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
Kenya’s Grand Canyon
By Linda Tancs
The Marafa Depression is a vast canyon-like area resulting from soil erosion located near Malindi, Kenya. Known locally as “Hell’s Kitchen,” the view is actually heavenly. It’s a sandstone gorge punctuated with crayon box colors like red, white, orange and pink that are particularly luminous when mirrored by the sun at sundown. That’s why many tours will be timed to take in the sunset. Be sure to take a guided tour of the canyon, and don’t forget your camera.
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A Romanian Wonder
By Linda Tancs
Dubbed one of the Seven Wonders of Romania, Corvin Castle is a Gothic-Renaissance castle in Hunedoara and one of Europe’s largest castles. Built in the Middle Ages, it served as a fortress against the Ottomans before its makeover into a palace by John Hunyadi, a Hungarian general and governor. It bears the dubious distinction of being located next to a steel plant, the result of the 19th-century industrial revolution that overtook the area. A popular legend is that Dracula was imprisoned there. The closest big city is Deva; minibuses run regularly from there to Hunedoara.
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Spain’s Game of Thrones
By Linda Tancs
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Alcázar of Seville is a royal palace in Seville, Spain. Hardly a relic, the upper chambers of the 12th-century palace are still used by the Spanish royal family as their official residence in Seville. Originally a Muslim fortress, it abounds with exotic Moorish architecture, as well as Gothic, Mudéjar, Renaissance and Baroque styles that have been added over the centuries. It’s prized for its tiles, especially those adorning Ambassadors’ Hall, the throne room of the original palace. The hall is one of the locations used to film the series, Game of Thrones. Other features used in filming were garden locales like Mercury’s Pond (a large pool decorated by frescoes and stonework punctuated with a bronze statue of Mercury) and the Carlos V Pavilion bounded by orange trees.
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Hamlet’s Castle
By Linda Tancs
Immortalized in William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, Kronborg is one of the most important Renaissance castles in Northern Europe. Strategically located at the head of the Øresund Sound in Helsingør (Elsinore), it was a toll-collecting site for ships passing into the Baltic Sea. These days it’s better known as Hamlet’s castle. Not surprisingly, each summer you can enjoy live performances of Shakespeare’s greatest plays from Danish and international companies. Get there by train in 45 minutes from Copenhagen’s Central Station or one hour by car.
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Athens’ Golden Age
By Linda Tancs
Athens’ Golden Age spans a period roughly between 480 and 404 B.C. It was a period of great flourishing, economically, politically and culturally. Of the many relics of the age, the Temple of Poseidon is one of the most breathtaking. A short hop from the city, it’s located at Cape Sounion on the southernmost tip of the Attica peninsula. Dedicated, of course, to the ancient Greek god of the sea, its remaining Doric columns are an imposing sight, coupled with stunning views of the Aegean on three sides thanks to the monument’s cliffside perch. Get there via public bus, an organized tour, a private taxi or by car.
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The Emerald Coast
By Linda Tancs
Just like the French Riviera, Sardinia’s Costa Smeralda (Emerald Coast) attracts the rich and famous. Indeed, the luxurious yachts anchored offshore attest to that. You’ll find many of them at the marina of Porto Cervo, the beating heart of this Italian island in the western Mediterranean. Created by Prince Karim Aga Khan for the jet-set, this resort community is equally accessible by the hoi polloi, who can enjoy enviable views from Stella Maris Church perched above the port. Inside, its charms include the Mater Dolorosa attributed to the Greek painter El Greco, an organ from the 17th century and local juniper wood pews. If you’re tempted to people watch, then you’ll want to be there this time of year.
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Skye Walks
By Linda Tancs
Built in 1900, Neist Point Lighthouse is one of the most famous lighthouses in Scotland and can be found on the westerly tip of Skye near the township of Glendale. A concrete pathway leads to the light, offering as much interest as the famous light itself. The fairly easy walk down (in suitable weather) brings views of high cliffs and the lighthouse itself, a must for landscape photographers. The walk generally takes 45 minutes, but allow more time for breaks on the steep trek back up.
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Ireland’s Holy Mountain
By Linda Tancs
An important site of pilgrimage in County Mayo, Croagh Patrick is Ireland’s Holy Mountain. Known locally as “The Reek,” it’s over 2,500 feet high, overlooking the village of Murrisk. According to tradition, in A.D. 441, St. Patrick spent 40 days praying and fasting on the mountaintop as part of his effort to convert Ireland to Christianity. It’s still climbed today, particularly on the last Sunday of July (Reek Sunday), an annual day of pilgrimage.
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The Charm of Suriname
By Linda Tancs
Arguably one of the best-kept secrets in South America, Suriname is a small country on the northeastern coast of the continent. Once a Dutch colony, its capital Paramaribo reflects the integration of the European culture of the Netherlands and the indigenous cultures and environment of South America in the years of intensive colonization of this region in the 16th and 17th centuries. This fusion is what garnered the historic Inner City its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, boasting attractions like a wooden cathedral, presidential palace and a palm tree landscape garden. Fusion extends to gastronomy as well, particularly in Blauwgrond, an ethnically mixed district known for its Javanese restaurants called warungs. Take a walk along the waterfront for local handicrafts and delicacies.
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Fortified in Corsica
By Linda Tancs
The fourth largest island in the Mediterranean, Corsica is a territorial collectivity of France sandwiched between France and Italy. Among its many charms is the 16-century fortified tower at Pointe de la Parata. It survives a series of defensive towers built between 1530 and 1620 by the Genoese (who once controlled the territory) to protect the island against Barbary pirates sailing from North Africa. Take advantage of direct flights from cities including Marseilles, Nice, Paris and Toulouse throughout the year.
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