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
One Big Fish
By Linda Tancs
Imagine a freshwater fish that’s bigger than a school bus. That’s the beluga sturgeon, the largest freshwater fish in the world. Prized for caviar, it’s a critically endangered species that breeds in Russia’s Volga River (the so-called national river). In fact, the largest accepted record is of a female taken in 1827 in the Volga estuary, measuring a whopping 3,463 pounds and 24 feet in length. Now that was something to write home about.
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Macedonia From the Top
By Linda Tancs
Over 50 percent of the Republic of Macedonia is mountainous. Among the highlights are the majestic peaks of Mount Korab, the forestal landscape of Jakupica, the glacier lake on Pelister and the constantly rising peak Dobra Voda on Celoica. Imagine viewing the mountain dynasty from the top. Paragliding, that is. Clubs abound in this Balkan nation, particularly in Skopje (the capital), Prilep, Mavrovo and Krusevo. Professional guides and tandem flights are available.
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Herrings and Scallops
By Linda Tancs
Something fishy is going on this weekend in Dieppe, the French seaside resort: the locals are celebrating the fishing trade that defines this northern town. Held annually every November, Foire aux Harengs promises a vast array of streetside barbecues celebrating herring. Scallops figure prominently, too, considering that this French port was the first to introduce them. Now in its 45th year, the event takes place at Quai Henri IV.
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Indigenous Art in Paraguay
By Linda Tancs
Seventeen indigenous ethnic groups call Paraguay home, resulting in an array of indigenous art. Basketwork and feathered ornaments predominate, hallmarks of the Guaraní peoples. Feathered cloaks are particularly striking, once reserved exclusively for shamans. Other handiworks find expression in ceramics and wood carvings. Three museums proudly showcase the indigenous art form: Andrés Barbero Ethnographic Museum, the Guido Boggiani Museum, and the Museum of Indigenous Art.
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The Heart-Shaped Land
By Linda Tancs
In Bosnia & Herzegovina, tradition and culture remain close at heart, appropriate enough for a heart-shaped country in southeastern Europe. This tiny Balkan nation celebrates the junction of eastern and western civilizations, part of its rich heritage. Sarajevo’s Old Town, for instance, still conjures the market center of the 15th century, when traders from Asia Minor and western nations gathered. Other towns throughout the country form the crux of the Kingdom Trail, where medieval fortresses bear silent testimony to the power and privilege of the ruling classes dominating the country’s history, such as the Turkish and Austro-Hungarian empires. Priding themselves on hospitality, you’ll come as a stranger but leave as a friend.
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The World’s Earliest Known Winery
By Linda Tancs
For those feeling nostalgic over barefoot wine stomping, the latest discovery in Armenia is sure to thrill you: in recent years archaeologists unearthed a wine press for stomping grapes near the village of Areni that dates back over 6,000 years. The world’s earliest known winery, the discovery brings to two the number of prehistoric finds originating from the same Armenian cave; the locale is also the site where a 5,000-year-old leather shoe was found.
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The History of Skiing
By Linda Tancs
Did you know that skiing boasts a history over 4,000 years? Or that the world’s oldest ski found in Russia is around 8,000 years old? These and other facts about the sport are on display at Oslo’s Ski Museum. Located at the base of Holmenkollen ski resort’s international ski jump, the museum houses artifacts, ski collections, an action film showcasing Norwegian skiing and an array of information on polar skiing, ski production, disciplines, and ancient history.
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The Height of Luxury in London
By Linda Tancs
You could say that guests of the Shangri-La Hotel at the Shard in London enjoy a heady experience. It is, after all, the tallest hotel in Western Europe–the first of its kind in a London skyscraper, occupying floors 34 to 52 of the glamorous Shard. The first luxury hotel south of the Thames, the GŎNG bar at its apex will no doubt leave you agog over cityscape views for up to 40 miles. Add to that a spacious room with floor to ceiling windows and a marble bath for a welcome respite. Does it live up to its name? Hardly remote, but idyllic nonetheless.
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Most Haunted in Wales
By Linda Tancs
A mysterious lady floating in the gallery. Shadowy figures drifting down corridors. Spooky sounds. These are just a few of the unexplained phenomena at Bodelwyddan Castle, one of the most haunted buildings in Wales. Are you ready to explore what goes bump in the night? Just in time for Halloween, tomorrow’s events include a public ghost walk ending in an eerie visit to the cellars and an overnight ghost hunt around the halls, rooms and bedrooms where you can try your hand at operating paranormal equipment like dowsing rods, crystal pendulums, and motion sensors. Happy hunting!
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The House on the Rock
By Linda Tancs
Western Serbia enchants travelers with unforgettable experiences. There’s medieval Mileševa monastery, known for its fresco of the White Angel. And the stunning vistas from the Šargan Eight, a narrow gauge railway in Mokra Gora. The horseshoe-shaped entrance to Potpećka Pećina cave is another favorite. But it’s the little house balanced precariously on a rock in the middle of the Drina River that really has hearts aflutter. Known as the House on the Rock, the tiny dwelling built by a group of young lads in 1968 near the town of Bajina Basta has withstood decades of floods and bad weather. It might not be an architectural gem, but it sure is a wonder.
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