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 Roof of Indochina
By Linda Tancs
A trekkers’ paradise, Sapa is a small, Vietnamese mountain town close to the Chinese border abounding in iconic rice paddies. It’s where you’ll find the nation’s largest mountain peak, Fansipan. At over 10,000 feet, it’s commonly referred to as the “roof of Indochina.” It’s easier than ever to reach the “roof” thanks to the cable car, but intrepid trekkers might enjoy the multiday tours from Hanoi anyway.
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Spain’s Geological Hotspot
By Linda Tancs
Some of Europe’s most original geological features are located in Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park in Spain’s Almería region. Nearly 94,000 acres strong, the reserve is Andalucía’s largest coastal protected area and a mecca for geologists. Formed during the Tertiary Period, it’s an extensive volcanic region dominated by lava domes. Other points of interest are the ancient volcanic chimneys at the iconic Mermaids Reef, fossilized tongues of lava at Mónsul Beach (the reserve’s most famous beach) and mountains formed entirely by volcanic material like El Cerro Negro in the village of Las Negras. To learn more about the volcanic origin of this area you can visit the exhibitions in the House of the Volcanoes in Rodalquilar or the Las Amoladeras Interpretation Center.
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The Christmas Spirit in Montreux
By Linda Tancs
Along the shores of Lake Geneva in Switzerland, the Montreux Christmas Market is a long-established delight. You’ll likely find that last-minute gift in one of the 160 decorated and illuminated chalets (stalls). As the holiday music swirls, meander around with a glass of mulled wine (like the locals) and enjoy some culinary tastings. Not to be outdone by other popular markets in the region, Montreux offers a nightly 3D light show projected onto the façade of the renowned hotel, Fairmont le Montreux Palace. Go there during the week and avoid the weekend frenzy.
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A Pristine Paradise in Micronesia
By Linda Tancs
Located in the western Pacific Ocean, Palau is a pristine paradise, and the locals intend to keep it that way by implementing the Palau Pledge. It’s the world’s first conservation pledge that is stamped in passports; visitors sign a declaration to protect the local environment and culture for the next generation. That environment includes native forests and mangroves that are the most species-diverse in Micronesia with 1,400 species of plants and an estimated 194 endemic plant species, including 23 endemic species of orchids. You’ll also find phenomena like the Rock Islands (collections of largely uninhabited, mushroom-shaped islets housing one of the world’s greatest concentrations of coral and marine life) and Jellyfish Lake, where two types of resident jellyfish have completely lost their sting because they have not had to fight off predators.
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Gingerbread Town
By Linda Tancs
Your experience with gingerbread might be of the gastronomical kind, but in Norway there’s a full-blown miniature city made of the seasonal fare. Think of it as an edible Legoland. Dubbed the world’s biggest gingerbread city, Gingerbread Town in Bergen has been constructed every year since 1991 by thousands of volunteers. The city contains everything from tiny homes to local landmarks, trains, cars, boats and international signature buildings. It’s open throughout the month and, not surprisingly, you can buy cookies there.
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The Great North Road
By Linda Tancs
You might think of the U.K.’s Great North Road as the nation’s version of iconic Route 66 in the United States—only with a lot more history attached. It was the only way of traveling the 409 miles between London and Edinburgh for centuries until it was subsumed into the A1 (the longest numbered road in Britain) and other motorways of today. In prehistoric times it comprised part of the network of Roman roads: Ermine Street led from London to York, and Dere Street from York to Edinburgh. The ancient route is lined today with rusting mile markers; its cultural significance is marked by literary giants like Charles Dickens, a frequent traveler who gave it a nod in The Pickwick Papers. There’s even an old street sign inside the rock at Gibraltar where a vehicle tunnel was dug.
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The Green Island
By Linda Tancs
In the heart of the Tyrrhenian Sea sit three islands off the coast of Naples—Procida, Capri and Ischia. Capri may get the glitz, but Ischia is the largest of the cousins. Its abundant pines and lush Mediterranean vegetation earn it the nickname “The Green Island.” Of volcanic origin, the island also boasts a high concentration of thermal springs and a large variety of waters giving way to some 300 spas, making it a haven for relaxation. Poseidon Gardens in Forio is the biggest thermal park on the island with over 20 pools.
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Latvia Celebrates Centenary
By Linda Tancs
On November 18 Latvia will reach the 100-year anniversary of its founding as an independent nation. The celebration, however, has already begun—in 2017! And it will continue until 2021; after all, 100 years is a lot of ground to cover. In addition to song and dance, the National History Museum of Latvia is collaborating with museums around the nation to present the exhibition “Latvia’s Century.” Historical artifacts will be available for viewing in Kurzeme, Sēlija, Vidzeme, Zemgale and Riga.
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Art, Food and Cars
By Linda Tancs
Ninety miles north of Florence, Italy, the city of Modena is noted for its art, food and cars. If the place name sounds familiar, that’s because it’s the home of balsamic vinegar. But no less tantalizing is the local tortellini, stuffed with pork, prosciutto and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Dubbed the land of motors, its automotive heritage includes Ferrari, Maserati, Pagani Automobili, B.G. Engineering, De Tomaso and Bugatti. The Enzo Ferrari Museum captures some of the glitz of the city’s manufacturing history; the facility boasts a semi-professional simulator to allow visitors to experience the exhilaration of driving a Ferrari Formula 1 single-seater. The locale’s industriousness is balanced by its cultural diversity in the nature of old Roman ruins, great masterpieces from the likes of luminaries such as El Greco and Correggio and the cathedral, one of the most beautiful and elegant from the European Romanesque period.
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The Dark Side of Victorian London
By Linda Tancs
Perhaps no story in the history of East London in Victorian times is as gripping as Jack the Ripper. At the Jack the Ripper Museum on Cable Street, six floors recreate scenes from the time, such as the murder scene in Mitre Square, the Whitechapel police station, Mary Jane Kelly’s bedroom, the mortuary and more. The museum explores East London during Victorian times, exploring the crimes within the social context of the period. The facility is just seven minutes away from Tower Hill Station.
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