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
Cash and Carry
By Linda Tancs
One crucial point to keep in mind about credit and debit cards is the usage in Europe, Canada, Latin America and other parts of the world of what’s known as “chip and PIN” credit and debit cards. These cards have a computer chip embedded in them, technology increasingly adopted internationally to combat credit and debit card fraud. The use of the card is effectuated by verifying a PIN (personal identification number). It does not appear that any U.S. credit and debit cards (characterized by magnetic stripe readers) currently possess this “chip and PIN” technology for use abroad. So what do you do if your card is rejected by a vendor? In some cases, the situation can be resolved by reminding a vendor that he or she has the option to type the card number into a credit card machine. Now there’s another option. Money exchange company Travelex is debuting the Cash Passport, a card pre-loaded with your desired currency. The more you buy, the better the exchange rate. This option is particularly attractive for automated transactions where a magnetic stripe card might be rejected.
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The Fourth Test in Melbourne
By Linda Tancs
Playwright George Bernard Shaw once remarked that baseball has the great advantage over cricket of being sooner ended. No doubt it can’t end soon enough for the Aussies, currently entrenched in a two-month battle with the English known as The Ashes. The annual cricket match between England and Australia is playing out the fourth of five Tests in Melbourne this year until 30 December. The next and final Test is scheduled for 3 to 7 January in Sydney. Will the championship urn return Down Under?
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A Magical Winter at Europa Park
By Linda Tancs
Europe has had its fair share of snow already this winter season, and that makes the winter wonderland at Europa Park in Rust, Germany even more authentic. If the scent of freshly baked gingerbread and mulled wine doesn’t put you in the holiday spirit, then maybe the international parade of lights each evening through the miniature versions of England, Russia, Holland, Greece and Switzerland will cast a holiday glow. Couple that with a larger ice skating rink than years past, a Christmas market, winter circus and a giant ferris wheel presiding over the winter landscape and you have an unforgettable seasonal experience. Visit now through 9 January.
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Landmark Christmas Fair Awaits You
By Linda Tancs
Originating in Germany, Christmas markets have been imitated the world over but the grand dame of the genre is 576 years strong in Dresden. The Christmas Market features, of course, the usual hand-made goodies like glass, candles, wooden toys, puppets and other treats. Edible treats include deep fried curd balls rolled in sugar, ginger bread, sugar roasted almonds, candy floss and stuffed roasted apples. Top it off with a warming wine or rum punch. And don’t forget that Santa Claus arrives promptly each day at 4 p.m. with special treats for the kids until the festival’s close on 24 December.
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New Nutcracker Debuts in London
By Linda Tancs
The English National Ballet celebrates 60 years of artistry this year. And what better way to mark the occasion than to produce a new version of the holiday classic Nutcracker, appearing seasonally for all those 60 years. This year’s tenth new production will appear at the London Coliseum for the first time from 10 – 30 December. At a family friendly matinee, up to two children go free with one full-paying adult. Children under five are admitted to these performances without charge. Clara and her Nutcracker await you.
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Nouveau Art in Monaco
By Linda Tancs
Modern, contemporary works of art have new digs in Monaco at the recently opened Nouveau Musée National de Monaco at Villa Paloma. The first exhibition is curated by German artist Thomas Demand and features works highlighting the natural world, a fitting tribute for an art museum situated nearby the Exotic Gardens and its stunning views of The Rock. The museum is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
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A Crowning Achievement in Świebodzin
By Linda Tancs
Świebodzin in western Poland still contains remnants of the town’s past as a medieval walled settlement, but perhaps its greatest feature is the newly unveiled statue of Christ on the outskirts of town. Capped with a gleaming gold crown, the imposing statue with outstretched arms reportedly rivals Brazil’s Christ the Redeemer. At a stunning 33 meters (one for each of Jesus’s years of life), the locals are hoping to attract pilgrims and the accompanying revenue.
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300 Years of History in Hamburg
By Linda Tancs
St. Pauli is a district of Hamburg, Germany as well known for its colorful inhabitants as for the icons of popular culture that have performed along its famous Reeperbahn–like The Beatles. During its 17th century beginnings, it was a suburb of Hamburg known as Hamburger Berg, populated with workhouses and hospitals. Stories make history, they like to say. Today the past is chronicled at the new St. Pauli Museum on David Street, a stunning collection of over 3 million documents to inform and amuse you. You’ve heard the expression, if these walls could talk. Well, they do.
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Quaint Quedlinburg
By Linda Tancs
The Harz Mountains is a mountain range in central Germany in the district of Sachsen-Anhalt. At its foot about 1300 houses showcasing centuries of architectual history grant Quedlinburg status as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Its quaint half-timbered houses are a medieval testament to a bustling 10th century political and social mecca presided over by King Heinrich I. For spectacular views, ride the narrow gauge steam train of the Selke Valley Railway on the line from Magdeburg at Quedlinburg station.
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Tour Operator Pitches Hands-On Travel
By Linda Tancs
You won’t find the word culturious in the dictionary, but if you did, it would probably be defined as a state of mind. That’s what the folks at Tauck are promoting with their cultural immersion tours known as Culturious. Covering destinations like Costa Rica, Cinque Terre and Namibia, the small group tours are calculated to stretch your mind as well as your legs. Physical activity ranges from walking to kayaking, bicycling or horseback riding. You’ll expand your horizons by participating in activities like making a meal with a French chef, picking coffee beans on a Costa Rican plantation and watching a restoration specialist in Florence follow her passion. In other words, you’ll have an authentic travel experience. Isn’t that the point of travel, after all?
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