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
Hotspot for World’s Second Largest Fish
By Linda Tancs
Did you know that the basking shark is the second largest fish in the world? Second only to the whale shark, this fish grows up to 30 feet in length. Feeding largely on plankton, fish eggs and small fish, they’re generally harmless to humans. Snaking their way through coastal temperate waters, these surface-cruising giants are a tourist draw on the Isle of Man during the summer. Their numbers are particularly dense there, making the island one of the world’s hotspots for sightings. Head to Port Erin, Niarbyl or Peel for perfect views along the sheltered south coast.
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Sand and Shingles
By Linda Tancs
Heather and gorse, shingles and sand. That’s what you’ll find at Dunwich Heath, Britain’s gem on the Suffolk coast. The scenery is bursting with color this time of year, not to mention enviable bird watching for the likes of the Dartford warbler, nightjar, woodlark and others. During school holidays the ranger team provides child friendly activities such as pond dipping and bug hunting. Geocaching is one of many new activities; you can borrow a free tracker pack at the information hut.
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On the Ropes
By Linda Tancs
How far will you go for a fantastic cliffside view? Across a wobbly rope bridge closing a 98-foot deep and 65-foot wide chasm? If your answer is yes, then Carrick-a-Rede island in Northern Ireland is for you. The rope bridge to the island was erected by salmon fisherman to check their salmon nets during the industry’s heyday in the area. Along with uninterrupted views of Rathlin Island and Scotland, you’ll no doubt encounter fulmars, kittywakes, guillemots and razorbills that breed on the islands close to the bridge. The area is rife with geological formations, flora and fauna, earning it a citation as an “Area of Special Scientific Interest.”
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The Care and Feeding of Pandas
By Linda Tancs
Less than 2000 in number, the giant panda (native only to the six major mountain ranges in Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces of China) is a national and international treasure subject to intense conservation efforts. That’s why the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding was established in March 1987. The 92-acre verdant parkland is dotted with ornamental green lawns and greens, wild bamboo forests, woods, man-made dens, rocks, caves and plant pits along rivers, lakes, and brooks, all intended to mimic the gentle creatures’ natural environment. Visitors get a close look at their movements through winding paths flanked with bamboo and ornamental plants. Red pandas (called “lesser pandas”), a much smaller cousin, live at the base as well, as do other endangered wildlife, including swans, peacocks, birds, butterflies and hundreds of insects.
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Oxford’s Cathedral to Science
By Linda Tancs
Founded in 1860, Oxford University’s Museum of Natural History was created in the neo-Gothic style to evoke a cathedral–in this case, a cathedral to science. Its insect collection, five million specimens strong, rivals that of the Natural History Museum in London. It’s probably better known, though, for the dinosaurs, the dodo, and the swifts in the tower. Visitors are greeted by “Stan,” a complete replica of a T-rex skeleton found in South Dakota. Even more fascinating are the most complete remains of a dodo anywhere in the world, one of the museum’s greatest treasures. The museum recently reopened after a 14-month restoration of its glass roof.
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Queen of the Yorkshire Coast
By Linda Tancs
Scarborough, dubbed Queen of the Yorkshire Coast, was immortalized in the Simon and Garfunkel song, Scarborough Fair. Indeed, a fair did take place there for 500 years between the 13th and 18th centuries. It may be better known for the fair than for the fact that it’s Britain’s first seaside resort. Its beaches, like North Bay and South Bay, overlook the ruins of Scarborough Castle and are some of the cleanest and most beautiful in the country. Many of the hotels offer unrivaled sea views, like Red Lea, Weston, Clifton and Villa Esplanade. For a Caribbean feel, consider a daily or weekly hire of one of those explosively colorful pastel beach huts.
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The Holy Grail of Rail
By Linda Tancs
From Siberia’s wooden cottages to Moscow’s onion domes, the Trans-Siberian Railway journey is arguably the rail industry’s holy grail. A popular route via the Trans-Siberian Express takes travelers across one-third of the world, beginning in Moscow and ending in Vladivostok, a trading port founded as a military outpost in 1860. Along the way are history-laden stops like Ekaterinburg, founded by Catherine the Great, where Tsar Nicholas II and his family where executed in 1918. And Ulan Ude, a Siberian city that is the center of the Buddhist Buryat culture. Did you know that Lake Baikal, another stop, holds 20 percent of the world’s unfrozen fresh water? On an epic ride like this, the journey is just as important as the destination.
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England Observes WWI Centenary
By Linda Tancs
One hundred years ago today, Great Britain gave Austria-Hungary an ultimatum to stand down from hostilities. When Austria-Hungary didn’t comply, Great Britain entered World War I. To mark the event, a candlelight vigil will take place today from sundown until 11:00 p.m. at Westminster Abbey. That’s just one of several events taking place nationally as part of a global commemoration of the centenary of World War I. Together with the Imperial War Museums, a months-long cultural and events program (including a nationwide tour by the BBC) will connect contemporary generations with the pivotal battles, milestones and personal histories surrounding the Great War.
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Woodstock Lives on in Poland
By Linda Tancs
The Woodstock Music Festival of 1969 at Max Yasgur’s dairy farm in Bethel, New York is one of the most popular music events in history. It’s been faithfully re-created in Kostrzyn, Poland (50 miles from Berlin) since 1995. This year’s festivities begin today and end on 2 August. Over 500,000 attendees are expected. Be there or be square.
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The Battle Cry in Catoira
By Linda Tancs
Over a thousand years ago the Vikings invaded the town of Catoira in Galicia, Spain. The Galicians have not forgotten. In fact, since 1960 on the first Sunday of August they celebrate a re-enactment of the event at a Viking Festival. Locals dress as Viking warriors aboard a replica 11th century ship headed for Torres del Oeste Castle. A battle ensues between the defenders and invaders where everyone eventually ends up soaked in wine. Well, that’s better than blood.
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