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
A Republic Within a Republic
By Linda Tancs
Sandwiched between France and Switzerland, Saugeais is a micronation in eastern France. Established in 1947, the self-declared nation in the Haut-Doubs region comprises 11 communes, from Gilley in the north to Arçon in the south and from the Swiss border in the east to Crêt Monniot in the west. Its origins lie in jest, following a French official’s anointing of the area as a republic after jokingly being told he needed a permit to enter the region. Today, visitors are granted a permit to enter, evidence that a good joke is one you can use over and over. The unofficial republic boasts a Prime Minister, a Secretary General, two customs officers, 12 ambassadors and 450 honorary citizens throughout France and Europe who promote its charms.
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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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England’s Roaring Meg
By Linda Tancs
Overlooking an ancient crossing point of the river Wye, England’s Goodrich Castle was a thriving medieval household. It takes its name from an English landowner, Godric, who built the first castle in the late 11th century. In 1646 the castle was the scene of one of the most hard-fought sieges of the English Civil War. The Royalist garrison there surrendered after a two-month bombardment with Parliament’s locally made cannon known as Roaring Meg. The only surviving mortar from the war, it is now on display in the castle courtyard.
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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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City of the Dead
By Linda Tancs
At first glance, the Russian village of Dargavs seems like an enchanting village of medieval stone houses hidden away in the foothills of the Caucasus mountains. That belies its actual function as a necropolis, the tidy stone houses being above-ground crypts for over 10,000 of the dearly departed dating to the 16th century. Other reports indicate that the crypts were used as a quarantine location for plague victims in the 17th and 18th centuries. Just over the border from the Republic of Georgia, the remoteness of the valley almost guarantees a serene experience. Although only 18 miles outside of Vladikavkaz, much of the drive is on gravel mountain roads and takes more than an hour.
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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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Goethe Slept Here
By Linda Tancs
You can imagine the pride that a tiny resort town would have when a famous writer and statesman like Johann Wolfgang von Goethe drops in for a night. Such was the case for Torbole, Italy. Located on the shore of Lake Garda, the hole-in-the-wall commemorated the illustrious visit in the 1700s with a plaque on the guest house in the town center. Nowadays it’s best remembered, and prized, as an international center for windsurfing and sailing thanks to constant winds hailing from the Monte Baldo mountain range as well as the lake.
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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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Ireland’s Famine Way
By Linda Tancs
In 1847 a famine arising from a potato blight threatened the Irish with total extinction. Among the millions who either died or emigrated, a group of 1,490 tenants who were forcefully evicted from Strokestown Park in County Roscommon walked a path toward Dublin to board emigration ships. Their route is commemorated in the National Famine Way, a walking trail comprising 103 miles, connecting the National Famine Museum at Strokestown Park House with the Famine Memorial on Custom House Quay in Dublin along the banks of the Royal Canal. The waymarked trail takes about six days to complete.
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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 Friendly Alien in Austria
By Linda Tancs
Contemporary art may feel alien to some, but maybe Kunsthaus Graz will change your mind. It’s become a cultural landmark in Graz, Austria, its architecture being dubbed “the friendly alien” by none other than one of its designers. It’s also been viewed as a whale, a hippo and a sea slug. And that’s just the building’s exterior. Your senses will likely be challenged on the inside as well, with installations exploring the intersection of art and design and the use of photography to create illusion. If you’d like it all deciphered for you, then take the guided tour generally offered each Sunday.
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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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England’s Famous Fen
By Linda Tancs
Wicken Fen in Cambridgeshire is the oldest nature reserve in England and also its most famous fen. One of Europe’s most important wetlands, it’s home to over 9,000 recorded species of plants, birds and dragonflies as well as amazing wildlife. As the colder months approach, the reserve is populated with wigeon, hen harriers, short-eared owls, starlings and winter thrushes. The ancient part of the region, Sedge Fen, is explorable year-round thanks to the Boardwalk Trail. To enhance your wildlife viewing experience, check out the Sightings Book in the visitor center.
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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 Great House in Hampshire
By Linda Tancs
Chawton House is a center for early women’s writing. Owned by Jane Austen’s brother Edward, the Elizabethan manor house in Hampshire, England, was referred to by Austen in her letters as the “Great House.” The venue has many first editions and original manuscripts; not surprisingly, one of those assets is “Sir Charles Grandison,” written in Jane’s own hand. Although she may have dined frequently at the home, Jane did not live there. Instead, her brother offered another residence minutes away, which many might consider the real “great house” because she penned her major works there: “Sense and Sensibility,” “Pride and Prejudice,” “Mansfield Park,” “Emma,” “Northanger Abbey” and “Persuasion.” That residence, Jane Austen’s House Museum, may be the most treasured fan site in the world. Both sites are accessible via hourly trains to nearby Alton from London’s Waterloo station.
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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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France’s Surf City
By Linda Tancs
Located in the Bay of Biscay in the heart of French Basque Country, Biarritz is a popular seaside resort. Generally regarded as the surfing capital of Europe, its surf culture cannot be understated, with 18 surfing schools catering to beginners and pros alike. Its beaches, the La Grande Plage and Côte des Basques, both offer great surf spots. Now is the best time to ply the waters because it’s less crowded and the swells are more reliable.
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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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Pleasant Island
By Linda Tancs
You can count Queen Elizabeth II among the cohort who have ever visited Nauru. Larger than just Vatican City and Monaco, it’s the world’s smallest island nation, counting only some 200 visitors each year. Once coined Pleasant Island by British whaler John Fearn, this Micronesian island once ruled by Australia (among others) totals eight square miles and is easily walkable, in a single day if you like. Its phosphate reserves once made it the richest country on Earth but also contributed to the demise of marine life. Nowadays it caters to deep-sea fishermen and war history buffs seeking a rusty Japanese outpost from World War II. Nauru Airlines offers flights from Brisbane, Australia.
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2026 update: The country has officially changed its name to Republic of Naoero to match the spelling and pronunciation in the national language.
