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
Here Comes the Sun
By Linda Tancs
Sandwiched between high mountains in Telemark, Norway, the town of Rjukan has been enveloped in darkness during the autumn and winter months. But thanks to the ingenuity of local industrialists, the town is now bathed in light from new mirrors set up on the hillside to direct the sun’s rays to worshippers below. Don’t worry, though, the newfound light won’t melt the area’s prized snow and ice. Rjukan is still one of Europe’s best destinations for ice climbing.
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The Castle and the Egg
By Linda Tancs
The oldest castle in Naples, Italy is Castel dell’Ovo (Egg Castle). This fortified site once housed the luxurious villa of a Roman knight before its transformation to a fort, then a prison, and later, a castle. So what’s an egg got to do with it? Well, legend has it that the poet Virgil placed a magic egg beneath the castle to protect it and the city from ruin.
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A Birthday Bash in Norway
By Linda Tancs
Norway’s most famous painter, Edvard Munch, was born on 12 December 1863– 150 years ago today. To celebrate this milestone, his homeland has been pulling out all the stops. In October, a viewing spot opened to mark the point on Ekeberg Hill where “The Scream” was painted. And the postal service is offering anniversary stamps of his artworks, including “The Scream,” “Self-Portrait,” and “The Sun and Madonna.” A member of the Munch family unveiled a new bronze and granite sculpture of his mother and his aunt, too. Although the artist’s vast collection of prints and paintings has long been stored at the Munch Museum, Norway’s cultural icon will be honored with a gleaming new glass museum on the waterfront next to the opera house.
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The Gem Capital of Brazil
By Linda Tancs
It’s easy to understand why tourism is becoming a major industry in Brazil. Consider the charm of Carnaval, the glam of Rio de Janeiro and the majesty of the Amazon. But gem hunters have a different reason to sing the country’s praises: Téofilo Otoni, a city in northeast Minas Gerais state where minerals reign (or, some might say, rain) supreme. Its trade in precious stones (particularly aquamarine) renders the city the gem capital of Brazil. In fact, an International Gemstones and Minerals Fair is held there every year.
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A Festival of Lights in Norway
By Linda Tancs
While the United States celebrates Thanksgiving today (and the start of the holiday season), Bergen, Norway, is gearing up for its own start to holiday cheer with the Festival of Lights. Taking place in the city center at Festplassen and Lille Lungegardsvann on 30 November, the event features fireworks and torchlight processions, one last chance to be bathed in light before the onset of December, the darkest month of the year. While you’re in town, don’t miss Gingerbread Town, the world’s biggest gingerbread city with miniature houses, trains, cars and ships made from real gingerbread.
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The Prize of Verona
By Linda Tancs
Verona, Italy is an ancient city, second only to Rome in the number of remains from the Roman Empire. During those times, Piazza Erbe would have been the town center, or forum, around which the looming towers of powerful nobles stood. One of those towers, Torre dei Lamberti, was built by the powerful Lamberti family in 1172. Today it offers a spectacular 360-degree view of the city and its gilded past.
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Fujisan’s Latest Milestone
By Linda Tancs
Mount Fuji, Japan’s highest mountain (at 12, 388 feet), has been mesmerizing locals and wanderers alike since ancient times. So it might be surprising that this iconic ambassador only recently became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Since June, Fujisan joins 16 other sites around Japan as a place of distinction. Other gems include Himeji-jō Castle, historic monuments of ancient Kyoto, Hiroshima Peace Memorial and the Ogasawara Islands.
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The Best Connections
By Linda Tancs
We’ve discussed airlines’ on-time performance records previously, a topic that’s even more critical when a multileg flight is involved. How much connection time should you allot to get off one plane and onto another? OAG has the answer. This trusted industry resource is perhaps best known for its airline schedules and flight status databases, with future and historical flight details for over 900 airlines and more than 4,000 airports. The information is available via subscription, but to busy travelers it may represent the best dollars they’ve ever spent.
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A Cruise Ship Fit for a Queen
By Linda Tancs
Undoubtedly it’s safe to say that Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II doesn’t charter cruise ships willy-nilly. So when the monarch did just that to celebrate her 80th birthday, you’ve got to think that the ship must be something special. That ship is the Hebridean Princess, a luxury ship hosting just 50 guests. Now in its 25th season, the former ferry boat has come a long way indeed. From March to November the ship sets sail from Oban for Scotland’s far flung isles, offering travelers the best way imaginable to discover the remoteness and beauty of the west coast.
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Matisse Returns to Stockholm
By Linda Tancs
Stockholm’s Moderna Museet (Museum of Modern Art) boasts one of the finest collections of contemporary and modern art in Europe. Its most famous work may be Robert Rauschenberg’s Monogram, but its most celebrated work is arguably Matisse’s Le Jardin following its triumphant return to the museum earlier this year after its notorious heist in 1987. Kudos for the homecoming go to the Art Loss Register, an unassuming London company with one of the most extensive databases of stolen art worldwide.
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