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
A Scottish Neuk
By Linda Tancs
Famous for its idyllic fishing villages, Scotland’s East Neuk (nook) is generally accepted to comprise the most northerly part of the Firth of Forth and the land and villages slightly inland. St. Monans is the smallest of the East Neuk fishing ports, and that’s where you’ll find a picturesque windmill that was used in salt production to provide the power to pump sea water from tidally-fed reservoirs cut into the rocks offshore into salt pans. The industry is credited to Sir John Anstruther, who became the local laird in 1753. A village was named for him, which happens to be the largest of the Neuk and features a fisheries museum that tells the history of the fishing industry in the region. The festive spirit is in full swing this time of year, complete with loads of lights and Christmas markets.
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The History of Basildon Park
By Linda Tancs
Basildon Park is a country estate in Berkshire, England, with an interesting history. The 18th-century Palladian-style mansion was owned by Francis Sykes, who made his fortune in the East India Company. In modern times, the house was used as a 50-bed convalescent home for officers and soldiers of the Berkshire regiments during World War I and was used during World War II for D-Day training as well as a prisoner-of-war camp for German and Italian soldiers. Suffering damage as well as disuse, the house and estate were later restored by Lord and Lady Iliffe, who gifted the house and 400-acre parkland to the National Trust in 1978. Today Basildon Park is perhaps better known as a popular filming location for shows like Bridgerton.
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The Island of Dreams
By Linda Tancs
Home to the second largest lagoon in the Tuamotu atolls, Fakarava is affectionately known as French Polynesia’s Island of Dreams. A UNESCO Marine Biosphere Reserve, it’s prized for its multicolored coral as well as for its school of sharks in the Tumakohua Pass. Not surprisingly, these assets present irresistible diving opportunities, the most popular activity on the island. Rotoava is the main village, and there are regular flights there from Tahiti.
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Monkey Island
By Linda Tancs
Monkey Island Estate is a luxury hotel on a private island in the River Thames in Bray, England. Once the haunt of monarchs, aristocrats and artists, the estate may have taken its name from the 17th-century fresco that adorns the ceiling of the ground-floor Monkey Room. Another theory is that the name evolved from Monks Eyot (eyot being Old English for island) after the Augustinian monks who settled there in the 12th century. Among its 40 exquisite guest rooms is the Wedgwood Suite (so named and designed after the most recognizable name in British ceramics), which is Grade-1 listed.
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Stones and Water
By Linda Tancs
Guatapé is an Andean resort town in northwest Colombia. Its name means “stones and water” in Quechua. The water includes a lake and nearby waterfalls. The most famous stone is La Piedra del Peñón (or El Peñon de Guatapé), a giant granite monolith that defines the skyline. You can climb the 740 steps to the top for enviable views of the lake, islets and mountains. Medellín–Guatapé buses can drop you off at ‘La Piedra.’
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An Italian Village in South Tyrol
By Linda Tancs
Bruneck (Brunico) is the largest town in the Puster Valley in the Italian province of South Tyrol. It boasts a hilltop castle dating to the 13th century with restored rooms and a museum exploring mountain culture in Asia, Africa, South America and Europe. The museum, MMM Ripa, is one of six mountain museums set up by mountaineer Reinhold Messner and is a permanent exhibition at the castle. The castle is a short walk from the Brunico train station; a museum ticket will grant you access to all six mountain museums within a one-year period from date of issue.
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Peru’s Sacred Valley
By Linda Tancs
Ollantaytambo is a village in the Sacred Valley of south Peru that’s known for an Inca archaeological site. Lauded as an architectural jewel on the way to Machu Picchu, a big draw is the Temple of the Sun. The locale served as a city, a fortress and a site for nobility and is one of the very few places where the Incas held back the invading Spanish. An easy commute from Cusco, be sure to hire a local guide to understand the history there. A tour lasts about two hours.
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Capital of the Azores
By Linda Tancs
Ponta Delgada, on São Miguel Island, is the capital of the Azores archipelago of Portugal. Its status as a gateway to the Azores is represented by the City Gates, a set of three arches constructed in the 18th century. Nearby is a bell tower adjacent to City Hall that provides extraordinary views. The local museum also provides a good orientation regarding the history and geography of the archipelago. While you’re there, don’t miss out on dolphin and whale watching tours departing from the harbor.
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Turtle Watching in Costa Rica
By Linda Tancs
Located on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica, Tortuguero (meaning “turtle catcher”) National Park is a must-see destination for turtle watching. It provides nesting beaches for four species of turtles: leatherback, loggerhead, green sea and hawksbill. You may see individual turtles at any time of the year, but the prime nesting season for green sea, loggerhead and endangered hawksbill turtles is July through October. Leatherbacks, the world’s largest turtle, nest from March to May. The park is also a prime nesting site for the endangered and elusive green macaw.
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Cave Churches in Türkiye
By Linda Tancs
A highlight of any Cappadocian itinerary in Türkiye is Göreme Open Air Museum, a treasure trove of ancient cave churches. A brief walk from Göreme’s village center, the UNESCO World Heritage Site boasts a cluster of rock-cut churches with stunning frescoes. The most famous of them (commanding a separate entrance fee) is Dark Church, so named because it received little light through a small window in the narthex. As a result, its frescoes are vibrant and well preserved and include scenes such as the Annunciation, Journey to Bethlehem, Nativity, Baptism, Raising of Lazarus, Transfiguration, Entry into Jerusalem, Last Supper, Betrayal of Judas and the Crucifixion. Buckle Church, the oldest of the cave churches, is located outside of the open-air museum complex but does not require a fee.
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