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
Morne Brabant
By Linda Tancs
Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean. At the extreme southwestern tip is a peninsula, Le Morne Brabant. Its cultural landscape, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, includes a basaltic rock with a summit of 556 metres above sea level. At this most scenic site is the Dinarobin Hotel Golf & Spa offering, among other things, a private club reserved to guests of Club Suites. The atmosphere is typically British colonial, bearing testimony to Mauritius’ rich colonial past. The circular shape of the tower and thick walls in stone replicate the structures which hark back to the days of the British Empire when several were built as protection against enemies during Napoleonic wars.
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Power in the Pyrenees
By Linda Tancs
The Song of Roland is a historic saga set in the Pyrenees, recounting the epic tale of a heroic knight who died saving Charlemagne (Charles the Great) from an ambush. That’s not the only legendary aspect of this area. Consider Andorra, a country between France and Spain in the Pyrenees Mountains. The sixth smallest nation in Europe with an estimated population of 83,888 in 2009, it tourism industry is estimated at over 10 million visitors annually. Some of them undoubtedly go to El Castell de Ciutat (Castle of the City), a hotel located on a small hill overlooking La Seu d’Urgell, the town of the Prince-Bishops. With the Pyrenees as the backdrop, this hotel is surrounded by Catalonia’s biggest nature reserve. Retreat into luxury.
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A Day Fit for a Queen
By Linda Tancs
The House of Orange (the Dutch royal family) takes center stage on 30 April with the celebration of Queen’s Day, a national holiday celebrating the birthday of the Queen of the Netherlands. Beatrix, the current queen, was actually born in January but celebrates her birthday on this day in April, her mother’s birthdate. Orange banners, orange-colored foods and drinks, and copious amounts of people in orange clothing dancing in the streets and in boats along the canals rule the day.
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The Castled Crag of Drachenfels
By Linda Tancs
“The castled crag of Drachenfels/Frowns o’er the wide and winding Rhine” wrote English Romantic poet Lord Byron. That’s a reference to Drachenfels, a 1,053 foot mountain range near Bonn, Germany. The ruined castle atop the mountain bears the same name. A newer castle, down the Rhine and frequently referred to as the Neuschwanstein of the Rhine, is named Schloss Drachenburg, a palace constructed in the late 19th century. A German legend recounts the slaying of a dragon in a cave in the mountain. Hence, the mountain is named the “Dragon’s Rock”, or Drachenfels. An electric railcar connects the summit with the resort town of Koenigswinter.
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The Road to the Right
By Linda Tancs
Just past the entrance to Laguna La Restringa on Margarita Island, Venezuela you will come to a split in the road. Take the road to the right to see the bird life of this western remote area of the island known as the Peninsula de Macanao. Small green parrots and fire engine red cardinals dominate; an easy thing to do in a habitat devoid of tourism owing to lack of water and essential services. Enjoy it while it lasts.
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The Finest Walk in the World
By Linda Tancs
New Zealand’s most famous walk is Milford Track, a 100-year-old treasure boasting a 53 kilometer journey from the head of Lake Te Anau to the misty array of Sutherland Falls, the tallest waterfall in New Zealand. Along the way, you’ll encounter suspension bridges, board walks, a mountain pass, lakes, sky-scraping mountain peaks and enormous valley views. No wonder the poet Blanche Baughan declared the Milford Track to be ‘the finest walk in the world’. Guided walkers take five days and four nights to complete the track; independent walkers usually take a day and night less. The track is always walked from south to north in an effort to minimize the environmental impact. There are three public accommodation huts and three private lodges on the track. Camping is not permitted, but why would you want to?
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Scotland’s Favorite Son
By Linda Tancs
Robert Burns, Scotland’s hallowed bard, is celebrated in Alloway, Ayrshire at the recently opened Robert Burns Museum. A 40 minutes’ drive from Glasgow, the museum complex includes the residence where the poet was born, the historic landmarks where he set his greatest work, and a collection of his works. The museum is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is free for National Trust for Scotland Trust members.
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Cuckoo About Cuckoo
By Linda Tancs
In Tabley, Cheshire, two dedicated horologists keep one of the most important collection of cuckoo clocks in the world. Cuckooland boasts a wide variety of genuine Black Forest cuckoo clocks, including a shop for purchase. You can be the proud owner of such treasures as a nursery cuckoo clock, a collector clock, a limited edition, a cuckoo & quail clock, a musical cuckoo, or a 1 or 8 day cuckoo clock. 300 years of history await you.
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EU Passenger Bill of Rights
By Linda Tancs
Fliers have rights, but so do rail travelers, ship passengers and bus riders. The European Union’s common set of principles related to passenger rights provide certainty and consistency for all EU travelers. Sounds like a good model for the rest of us.
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The Lore of Cape Town
By Linda Tancs
South Africa is called the Rainbow Nation, alluding to its diversity, with 11 official languages spoken there. Cape Town, in particular, is as diverse as it gets, sporting boutique lush vineyards on the one hand and a free-roaming pride of white lions on the other. Located on the shore of Table Bay, the nation’s second-most populous city is teeming with things to do. Listen in at Travelrific Radio.
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