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
Brazil’s Polynesia
By Linda Tancs
Ilhabela means “beautiful island” in Portuguese. Discovered in 1502 by Américo Vespucio, this archipelago and city situated four miles off the coast of São Paulo state in Brazil is unique for its pristine beaches and untouched rainforest. It also reputedly has the best shrimp in the country. Best of all, with an average annual temperature in the 70s (fahrenheit), it’s the perfect vacation destination year-round. To get there from São Paulo, it’s approximately three hours by car to São Sebastião and then a 15-20 minute ferry ride to Barra Velha on the island.
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Nordic World Cup
By Linda Tancs
Holmenkollen FIS World Cup Nordic is an annual ski event since 1892 in Norway. Taking place in beautiful Holmenkollen, the event attracts tens of thousands of ski enthusiasts eager to cheer on their favorites in ski jumping and cross-country. The event takes place between 9 and 11 March this year, culminating on “Holmenkollen Sunday” with the men’s competitions. The Holmenkollen ski jump is a landmark in the Western Aker borough of Oslo.
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More Brightness in the City of Light
By Linda Tancs
The Luxor Obelisk in Paris would be hard to miss at 230 tons and 75 feet in height at the center of the Place de la Concorde. With new lighting, though, it’s even more visible at night. The pink granite monolith was given to the French in 1829 by the viceroy of Egypt, Mehemet Ali and is decorated with hieroglyphics portraying the reigns of the pharaohs Ramses II and Ramses III. What’s your favorite landmark in Paris?
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Cornwall Marks Annual Holiday
By Linda Tancs
March 5 of every year is St. Piran’s Day, the patron saint of tin miners. Piran is also the patron saint of Cornwall in southwest England. So what does a typical Cornish celebration look like? That would be an annual processional play acting out Piran’s life from his birth in Ireland to his arrival in Cornwall and discovery of tin. Hundreds of flag-carrying people gather, generally dressed in black, white and gold (the colors of the Cornish flag). The action begins at 2 p.m. at Perran Sands Holiday Park. Don’t be late; have a pasty while you wait.
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A Medieval Wonder in Bavaria
By Linda Tancs
Located at the northernmost bend in the Danube, Regensburg, Germany is a Bavarian city with a distinctive history as a center of the Holy Roman Empire that turned to Protestantism. Its Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage City, the only historic city in Germany to remain intact during the bombings of WWII. Since its beginnings as a military base and trading post in the 9th century, the cityscape now attests to a stunning array of ancient Roman, Romanesque and Gothic structures built over two millenia. It’s one of many sights that river cruisers enjoy along the Danube.
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Ski Flying Championship in Norway
By Linda Tancs
The Ski Flying World Championship takes place now through Sunday in Vikersund, Norway. Qualifying rounds begin today; the event ends with team competition and the prize ceremony on Sunday. Getting there is easy. Both Oslo Airport Gardermoen and Sandefjor Airport Torp are located approximately 90 minutes from Vikersund.
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Racing Around the Caribbean
By Linda Tancs
Nelson’s Dockyard is the only Georgian dockyard in the world and is the largest tourist attraction on Antigua. In its midst is The Inn at English Harbour, a relaxing location from which competitors in today’s Royal Ocean Racing Club’s Caribbean 600 have been gearing up for the fourth annual yacht race around 11 Caribbean islands. The RORC Caribbean 600 features over 500 hundred competitors from at least 24 different nations taking part in this high-speed yacht race. The list of nations represented includes Australia, Austria, Canada, Cayman Islands, Croatia, France, Germany, Great Britain, Holland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malta, New Zealand, Norway, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden and the United States. The largest yacht competing this year is Hetairos, the world’s largest carbon composite sailing yacht and the favorite to win.
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Skating Race in Norway
By Linda Tancs
The Norwegian Skating Festival is a long distance skating race on Lake Mjøsa in Moelv, between Lillehammer and Hamar. Taking place on 18 February this year, the competition is open in all classes from 8-80 years over distances of 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 km. For those prefering a more leisurely pace, the festival also offers a celebration of all things ice, including figure skating, curling and ice fishing. Moelv is reachable in approximately 25 minutes by train; the closest airport is Oslo.
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Monaco Ballet Comes to New York
By Linda Tancs
Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo, the official company of the Principality of Monaco, features 50 dancers and has performed in more than 25 countries around the world. Debuting today at New York City’s Joyce Theatre is the company’s production Altro Canto I, followed by Opus 40. Altro Canto I is an energetic piece that premiered at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco as part of the 2006 Spring Arts Festival; Opus 40 is an ode to youth with beautiful sets and costumes. See it now through 19 February.
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Phoenix Rising in London
By Linda Tancs
The Phoenix Artist Club is a members’ club located in the heart of London’s Theatreland at 1 Phoenix Street, a haven for professionals from the performing arts and media industries. Transformed into a theatre bar in the 70s, the site is located in the original dressing and rehearsal rooms of the Phoenix Theatre where Laurence Olivier made his debut on stage in the 30s in “Private Lives” with Noel Coward and Gertrude Lawrence. Although a private club, visitors who retain any theatre stub or museum ticket can obtain a day pass to take in the nostalgia. Membership is required after 8 p.m.
