
Goa is a state in western India with coastlines stretching along the Arabian Sea. Needless to say, it’s known for its beaches, but a visit here will take you back a step (or two) in time to the Stone Age. Rock carvings and rock engravings founds at various places in Goa indicate that Stone Age people had settled there around 10000 – 8000 B.C. Usgalimal in South Goa boasts one of the most important prehistoric sites in the region.
Share this:
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.
Share this:
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.
Share this:
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.
Share this:
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.
Share this:
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.
Share this:
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.
Travelrific® Travel Journal 