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
Long Life in Lugano
By Linda Tancs
Ask German born Rosa Rein if there’s something in the Swiss air, wine or water to account for her longevity. She’s now the oldest woman in Switzerland at a spry 111 years. Living in Lugano, she still enjoys the best of health despite some hearing loss. And she could have a partner with which to toast her good fortune. In the area of Misoexertal, Switzerland four men reside over the age of 100. Maybe longevity really is determined by how you choose to look at life, regardless how life treats you. After all, Rosa was widowed as early as 1973 and lost her mother at a Nazi concentration camp. As Swiss psychologist Carl Jung observed, “It all depends on how we look at things and not on how they are themselves.”
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New Hotel Chain Promises a Lofty Experience
By Linda Tancs
If tight ceilings, small beds and even smaller TVs are putting a crimp in your hotel experience, then maybe Starwood’s new offering will give you a lift, or should I say, a loft. “aloft” is the newest budget entry in the chain’s array of properties, sporting oversized windows, HDTV flat panels, oversized beds and showers, and 9-foot ceilings that even Brobdingnagian guests should find comforting. The majority of open properties at the moment are in North America, ranging from Montreal in the East to Rancho Cucamonga in the West. Other properties slated to open in 2009 and beyond include hotspots such as Orlando, Nashville and Denver in the U.S. and international locales such as Brussels, U.A.E. and the Asian Pacific region. With hotel development in full vigor worldwide among the leading players, let’s hope that guests won’t be aloof over aloft.
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Heathrow Ad Likely to Promote Ire
By Linda Tancs
Following up on our 3 April post, a recent ad by British Airways promoting Heathrow’s new Terminal 5 will likely throw salt into the wound of any traveler who “benefited” from the experience. The ad, entitled “Feel Calm Again,” directs you to “immerse yourself in serenity as you flow effortlessly through your journey.” Yep. Memo to Ad Team: Major media ad placement shall hereafter take place following successful testing of new launches.
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Happy Earth Day
By Linda Tancs
Today marks a worldwide celebration of our natural resources. What better way to commemorate the day than to see what’s on in some of Mother Nature’s most glorious natural environments. How about Hawaii? Many Earth Day-related festivities have already started–and ended. However, the Kona Earth Festival is still kickin’ until 21 June. In Thailand, morning chants at Dhammakaya Assembly Hall started off the annual salute to our environment, ending tonight with fireworks at the Grand Meditation Square. Calgary is celebrating with a call to action to Ward 9 to pick up litter for 22 minutes! And the U.K.’s North Norfolk coast, an eco-friendly paradise for backpackers, is hosting an exhibition on environmental technology and initiatives at Deepdale Farm. What’s on in your neighborhood?
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Cell Phone Use Made Simple
By Linda Tancs
The limping U.S. dollar may not have you thinking about traveling abroad any time soon, but if you do, you might be wondering about using your cell phone internationally. You may very well have a phone that is capable of working in most countries–the key word is “capable.” Will the frequency used in your target destination jibe with your phone? Do you need to “unlock” your phone from home before traveling? Should you rent a phone internationally or replace the SIM card? A good place to start looking for answers is with your service provider, of course. Some sites also attempt to provide you with some basic information to get you started, like http://www.cellularabroad.com/cellinfo.html.
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Vatican City
By Linda Tancs
Vatican City, led by the Pope, is one of the holiest sites in Christendom and houses some of the most magnificent displays of art in the world. Explore the wonders of the world’s smallest country at www.travelrificradio.com.
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Exploring Climate Change
By Linda Tancs
All this chat about climate change in recent years no doubt got the city elders of Bremerhaven, Germany thinking. Why not create a place for individuals to experience climate change for themselves–to learn about the complex interaction between man and climate in an entertaining way. And so, beginning in March 2009, Bremerhaven will host Climate House, a science-based theme park in the shape of a giant dill pickle. The attraction promises to educate and entertain on the subject of world climate, even offering visitors the opportunity to create their own weather forecasts in addition to “visiting” world climates along the eighth degree line of longitude. This building is but one of many changes coming to the inner city, among them a hotel whose exterior is reminiscent of Dubai’s Hotel Burj al-Arab and a shopping complex dubbed Mediterraneo. As they say in Bremerhaven, “future ahoy!”
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Cell Phones Allowed Limited Use in EU Flights
By Linda Tancs
Following up on our July 19, 2007 post, the EU has, after testing for safety, issued regulations allowing the use of cell phones during flight, not including take-off and landing. Let’s just hope that the resulting conversations don’t devolve into captive attention to the various trials and tribulations of your flight mates. Perhaps a manual on cell phone etiquette should find its way to the seat back in front of you.
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Stretching the Dollar
By Linda Tancs
Between rising fuel costs, exchange rate woes and failing airlines, you know your travel dollars will be stretched to the limit. So where can you get the most bang for your buck? The Portimão area of Portugal looks pretty good. You’ve got 5 beaches, 4 golf facilities, and the tourist mecca of Alvor, together with room rates as low as 83 euros through May. Hire a boat from Alvor to Ria de Alvor, an estuary giving sanctuary to a number of migrating birds and flowering plants amidst the sand dunes, mud flats, and freshwater and saltwater marshes. Top off your adventure with the local specialty of grilled sardine. Did you know that the Portguese eat more fish than any other Europeans? Now grab and bag and start packing. Desejo-lhe umas boas férias!
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Birthing Pains at Heathrow
By Linda Tancs
No one ever said it would be easy. Apparently, last month’s massive move of British Airways’ operations to the brand spanking new Terminal 5 was not without a hitch–or a glitch. Flight delays and baggage loss again wreak havoc on unsuspecting travelers using the newest digs at Heathrow–eerily reminiscent of the baggage belt debacle of December 2006. Over 300 flights have been cancelled, and more are projected at least until tomorrow. Ouch.
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