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
Romans in Algeria
By Linda Tancs
Algeria’s numerous invaders contributed to its vast, fascinating culture, providing us with World Heritage sites rife with archeological treasures. For instance, there’s significant evidence of the country’s Roman past in a triumvirate of locales, like the city grid plan evident at Timgad, some of the best preserved Roman ruins in the world. And overlooking the Mediterranean and within easy reach of Algiers, the ruins at Tipaza (known in Roman times as Tipasa) are an extraordinary complex featuring private houses, baths and religious buildings. Completing the trio is Djemila and its stunning mosaics.
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A Tour de Suisse
By Linda Tancs
The scenery from Lucerne to Locarno is just as dramatic as the telling of the legend of Switzerland’s William Tell. No wonder, then, that a rail journey between these two destinations is named the William Tell Express. Beginning with a three-hour boat cruise on Lake Lucerne (host to the storybook Chapel Bridge), the panoramic train trip begins at Flüelen, winds its way through the Reuss Valley, traces the Gotthard line and meanders through picturesque villages en route to Locarno. Forget about the apple shot. On this journey you’ll find the money shot for sure.
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A Capital Experience in Iceland
By Linda Tancs
Iceland is a little island jewel in the North Atlantic, a geological nexus between America and Europe featuring natural wonders like the midnight sun, aurora borealis, thermal baths, glaciers and endless lava fields. Hear all about it on Travelrific® Radio.
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The World’s Largest Cave
By Linda Tancs
Spelunkers, take note. Beginning this year, there’s a new cave to explore in Vietnam’s Quang Binh province. Known as the Son Doong, it was fully explored for the first time in 2009 despite being discovered in 1991. Over five miles long and nearly 500 feet high at its peak, the passage is the world’s largest known cavern, a title previously held by Deer Cave in the Malaysian section of the island of Borneo.
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Royal Hospital Welcomes Visitors
By Linda Tancs
Today marks the birthday of Britain’s King Charles II. It’s a day fondly regarded at London’s Royal Hospital Chelsea; King Charles founded the hospital in 1681 as a retirement home for war veterans (pensioners). Nearest the day is the hospital’s seminal annual event–a parade presided over by a member of the Royal Family. This year’s festivities will take place on 5 June. You can always visit the hospital, led by a Chelsea Pensioner, for a small fee featuring a 90-minute daily walking tour. Otherwise, you can visit the grounds, chapel and Great Hall on your own for free.
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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.
