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
Holland in a Day
By Linda Tancs
You can experience over 200 years of Dutch culture at the Netherlands’ Open Air Museum, the biggest folk museum in the Netherlands. Located in a beautiful park on the outskirts of Arnhem, the property brings the past to life. Exhibits include old farmhouses, windmills, Dutch houses and plenty of craft demonstrations. Better hurry, the season ends on 28 October—unless, of course, you’d prefer to experience a winter celebration from days gone by. From 1 December 2012 to 13 January 2013 you can experience stew and green beans amidst an atmosphere of music and song. Try skating on the festively lit skating rink or whiz down the toboggan run at the Delft windmill.
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Hemingway Lives On in Hotel Chain
By Linda Tancs
Writer Ernest Hemingway made his mark around the world–and not just for his writing. He wintered in Key West, safaried in Africa and yachted in Cuba, to name just a few places. No wonder the much-anticipated Hemingway Hotels and Resorts is looking at these and other destinations where the great raconteur left an indelible imprint for luxurious getaways. You might not write like Hemingway, but you’ll be able to live like you do–at least on holiday.
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On the Case in London
By Linda Tancs
It’s elementary, you see. Combine a whodunit atmosphere with the swanky feel of a trendy watering hole and you get a bar/restaurant posing as a detective agency in London’s Earls Court. Located on Earls Court Road, Evans & Peel Detective Agency has that speakeasy flair, encouraging you to “make an appointment” with Detective Peel. Upon your visit, you’ll be discreetly guided beyond a bookshelf to a cavernous tavern where innocent-enough concoctions like Auntie May’s Marmalade Bronx will be tugging at your bootlegging soul. Better hurry; the appointment book is filling up.
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Tick Tock in Wycombe
By Linda Tancs
Church Loft is the oldest building in the high street of West Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, reputedly the sunniest county in England. Dating from the 15th century, the timber-framed building sports a turret clock of its own renown. Over 300 years old, the side-by-side birdcage mechanism resides inside the building’s tower; the clock faces and dial drum were placed to overhang the street during the reign of Queen Victoria. For over 300 years the clock was wound daily until the recent installation of two electric motors above the birdcage rendered the task unnecessary. You can view the clock movements by appointment only.
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Liquid History
By Linda Tancs
At the Lanesborough, a five-star luxury hotel in London’s Knightsbridge district overlooking Hyde Park Corner, a little libation awaits in the Library Bar. Well, maybe not so little. The Dom Pérignon Vintage 2003 (a trifling £240 per bottle) is served with a complimentary 10g blinis canapés of Baerii caviar from Aquitaine, France. Maybe you’d like their signature Bloody Mary instead. In any event, you’ll want to sink into one of those deep leather wing chairs and take in the Regency era ambience of this room, bedecked with leather bound books, vintage cognacs (their “liquid history”), display cabinets and subdued lighting to complement a roaring fireplace. Withdraw in style.
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Thoroughly Bred in England
By Linda Tancs
The October Yearling Sale takes place today through 12 October at Tattersalls, the oldest bloodstock auctioneer in the world and the largest in Europe. Offering the best thoroughbreds to be found anywhere, the Newmarket firm’s annual Yearling Sale is Europe’s premier yearling sale, producing four Derby winners in the past decade alone. Only 60 miles from London, Newmarket (England’s home of racing) is just a short rail or bus ride away. Enter the Tattersalls premises via The Avenue.
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Natty Napier
By Linda Tancs
Napier, New Zealand is feted as the Art Deco capital of the world, a term derived from Exposition des Arts Modernes Decoratifs et Industriels, held in Paris in 1925. The east coast city, dubbed the Nice of the Pacific, has the highest concentration of Art Deco buildings in a single area. The best way to see it all is by a guided tour plus bus or vintage car excursion. High season is the GEON Art Deco Weekend in February, including over 200 events, but this sun-kissed city welcomes you anytime.
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A Gothic Revival in London
By Linda Tancs
Strawberry Hill is an 18th century masterpiece in southwest London, one of England’s finest examples of Georgian Gothic revival architecture. Created by Horace Walpole, an English writer and politician, the mansion is particularly striking for its collection of renaissance glass and a state apartment bursting with crimson and gold. The setting at twilight is especially dramatic. You can book a twilight tour during the public opening hours between 31 March and 31 October. Better hurry! You can take the train to Strawberry Hill station from Waterloo, walk there via the Thames Path or take the tube to Richmond and then the R68 bus towards Hampton Court to Michelham Gardens. It’s just a short walk from there.
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Tallinn’s Concert of Light
By Linda Tancs
As summer draws to a close and Estonia’s days wind into longer nights, now is the time to celebrate the light. Today’s “Light is Walking in Kadriorg” (7pm until 11pm) closes out Tallinn’s summer concert series with thousands of candles and torches around Kadriorg Park. Within walking distance from the Old Town, the park is adorned with a grand Baroque palace befitting one of northern Europe’s oldest capital cities.
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The Sound of Silence
By Linda Tancs
Silence is powerful, even spiritual. That may be one reason why New Zealand’s Doubtful Sound is such a popular attraction. Part of Fiordland National Park, it is the deepest of the fiords and blissfully serene, featuring a range of flora and fauna along its many islets. Experience its serenity for yourself via kayak, cruise, day trip or overnighter.
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