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 First Natural World Heritage Site
By Linda Tancs
England’s first natural World Heritage Site is known as the Jurassic Coast, covering 95 miles of unforgettable coastline stretching from East Devon to Dorset. Despite its name, the area actually covers three geological time periods: the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous. Each period is spectacularly covered. For starters, there’s the red rocks of the Triassic Period at Orcombe Point at Exmouth, site of the former supercontinent Pangaea. The famous Durdle Door limestone arch near Lulworth lures fans of the Jurassic Period. And the white chalk stack of Old Harry Rocks at Handfast Point near Studland highlights a time during the Cretaceous Period when the ever widening Atlantic Ocean breached the chalk ridge. Use the South West Coast Path to access the entire site.
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Australia’s Twelve Apostles
By Linda Tancs
It might seem like just a stack of large rocks to some, but the limestone monoliths jutting out from the Southern Ocean coastline near Melbourne, Australia known as the 12 Apostles have their followers. Although their naming has no biblical connection, it’s quite evocative and certainly an improvement over the original moniker–the Sow and Piglets. Part of Port Campbell National Park, the formations are located on the corner of Booringa Road and Great Ocean Road in Princetown 3269, just a four-hour drive or so from Melbourne via the Great Ocean Road. Sunrise and sunset are great viewing times to view the rocks’ dramatic color changes.
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The Candelabra of the Andes
By Linda Tancs
The Paracas Candelabra, also known as the Candelabra of the Andes, is a well-known prehistoric geoglyph nearly 600 feet long on the northern face of the Paracas Peninsula at Pisco Bay in Peru. That much is certain. Less certain is what it represents. Is it a candelabra design, the likes of which would have made Liberace swoon? Or is it a depiction of the trident of Viracocha, the South American god of Incan mythology responsible for creation? You decide.
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Penguins on Parade
By Linda Tancs
Australia’s Phillip Island boasts the world’s smallest penguin, but that’s not its only charm. At sunset the penguins march from the sea to their sandy burrows after a hard day’s fishing. Want the best view of the waddle? The sky box at Summerland Beach’s elevated viewing tower allows five people each evening to have an enviable pole position for the ultimate view.
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New Flower Show in Brussels
By Linda Tancs
Brussels believes in flower power. In addition to the Flower Carpet that graces the Grand Palace in even-numbered years, the city has plugged the odd-numbered years’ gap with a new show for those years. Today through 18 August, Floraliëntime debuts with a major international plant and flower arrangement event in Brussels City Hall and at the Grand Place. The inaugural theme is “Colors of Life.” With 100,000 flowers adorning City Hall, you can be assured of that.
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Dolphins 101
By Linda Tancs
Meet Chabelita, Kayena, Pasku, Nubia, Alita and Machu. Those are just some of the dolphins waiting to engage with you at Curaçao’s Dolphin Academy. Located at the Curaçao Sea Aquarium marine animal park, the facility offers dolphin interactive and educational programming covering topics like dolphin training, communication, cognition, senses and anatomy. Put your knowledge to the test while enjoying an open ocean dive, where the dolphins will meet you outside their lagoon in the open ocean and dive with you among some of the most beautiful coral reefs of Curaçao.
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Alpine River Rafting
By Linda Tancs
Water sports enthusiasts adore the Soča, an Alpine river that rumbles for eighty-six miles through western Slovenia and northeastern Italy. Its tropical hue of green/blue belies the exhilaration it offers adventure travelers like kayakers, who are greeted with signage at various entry points warning them not to underestimate the river’s wrath. Don’t overestimate your talents; take some lessons at one of the many kayak schools all along the river. Bovec is a popular point of entry where you can obtain a river permit. Enjoy the season through October.
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Madrid’s Hidden Beauty
By Linda Tancs
Prado is Spain’s national art museum, located in central Madrid and filled with masterpieces by Diego Velázquez, Francisco de Goya and El Greco, to name a few. The museum’s collection ranges from the late second century to the threshold of the 20th century. With that much ground to cover, you’ll be grateful that the museum is offering an exhibition through 10 November to showcase its vast inventory–at least from the 14th to 19th centuries. “Hidden Beauty: Fra Angelico to Fortuny” features artists like Murillo, Rubens, Watteau, Goya, and Fortuny.
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The Jungle’s Temple
By Linda Tancs
Ta Prohm is a temple at Angkor, Siem Reap Province, Cambodia. One of the most visited sites in the region, this former Buddhist monastery is probably best known for the massive tree trunks and roots that have consumed the structure in an eerie natural embrace. Not surprisingly, the site was used in the film Tomb Raider.
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Sculpted by Nature
By Linda Tancs
In northeast Vietnam lies Ha Long Bay, an expansive area of over 1600 largely uninhabited islands and islets. Thanks to its exceptional abundance of limestone cliffs, caves and arches sculpted by nature, this popular tourist destination is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Reachable from Hanoi (about a four-hour drive each way), consider a two-day excursion, complete with junk boat accommodations. You won’t want to miss the dark sands of Scorched Beach or the picturesque formations of Heavenly Palace Cave. Visit by month’s end while the weather is best.
