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
England’s Oldest Hotel
By Linda Tancs
Reputedly England’s oldest hotel, The Old Bell in Malmesbury is a luxurious oasis in the Cotswolds that opened in 1220. Recently refurbished, the property boasts 33 individually decorated bedrooms as well as locally sourced fare for hardened foodies. Until the end of October you can enjoy a special two-night Garden Lover’s Break, including a visit to nearby Abbey House Gardens and Westonbirt Arboretum.
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Mountain Biking in the Caucasus
By Linda Tancs
Marking the border between Georgia and Russia, the Caucasus Mountains (the highest mountain range in Europe–sorry, Alps) offer bikers a spellbinding tour among the high and low Caucasus. The lower Caucasus tower over the capital city Tbilisi, where forest paths meander through quaint villages and greenways. From the village of Khazbegi in the Greater (high) Caucasus at the foot of Mount Kazbek (one of the highest mountains in Georgia), riders can descend the Dariali Gorge, punctuated by vertical walls of rock marking the border with Russia. From there a journey through the Sno Valley to the granite cliffs of Mount Chauchebi offers more dramatic scenery, churches and historical sites. When your legs get weary, take advantage of Georgian hospitality. Guests are, after all, a gift from God according to the locals.
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A Wash in Norfolk
By Linda Tancs
In Snettisham, England, a nature reserve is bordered by The Wash, one of the most important bird estuaries in the United Kingdom. Two of the most spectacular wildlife spectacles in the nation occur here. One is a winter event when thousands of pinkfooted geese fly from their overnight roosts inland to feed. The other event can occur anytime upon a particularly high tide, forcing tens of thousands of knot, oystercatchers, sanderlings, godwit and plover to flee their feeding grounds. The reserve is clearly signposted; just twelve miles from Kings Lynn, you can pick up regular bus service from there.
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Valley of the Sugar Mills
By Linda Tancs
Eight miles northeast of Trinidad, Cuba, a trio of rural valleys–San Luis, Santa Rosa and Meyer–comprise the Valley of the Sugar Mills. The industry peaked there in the 19th century, when more than 30,000 slaves worked in more than 50 sugar mills. A monument to that powerful industry is Manaca-Iznaga Tower, a 147-foot-tall mud brick structure built in 1816 by Alejo Maria Iznaga y Borrell, a successful plantation owner. Its value as a lookout over this region dubbed an area of Outstanding Universal Value by UNESCO belies its harsh history; a bell in the tower once signaled the start and end of the slaves’ workday in the mills and on the plantations and sounded an alarm should any of them try to escape.
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Rocky Mountaineer
By Linda Tancs
It’s a three-hour drive between Seattle, Washington and Vancouver, B.C., but why deal with the traffic? If you believe that life is about the journey rather than the destination, then take the meandering route via rail on the Rocky Mountaineer’s Coastal Passage itinerary. The tour begins at Seattle’s King Street station and features over two days of daytime train travel, taking in a hotel night in Seattle, two nights in Vancouver and a night in Alberta. While munching on delectable entrees and complimentary drinks, you’ll take in amazing vistas (through oversized windows or glass-domed cars, depending on the class of service) of the Canadian Rockies. Keep an eye out for sightings of its wildlife inhabitants like sheep, elk, goats, bears and moose. They’re in no hurry–are you?
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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.
