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
Durham’s Seat of Power
By Linda Tancs
Once upon a time, following the Norman Conquest, there were two kings in England. That unusual circumstance arose in England’s County Durham. During William the Conqueror’s time, the two most powerful men in that northeastern region were the earl and the Bishop of Durham. Recognizing the need for a local power to guard against Scottish marauders, the Bishop of Durham was granted unusual authority by the king, including the ability to raise taxes, mint coins and hold parliaments. As a result, the successive bishops came to be known as the Prince Bishops. They even had their own palace–Auckland Castle. High above the Wear Valley in Bishop Auckland, the castle is no longer the Bishop of Durham’s official residence although he works there. Now fully open to the public for the first time, the castle’s parkland extends almost 200 acres. A crowd favorite is Deer House, a folly built in Gothic Revival style. Other interesting features are the Throne Room and St. Peter’s Chapel, the largest private chapel in Europe.
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Born Free
By Linda Tancs
In Africa’s Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, the animals are born free. One of the largest conservation areas of its kind, the absence of man-made barriers allows game including lions, leopards, cheetahs, antelope, springbok and wildebeest to roam freely. Although wildlife can be spotted year-round, viewing is best before the end of the rainy season this month. The park is located between South Africa and Botswana in the southern Kalahari Desert.
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Take a Walk
By Linda Tancs
Writer Robert Louis Stevenson once remarked that the forest changes and renews a weary spirit. That’s good news for England’s Midlands: the centre of England, once a hub for the Industrial Revolution, is being renewed and recharged with the dedication of 200 square miles to conservation. Dubbed The National Forest, it embraces parts of Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Staffordshire. And what better way to explore a forest than on foot! This year marks the launch of the National Forest Way, a 75-mile waymarked path traversing the region. Coinciding with the launch of the trail is the National Forest Walking Festival. Taking place through 29 May, you’ll have over 70 walks to choose from as you ramble in the woodlands.
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Hanseatic Links are Celebrated
By Linda Tancs
Throughout the North Sea and Baltic Sea regions, seafaring merchants joined together centuries ago to form a social, cultural and economic alliance known as the Hanseatic League. During medieval times, League members met on a “Hanse day” to agree on commercial matters. Nowadays Hanseatic unity is celebrated each year on International Hanse Day. Celebrated on the third Saturday of May, the maritime communities commemorate their Hanseatic links, past and present. At England’s King’s Lynn, for instance, the medieval maritime town will feature guided walking tours along the waterfront, fire breathers and minstrels, archery, craft demonstrations and fireworks.
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The Spice Coast of India
By Linda Tancs
Located on the southwestern coast of India, Kerala is a bridge to many cultures thanks to its ancient standing as India’s Spice Coast. Trade brought gastronomic, literary and architectural influences from the Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch, French and the British. Nowadays, Kerala is equally celebrated for its unique geographical features and tourist appeal. Bounded by the Arabian Sea in the west, the Western Ghats in the east, and networked by 44 rivers, India’s most pristine state offers a pleasing, year-round climate to enjoy its beaches, backwaters, hill stations and exotic wildlife. Small wonder that it’s known as God’s Own Country.
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The Biblical Zoo
By Linda Tancs
There’s a veritable alphabet soup of animals mentioned in the Bible: from ants and bears to vultures and wolves. Those references come to life at the Biblical Zoo. Officially known as The Tisch Family Zoological Gardens in Jerusalem, the facility has amassed a vast collection of God’s creatures in every category: mammals, birds, fish, invertebrates, reptiles and amphibians. Noah would be proud; there’s even an ark-like visitors’ centre.
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City of the Thousand White Sails
By Linda Tancs
In the late Middle Ages Camogli, an Italian fishing village, was awash in tall ships, giving rise to its venerable moniker “city of the thousand white sails.” Lesser known than its nearby cousins Portofino and Cinque Terre, it’s nonetheless a go-to destination for those seeking the peace and tranquility of a sleepy seaside village. The locale’s name is said to derive from “case delle mogli” (house of wives), a nod to the life of a fisherman’s wife. Even today the tuna nets lowered since the 17th century (the last working fishing nets in the northern Mediterranean) are observable from April until October in the sea at Punta Chiappa. The annual Fish Festival of Saint Fortunato, patron saint of fishermen, is held on the second Sunday of May.
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Chocolate in Paradise
By Linda Tancs
There’s nothing like a little chocolate in the jungle. In Bali you can tour Pod Chocolate, a hillside cacao farm located amidst jungle, rice fields and an elephant camp near Ubud. One of the few places in the world where chocolate is made just minutes from where it’s grown, your tour there includes an educational foray into the cocoa pod and a chocolate-making exercise. Their equation is simple: chocolate + antioxidants = health. So is yours: you + Bali = paradise.
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Your Poseidon Adventure
By Linda Tancs
Imagine a bit of five-star luxury on the sea floor rather than the seashore. That’s what you’ll get someday at Fiji’s Poseidon Undersea Resorts, the world’s first true undersea resort. Touted as a “once in a lifetime” experience, this undersea hotel is a one-atmosphere habitat, the pressure inside the structure never changing from surface pressure regardless of depth. As a result, diving credentials are not required. Guests will enter the air-conditioned and humidity controlled resort through an elevator at the end of a pier. The luxe facility will feature spa treatment rooms, an undersea wedding chapel, a five-star restaurant and both underwater and seashore excursions and activities. Ready to book your Poseidon adventure? Not so fast. The resort isn’t open yet, but you can register today for the chance to make history later.
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Lock to Lock in Burgundy
By Linda Tancs
Called Le Canal de Bourgogne by the French, the Burgundy Canal in central eastern France traverses the Yonne and the Cote d’Or for more 120 miles, winding from lock to lock through small towns, villages and valleys. The vineyards of Burgundy are an obvious attraction, as is the city of Dijon (of mustard fame). But don’t miss the beautiful, relaxing grounds of Fontenay Abbey, one of the oldest Cistercian monasteries in Europe. Founded in 1118 by Saint Bernard, the Romanesque-style complex boasts a remarkably preserved church, dormitory, cloister, council room, monks room, heating room, dovecote and chapel. The old abbey gate sports a hole for the dog of the monk-porter. Its fountains and gardens are world class, but the venue is perhaps best known as a locale in the 1990 movie, Cyrano de Bergerac.
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