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
Turkish Battlefields
By Linda Tancs
One of the bloodiest conflicts of World War I occurred at the Gallipoli Pensinsula in Turkey at the Battle of Gallipoli, where the Allied Powers unsuccessfully attempted to control the sea route from Europe to Russia. Today those battlefields are protected as a historical national park honoring over 500,000 war dead. The park includes memorials, monuments and cemeteries ringed by green hills, sandy beaches and inviting waters. You can visit from Istanbul via car or bus or via ferry from Canakkale to Kilitbahir or Eceabat. Taking the route from Istanbul will give you a better view of the battlefields.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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Local Color in Tirana
By Linda Tancs
The future literally looks bright in Albania. Billed as the last unturned stone of Europe, the small Balkan country across from the heel of Italy is enjoying a boost in tourism, especially in its color-happy capital, Tirana. That’s where you’ll find boldly rehabilitated Soviet-era buildings, repainted in blue, green, orange, purple, red and yellow. Some local favorites are the “rainbow” building at Wilson Square, the “Titanic” (a purple behemoth at Bajram Curri Boulevard) and geometric chaos around Unaza.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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Tall Trees in Britain
By Linda Tancs
Some of the tallest trees in Britain are located in the gardens of Blair Castle near Pitlochry in Scotland. You’ll find them in Diana’s Grove, a tranquil wooded area adjacent to the castle. The Banvie Burn runs through the grove and is crossed by two 18th-century bridges giving access to the ancient Celtic ruins of St. Bride’s Kirk. The herbaceous borders are particularly resplendent in Hercules Garden in summertime, where a life-sized statue of Hercules presides over a nine-acre walled Georgian garden. If you can tear yourself away from the exquisite environs, then be sure to take a self-guided tour of 30 rooms in the castle, covering 700 years of history of the Atholl family.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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New Zealand’s Volcanic Wonderland
By Linda Tancs
Located in the Central North Island region, Tongariro is New Zealand’s oldest national park. Established in the late 1800s, it’s recognized as much for its volcanic landscape as for its religious and cultural heritage. At the heart of the park are its three active volcano mountains—Tongariro, Ngauruhoe and Ruapehu—part of the Pacific Ring of Fire. To the Maori people who have inhabited the land for centuries, it’s a sacred place. The park’s natural and cultural attributes have earned it two World Heritage designations. Ruapehu has two of the largest ski fields in the country, catering to everyone from beginner to advanced, making it a perfect destination for this winter season. If summertime is more to your liking, don’t fret. Scenic chairlift rides operate on Whakapapa (the larger of the two fields) throughout most of the year offering spectacular views over the region.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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The Pilgrim’s Way
By Linda Tancs
Arguably one of the best known of England’s pilgrimage routes, Pilgrim’s Way is a journey from Winchester (or alternatively, Southwark) to Canterbury. It’s a well-trodden route, having been walked since 1172 to a shrine of Saint Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, who was murdered there two years earlier. A typical journey from Winchester Cathedral lasts about 12 days; the Southwark route is shorter. Medieval pilgrims would’ve borne a rough tunic, heavy cloak and a wooden staff along with safe-conduct, written permission from their local priest in an effort to secure safe travel. These days, modern pilgrims can avail themselves of a pilgrim passport from cathedrals on the way as well as from Canterbury Cathedral on receipt of a self-addressed, stamped envelope. As you progress along the route, get at least one stamp in each place you stay. Some churches also have special pilgrim stamps and post a notice telling you who in the locality will stamp your passport.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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The English Spa
By Linda Tancs
Yorkshire’s Harrogate is England’s original spa town. Due to the discovery of its bath waters in 1571 (credited to William Slingsby), it became known as “the English Spa.” It didn’t take long for spa visits to catch on, transforming the town into a posh resort. In Victorian times, a pump room was built to shelter the affluent as they took the famous waters. Today the Royal Pump Room is a museum preserving the history of the local mineral springs. In fact, within 2 miles of the town center are 88 mineral springs rising to the surface. You can still take the waters today at the luxurious Turkish Baths, a Moorish-style health spa offering saunas, a spa pool and a toning plunge pool.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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The Other Brazilian Rainforest
By Linda Tancs
Although nearly adjacent to the Amazon, Brazil’s Atlantic Forest (Mata Atlântica) is the lesser-known cousin. One of the five most diverse hotspots in the world, this tropical and subtropical rainforest once stretched along the Atlantic Coast of Brazil for a whopping 476,000 square miles. Today, its footprint is much smaller (at around 38,600 square miles) due to centuries of deforestation for timber, sugar cane, coffee, cattle ranching and urban sprawl. In fact, two of the world’s largest cities, Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, were both built over it. A small percentage of the land is protected, most notably in Chapada Diamantina National Park, where one of the country’s highest waterfalls (Cachoeira da Fumaca) is found. It’s so high that the water vaporizes before it hits the ground, earning it the name “Smoke Waterfall.”
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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A Fire-Breathing Bridge
By Linda Tancs
Stretching about 2,000 feet across the Hàn River in central Vietnam, the Dragon Bridge is more than just a speedy thoroughfare from the airport to Da Nang’s city center. In fact, it’s a tourist attraction, embedded with a gold-colored steel dragon above the six-lane roadway that spits smoke and fire. Day or night, it’s quite a sight, illuminated with over 2,000 color-changing LED lights for a spectacular night show.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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Exmoor’s Literary Landscape
By Linda Tancs
Exmoor is an enchanting landscape of moorland, woodland, coast and rivers in southwest England. It’s no wonder that it served as literary inspiration for R.D. Blackmore’s 1869 novel, Lorna Doone. A slice of this literary landscape, Lorna Doone Valley, is now preserved by the National Trust. On a short walk from Lorna Doone Farm you’ll experience the scenic views exactly as Blackmore described it all those years ago. And you’ll find plenty of camera-friendly sites along the way, like the ford at Malmsmead. Other waymarked walks will take you all the way to the coast.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
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The Heart of Scotland
By Linda Tancs
Perth, Stirling, The Trossachs and Highland Perthshire represent the very heart of Scotland. You can experience all of it on the new touring route known as Heart 200. It’s a 200-mile road trip comprising six sections: the Wooded Western Edge, the Highland North, the Riverside East, Perth, the Historic South and Stirling. Gems abound throughout the route, like Loch Tay (the largest loch on the route) and the nation’s oldest tree in the Highland North and Loch Leven (where Mary Queen of Scots was imprisoned on Castle Island) in the Historic South. You’ll find a plethora of places to stay, too, from five-star hotels to campsites.
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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.
