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
Seeing the Light in Pula
By Linda Tancs
Pula, Croatia, is situated at the southern tip of the Istrian peninsula and is the area’s largest city. Known in ancient times as Polensium, the town is rife with Roman architecture. The Roman amphitheater, in particular, is a well-preserved spectacle in the heart of the city, retaining its complete circuit of walls. Used as a concert venue (especially in the summer), it boasts great harbor views through the ancient arena walls. This time of year, though, the main event is the Visualia Festival, Croatia’s first festival of light. This year’s celebration, taking place today through September 21, represents a first-time partnership with the ILA (International Light Association), bringing together lighting professionals worldwide.
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A Symbol of Unity in Kazan
By Linda Tancs
Of all large Russian cities, Kazan certainly has its share of unique attributes, like the Kazan Kremlin, conquered by Ivan the Terrible in 1552. It’s also the site of the Temple of All Religions, a colorful conglomeration of architectural influences across religions. Established by philanthropist Ildar Khanov in 1992, the complex is still a work in progress, intended to stand as a symbol of respect for all religious traditions. The entrance fee is nominal, and a bus from the city center will get you there in about 30 minutes.
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Playing with Vegetables in Austria
By Linda Tancs
Your mother no doubt encouraged you to eat your veggies, not play with them. Turns out playing with them is a good idea. Just ask the members of Vienna’s Vegetable Orchestra. A unique Austrian ensemble, they’ve been creating sounds from vegetables since the 1990s, playing concerts around the globe. Now there’s some food for thought.
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A Towering View in York
By Linda Tancs
York boasts some of the finest medieval churches and buildings in England, so you’ll want one of the best vantage points to absorb the skyline. That would be Clifford’s Tower, where you’ll find unmatched views of the historical city as well as York Minster and even the North York Moors in the distance. The tower is all that remains of York Castle (built by William the Conqueror), a site which also served as a prison and a royal mint. Your self-guided tour features a tactile model in the courtyard, showing how the site once looked.
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The World’s Highest Monastery
By Linda Tancs
Tibet’s Rongbuk monastery is the highest monastery in the world, located just miles from Mount Everest’s base camp. As you would expect, it’s the perfect locale to see eye to eye, as it were, with one of the highest mountains on earth. Along with its colorful flags and golden stupas you’ll find an observation deck there to take stunning photos. April, May, September and October are great months for a visit.
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The Lace of Queens
By Linda Tancs
The lace of queens or the queen of laces. Anyway you label it, the Normandy commune of Alençon has long been celebrated for its lace-making traditions. Thanks to the French court in the 17th century, a large number of women entered the lace-making trade to supply nobility with elaborate designs. The craftsmanship of this local lace is recognized by UNESCO on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. It takes seven to 10 years of training to master the Alençon form of needle lace-making.
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Peat and Reed in the Netherlands
By Linda Tancs
Thanks to human hands cutting peat and reed, the largest lowland bog in Northwest Europe was formed. That area now comprises Weerribben-Wieden National Park in the Netherlands. It’s a unique landscape brimming with lakes, reedlands, marsh and bogs. Some species are even dependent on the bogs for survival, such as water soldiers, water lilies and round-leaved sundew. The park also houses almost the entire Dutch population of the large copper butterfly and the Norfolk damselfly. The best way to explore the park is by boat. Electric boats, rowboats and canoes can be rented in Giethoorn and other places in the park. Be on the lookout for rare animals that live there, like otters and black terns.
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An Archaeological Journey in Jerusalem
By Linda Tancs
Jerusalem’s Terra Sancta Museum houses artifacts culled from excavations carried out for more than 100 years by a Franciscan order. Located in the Old City along the Via Dolorosa, the museum’s new archaeological wing boasts collections from the age of Herod and from daily life in the Holy Land during the time of the New Testament writers as well as a striking stone room used by Crusaders in the 13th century. The facility is open daily.
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The World of Ice Giants
By Linda Tancs
Just a small town in the northern part of Salzburg′s Pongau area, Werfen, Austria, has a big claim to fame—home of the world’s largest ice caves, a labyrinth reaching for almost 25 miles. The World of Ice Giants ( Eisriesenwelt) is known as a dynamic ice cave, allowing for a chimney-like flow of air as the cave galleries and fissures form a link from lower entrances to higher openings, a process begun about 100 million years ago. The seasonal changes in outside air temperature result in amazing ice sculptures in the interior of the limestone caves, particularly when water entering the rock fissures in the spring drips into the cooler areas. Open from May to October, the cave tours begin directly at the cave entrance, which offers panoramic views of the Salzach valley in good weather. Dress for freezing temperatures inside the caves, even in summer.
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A Knock-Out in London
By Linda Tancs
What’s a collector to do with a motley assortment of historic anesthetic apparatus? Why, donate it, of course. That’s what Charles King did in England when he donated his collection to the Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland (AAGBI) in 1953. That conveyance formed the basis for the development of the Anaesthesia Museum, part of the Anaesthesia Heritage Centre in London. The earliest object in their collections is a resuscitation set from 1774. A unique resource for research into the history of anesthesia, the museum also contains Morton’s demonstration of ether inhalation in 1846 as well as modern anesthetic machines. As part of their World War I commemorations, the AAGBI has compiled an extensive oral history from interviews with anesthetists who served in wars from Vietnam to more recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Open Monday to Friday, admission to the facility on Portland Place is free.
