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
The Great Hungarian Plain
By Linda Tancs
Puszta is to Hungary what Big Sky Country is to the United States. It’s located in Hortobágy National Park, Hungary’s first and largest national park. A vast area of plains and wetlands, you’ll find grazing water buffalo and Hungarian grey cattle. A highlight of a visit is the showmanship of Hungarian cowboys, who display their equestrian skills in a daily horse show that runs from April to September.
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The House of Tudor
By Linda Tancs
One of Britain’s best preserved medieval homes, Haddon Hall is a timeless treasure in the Peak District. Occupied today by Lord and Lady Edward Manners, its Tudor charm remains intact owing to the fact that the family chose instead to live at Belvoir Castle for over 200 years, saving the property from the modernizing effects of the Georgian and Victorian periods. As a result, the medieval banqueting hall remains furnished with its original Dais table, behind which hangs a tapestry gifted to the family when King Henry VIII visited. Another gem, the parlor, boasts its glorious Tudor painted ceiling of Tudor roses and heraldic paneling. On the first floor, the Elizabethan rooms culminate in the spectacular Long Gallery, considered to be one of the most beautiful rooms in England. Visitors can explore these rooms, and other treasures, like the walled gardens.
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The Marble City
By Linda Tancs
Kilkenny, Ireland, is dubbed “Marble City” due to its highly polished limestone which resembles marble. Of perhaps equal renown is Kilkenny Castle, boasting one of the longest histories of continuous occupation in the country. Founded soon after the Norman Conquest, today’s edifice is largely a Victorian remodeling of the 13th-century defensive castle. Until 1935 it was the longtime seat of the powerful and wealthy Butler family, whose family paintings, tapestries and objects d’art infuse the grand country house.
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Bustling Barry
By Linda Tancs
Fans of the BBC’s award-winning TV series Gavin & Stacey are familiar with the town of Barry, a seaside resort in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, that served as a backdrop for many of the show’s scenes. It’s believed that the town gets its name from the sixth-century Celtic Saint Baruc. You can visit the remains of the chapel dedicated to him which date back to the eighth century. The locale is also known for Barry War Museum, which explores what life was like in the area during both world wars. It features a World War I replica trench and an Anderson shelter from World War II. The Wales Coast Path (heralded as the first dedicated coast path in the world to cover the entire length of a country’s coastline), runs right around the coastline at Barry to Rhoose Point, the most southerly spot in Wales.
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Large Girth in Lincolnshire
By Linda Tancs
One of Britain’s greatest trees is the Bowthorpe Oak near Bourne in Lincolnshire. It ranks as the U.K.’s largest girthed oak tree at around 44 feet. Of unknown age, the pedunculate oak is estimated to be over 1,000 years old. You’ll find it at the aptly-named Bowthorpe Oak, a private family farm where you can visit the oak as well as see traditional breeds of livestock including Pedigree Lincoln Red cattle, Jacob sheep and Berkshire pigs. They’re open to the public throughout the summer on weekends.
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A King’s First Castle
By Linda Tancs
Peleş Castle was built at the initiative of the first King of Romania, Carol I, to serve as his summer residence. It was the first castle in Europe to be fully powered by electricity, with the electric system completed in 1884. A masterpiece of Neo-Renaissance architecture, it’s widely regarded as one of the most beautiful castles in Europe with an interior art collection and rooms to match. The nearest train station to the castle is Sinaia via Bucharest, Brasov or Sibiu.
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Phoenician Wonders in Sicily
By Linda Tancs
The ancient city of Motya (Mozia) was originally a Phoenician settlement occupying the island of San Pantaleo off the coast of Sicily. One of its most famous attractions is popularly known as the Motya Charioteer, a marble statue discovered in 1979 that dates from the ancient Greek Classical Period. It’s one of many ancient treasures you’ll find at the Whitaker Museum. Reachable by ferry, the closest train station served by the national service is Marsala. The ferry departure point is approximately 2 miles from the station.
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The Irish National Stud
By Linda Tancs
Less than an hour from Dublin, the Irish National Stud in County Kildare is a famed thoroughbred horse breeding facility. Included with admission is a free guided tour of the stud farm as well as an opportunity to explore on your own the prized Japanese Gardens as well as St. Fiachra’s Garden, a place designed to highlight Ireland’s natural assets. For an additional fee, don’t miss the interactive Irish Racehorse Experience, where visitors have the chance to buy, train and ride their own racehorse in a simulated race.
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Floating Islands in Peru
By Linda Tancs
Made entirely from totora (cattail) reeds, the man-made floating islets known as the Uros Islands are a world unto themselves on Peru’s Lake Titicaca. The islets are home to the indigenous Uros people, who created them from reeds centuries ago and are dependent on the reeds for their survival. Handicrafts made from the reeds are a popular souvenir. Visitors can also learn about fishing techniques and how a reed island, and boats, are made. The quickest way to get there is by boat from Puno.
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The Four Lakes Trail
By Linda Tancs
Arguably one of the most beautiful panoramic hikes in Switzerland is the Four Lakes Trail. As the name implies, there are four lakes to behold: Trübsee, Engstlensee, Tannensee and Melchsee. Highlights include Mount Titlis (Central Switzerland’s highest peak) and views of the distant Bernese Alps. The overall walk calls for a good level of fitness, but you can vary the route according to your needs by shortening the trek with mountain railroads or take a break at a cozy mountain hut or resort hotel.
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