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
Earth Day Celebrations
By Linda Tancs
Happy Earth Day. Kermit the Frog says it’s not easy being green. Earth Day advocates surely don’t agree. This year’s events will show you why. Listen in at Travelrific Radio.
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A Carpet of Color
By Linda Tancs
American painter Georgia O’Keeffe once remarked, “I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way – things I had no words for.” Well, if colors could speak then there’d be a torrent of conversation taking place now through May at Keukenhof Gardens, a kaleidoscope of tulips and other flowering bulbs in the Netherlands near Amsterdam. Now in its 60th year, they say it’s the most photographed spot in the world. And why shouldn’t it be, with 7 million bulbs swaying in the breeze. Gives new meaning to the expression, ‘spring is busting out all over.’
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Frogs and Flowers
By Linda Tancs
Gunung Gading National Park in Borneo sports two interesting attributes: frogs and flowers. Its amphibious distinction owes to what some might describe as an other-worldly population of frogs. Considering the folk wisdom that the presence or absence of frogs is a barometer of environmental health, this can only signal good things. Its floral fame arises from its status as the home of the world’s largest flower, Rafflesia tuan-mudae. At full bloom this giant flower streches nearly one meter in width. The catch, of course, is to find it in bloom, an infrequent and short-lived event. Don’t let that stop you from exploring this national treasure southwest of Sarawak. From the peak of Mount Gading you can make like Lewis and Clark and survey all the flora and fauna the region has to offer.
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Spring in Willingen
By Linda Tancs
The last drifts of snow are melting away at the foot of Ettelsberg in the skiing mecca of Willingen, the Sauerland region of Germany. But that doesn’t have to portend a mass exodus from the area. The spring thaw exposes a countryside rife with nature parks, hiking trails, and moorlands, not to mention a slate mine and even a milk museum. Take it all in from the panoramic views atop the Hochheide Tower, the highest point of elevation in northwest Germany. The closest airport is the Paderborn-Lippstadt airport (approx. 50 km). Other airports are at Dortmund (97km), Düsseldorf (160km), Frankfurt am Main (175km) and Hanover (200km).
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Some Field Mice Like Heights
By Linda Tancs
Afraid of heights? Then take a lesson from one of the newly discovered inhabitants of the Andes in Peru, a species of field mouse less than four inches in length found dwelling as much as 15,000 feet above sea level in the mountainous forest north of Lima. The insect and seed-eating critter spells good news for the area’s ecosystem.
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The Right of Passage
By Linda Tancs
Some time ago, National Geographic News reported that an Arctic thaw had opened travels between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans via the fabled Northwest Passage, which cuts through the Canadian Arctic. That the passage offers a convenient trade route for Canada, the U.S., Russia, Norway and Denmark should come as no surprise. Neither should the fact that an ice-free passage (estimated to occur by 2050) offers unprecedented opportunities for oil and natural gas exploration, which has the above-named parties jockeying for position. Canada, for instance, has claimed sovereignty over its share of the waterway, setting the stage for the international equivalent of a fight among schoolyard bullies. Not to be outdone, Russia planted a flag at the bottom of the Arctic, and President Bush officially repudiated Canada’s position in his Arctic Region Policy directive. Whether the route ultimately achieves status as an international strait is anyone’s guess, particularly if Canada persists in giving its chums the cold shoulder.
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Mini Wonderland Draws Mega Crowds
By Linda Tancs
If you thought Legoland was the only expression of world travel in miniature, that would be no surprise given that it receives the lion’s share of publicity. But there’s another micro world drawing large crowds in Hamburg, Germany. That’s where you’ll find Miniatur Wunderland, a warehouse sporting three floors of tiny replicas of life in Europe and America–a dollhouse world of such sights as alpine pistes, Scandinavian castles, the glamor of Las Vegas and a bird’s eye view of the host city, Hamburg. Although the site has been in operation since 2001, it has gained distinction for its labyrinth model railroad system comprised of eight miles of track winding its way through this little universe. Sort of gives new meaning to the expression, “it’s a small world.”
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Tempest in a Teapot
By Linda Tancs
I read an article recently about Irish teapots. Apparently, in the antiques and collectibles market, those little shamrock-adorned porcelain Belleek teapots make hearts go aflutter. One of the best known products of Ireland, they say. That may be true, but it’s doubtful that the area responsible for its production rolls off the tongue of most people. That would be County Fermanagh, the westernmost of the six counties that form Northern Ireland. Reputedly translated to mean Men of Monach, the region is supported largely by tourism and agriculture. The pottery visitor centre in the tiny hamlet of Belleek is nicely situated at the banks of the River Erne. Inside the lobby, the 28-inch tall Belleek International Centre Piece takes pride of place as the winning entry at the Paris Exhibition of 1900. Seems like teapots aren’t the only thing causing a tempest.
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Old Stones and Recipes
By Linda Tancs
Forget the glitz and glamor of promotional travel writing. In the Bergerac region of the Dordogne in France, they call it like they see it–old stones and recipes. That sums up the food and lodging respite befitting a swashbuckling Cyrano at the 17th century Le Manoir du Grand Vignoble and its 3-star restaurant. There’s plenty of old stone in this western part of the Dordogne, on the northern bank of the Dordogne River. Just head for the old town–vieille ville–immediately north of the river to the 12th century cloister Maison de Vins de Bergerac. You’ll find their recipe for wine-making success at the exhibition housed there.
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Andalusian Provinces
By Linda Tancs
Heavily influenced by Muslim rule during the Middle Ages, the Andalusian region of Spain is well known for its Moorish architecture. Experience the grandeur of Seville, Cordoba and Granada. Listen in at Travelrific® Radio.
