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
Motorcycle Rentals Overseas
By Linda Tancs
Someone once said that two wheels move the soul. Easy riders know this. Now anyone with a heavyweight motorcycle operator’s license can experience moto mojo overseas through Harley Davidson’s international rentals program. Not a rider? Why not learn at the Academy of Motorcycling?
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Palming Off in Spain
By Linda Tancs
Palm trees are typically symbolic of tropical vacations but are also of historical significance, representating victory, peace or fertility in various cultures. What better place to contemplate the ancient origins of this popular plant than at Palmeral of Elche, Europe’s largest palm grove in the Spanish province of Alicante. Just 20 minutes from Alicante’s main rail station, the maze of old (200 to 300 years old) and young palms is easily navigable thanks to circles in the pavement telling visitors which way to walk. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, cultivation of palms in Elche can be traced back to the 5th century B.C.; the grove’s elaborate irrigation system dates back to the 10th century Moorish roots of its host locale.
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Vacation Rentals Just a Click Away
By Linda Tancs
Wyndham Rentals offers 90,000 vacation properties in 500 destinations through its extensive network of rental agencies. Looking for a detached bungalow in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Austria or the Czech Republic? How about a beachfront condo, ski-in/ski-out townhome or golf villa in North America? Is camping–or glamping–your passion? Chances are, they’ve got you covered.
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Viking Adds More Luxury for 2012
By Linda Tancs
Next year you can experience even more style on your European river cruise: Viking is adding two new Longships, Embla and Aegir, and with them comes a whole new world of luxury cruising. Like full-size staterooms combined with full-size verandas, large suites with a veranda outside the living room and French balcony in the bedroom, and two Explorer Suites with private wraparound verandas and 270° views. Aquavit, anyone? You can sample that on the terrace by the same name, an indoor/outdoor area at the bow of the ship for viewing, relaxing and casual dining.
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Perfection Evolves at Celebrity Cruises
By Linda Tancs
Celebrity Cruises made clear that it doesn’t want you thinking of its ships as a concrete and steel jungle when it inaugurated a real grass lawn aboard Solstice. With the recent unveiling of Silhouette, they’ve taken the concept of the great outdoors a step further. Like outdoor grilling in the new, interactive Lawn Club Grill. You can also rent a cabana on the lawn for a private retreat, or take art lessons from resident experts. Sailing to the Caribbean and Europe in modern luxury, the fourth ship in the Solstice class also offers sweeping veranda views in 85% of her staterooms, or take in the sights from the observation lounge. Now you’ll always have a room with a view.
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San Artists in South Africa
By Linda Tancs
Only two hours from Cape Town, the Cederberg mountains and wilderness area offers up telling rock art from the nomadic San. The 2500 or so ancient sites depict everyday hunting and gathering activities and some not-so-mundane mysteries for rock sleuths. After a day of rugged rock climbing, why not indulge in a cup of rooibos, a tea derived from the rooibos plant (Aspalathus Linearis) which is only found in the Cederberg region. Famed for its restorative properties, you just might find your fountain of youth.
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UK Dining Discounts
By Linda Tancs
There’s a dining revolution taking place in the UK. A Tastecard membership gives you 50% off the total food bill or 2 meals for the price of one at all 5,000+ participating restaurants. You can always order from the full a la carte menu, so your choice will not be restricted in any way. Buy the card online or at the Visitor Centre at Regent Street.
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London’s Sweetest Attraction
By Linda Tancs
Now the candy that “melts in your mouth and not in your hand” has its own showcase across the pond. Opening earlier this month, M&M’s World in London’s Leicester Square is the first overseas attraction for the brand’s candy maker. The 35,000-square feet behemoth features a Union Jack comprising M&M’s logos, a Wall of Chocolate and a range of merchandise from apparel to bedding.
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The Smallest Church in the World
By Linda Tancs
In the bay of St. Malo in the English Channel lie the Channel Islands, about 30 miles from the north coast of France and 70 miles from the south coast of England. A world apart from its more cosmopolitan neighbors, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that these ancient islands would yield up some signature sights. Take, for example, the so-called smallest church in the world on Guernsey. Aptly named The Little Chapel, the church is beautifully decorated with seashells, pebbles and colorful pieces of broken china. Begun by Brother Déodat in March 1914, the goal was to create a miniature version of the famous grotto and basilica at Lourdes in France. Admission is free, but do be sure to pick up a souvenir booklet of this amazing structure at the Tourist Office at St. Peter Port.
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Playing Solitaire in France
By Linda Tancs
Only single hands on deck for France’s La Solitaire du Figaro, a skipper-only race around seaside towns in France (and one in Ireland). Sailing only the Figaro Bénéteau 2, the 49 rivals comprising this year’s competition will sail a 1,695 nautical mile race in a traditional format with four legs set between the 46th and 53rd parallels, starting in Perros-Guirec on the North Brittany coast on 23 July and visiting Caen, Normandy, Dun Laoghaire, Ireland, Les Sables d’Olonne, Vendée, before finishing in Dieppe, Pas de Calais, on 28 August.
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