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 Grand Procession in Brussels
By Linda Tancs
Today is the first of two annual summer processions in Brussels. Known as the Ommegang (procession), it’s a medieval procession begun in 1549 as a celebration of the entry of Charles V and his court into Brussels, where the monarch resided most of the time and wielded much of his power over a mighty empire. The processional route, replete with hundreds of costumed performers, begins at Parc de Bruxelles and ends at Grand Place. Access to the route is free, but tickets are required for the performance at Grand Place. The Ommegang takes place a second time on 2 July.
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Absolute Desert
By Linda Tancs
The Atacama Desert is a 600-mile strip of land from Peru’s southern border into northern Chile, the driest non-polar desert in the world. So dry, in fact, that some stretches have not seen a drop of rain in over 400 years. But for all its aridity, don’t be fooled into thinking this is just some barren dust bowl; the oasis is teeming with native cultures, soothing hot springs and pluming geysers. That’s particularly true at San Pedro de Atacama, where just a short distance away you’ll also find the largest salt flat in Chile and volcanoes beckoning in the distance. Late June is a perfect time to visit because of the numerous festivals leading up to Saint Peter and Saint Paul Feast Day on 29 June. San Pedro lies at around 7,500 feet above sea level; take precautions against altitude sickness.
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Midsummer’s Eve in Germany
By Linda Tancs
Located at the confluence of the Rhine and Main, the German city Mainz is the home of the movable type printing press, invented by native son Johannes Gutenberg. One of the city’s most defining features, it’s no surprise that the print tradition takes on a prominent role during the Midsummer’s Eve Fair. A major festival, the four-day event includes a traditional baptism ritual for apprentice printers and typesetters, along with the expected entertainment and fireworks above the Rhine. This year’s fair takes place from June 19 to June 22.
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A Farewell to Arms in Slovenia
By Linda Tancs
Kobarid is a town located in the Upper Soča Valley in western Slovenia along the border with Italy. Its pastoral character—punctuated with picturesque mountains and peaceful green valleys—belies a stark history as the site of a bloody campaign during World War I. This amiable little town is where the Italian offensive gave way to the Austro-Hungarian army after a series of battles along the Soča Front, a conflict that was documented by Ernest Hemingway in his novel A Farewell to Arms. The town’s monument and church up the hill, overlooking the valley and the Soča River, is where you’ll find the final resting place of over 7,000 Italian soldiers.
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The Birthplace of Modern Democracy
By Linda Tancs
At a riverside site near Windsor Castle, Britain’s King John signed the Magna Carta 800 years ago today. Lauded as one of the greatest constitutional documents of all time, it derived from a meeting between the King and a clutch of angry barons at Runnymede. It was a peace treaty of sorts, designed to quell the growing rebellion among barons against arbitrary and capricious policies of a tyrannical king seeking to line his own pockets. There are four remaining original copies of Magna Carta–two copies belong to the British Library, one copy is at Lincoln Cathedral and one is at Salisbury Cathedral. Today Queen Elizabeth II will attend commemoration events at Runnymede.
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The Paper Island
By Linda Tancs
Thailand’s southernmost island is Koh Lipe, a quiet paradise in the Andaman Sea near Malaysia. Its name has been roughly translated from the local language to mean “paper island.” From the looks of it, that’s an apt description. The island is flat, and its pure white beaches (three main ones) resemble a sheet of white paper. Now in low season, the good weather is coupled with low tourism (although the island in no way approaches the hustle and bustle of Phuket even in high season). Accessible only by boat, in low season the main transport hub is the pier at Pak Bara in Satun. Don’t go there via Phuket, though; the ride to Pak Bara is about seven hours’ long. From Hat Yai it’s only two hours by taxi to the pier.
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The Big Three
By Linda Tancs
In 1945, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet leader Joseph Stalin met at Livadia Palace near Yalta in Crimea to discuss Europe’s post-World War II reorganization. Known as the Yalta Conference, it was one of three meetings of the so-called Big Three. Seventy years later, Russia has unveiled a colossal monument to the Big Three in Yalta to commemorate the historic gathering. The 10-ton bronze sculpture features figures that are 10 feet high.
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World’s Oldest Amusement Park
By Linda Tancs
Amusement gardens are nothing new in Denmark, but if the prices at Tivoli in Copenhagen put too much of a dent in your wallet, then head for the forest. Just 10 minutes outside Copenhagen in the beautiful woods of Dyrehaven is Bakken, the world’s oldest operating amusement park. Founded in 1583, the locals’ best kept secret has plenty of rides, arcades, entertainment and dining to rival its beloved competitor. But one thing it doesn’t have is a price: admission is free! The park is open until August 30.
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Another World
By Linda Tancs
Another world–that’s the way tourism officials in Seychelles would like you to view their island nation in the Indian Ocean. That phrase aptly describes the otherworldly beauty of Vallée de Mai, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Boasting a pristine palm forest, this valley at the heart of Praslin National Park hosts the endemic species coco de mer, the bearer of the largest nut in the plant kingdom. Considered by some to be the original site of the Garden of Eden (and coco de mer the tree of knowledge), the endangered black parrot is dependent on this idyllic valley for its survival.
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A Meeting on the Mersey
By Linda Tancs
In 1840 Cunard established the first scheduled service across the Atlantic with a sailing from Liverpool to Halifax and Boston on the ship Britannia. In celebration of their 175th year of service, Cunard returns to its spiritual home at the Liverpool waterfront with a spectacular meeting of its three queens–Elizabeth, Mary and Victoria–today. The original transatlantic crossing will be replicated by Queen Mary 2 in July.
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