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
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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A Bird’s-Eye View of Oslo
By Linda Tancs
The newest attraction in Oslo, Norway, takes you to the treetops at Stovner. Located just behind Stovner Shopping Center in northeastern Oslo, the Stovner Tower is an 853-foot path about 50 feet high. It’s shaped like a roller coaster, but the experience is far from dizzying. The closest metro station is Stovner, located approximately 25 minutes from the city center.
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Canoe Racing in Polynesia
By Linda Tancs
Hawaiki nui va’a is a major event in the cultural life of French Polynesia, an international festival of outrigger canoe racing, the national sport. Reputedly the toughest canoe race in the world, the three-day, 80-mile race begins in Huahine Bay towards Raiatea, Taha’a and Bora Bora. This year’s event takes place from October 31 to November 2.
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A Distinguished Cretan
By Linda Tancs
Born Domenikos Theotokopoulos in Crete (the largest and most populous of the Greek islands), the painter popularly known as El Greco was in a class by himself, marrying Byzantine and Western traditions in a way that exposed his personal faith and vision. One of his early works, “Mount Sinai,” is exhibited in a specially designed hall of Heraklion’s Historical Museum. Elsewhere, Crete’s distinguished son is memorialized in a bust at El Greco Park. Although his fame was firmly established in Toledo, Spain, he never ceased to mention his Cretan roots by signing all his works “Made by Domenikos Theotokopoulos the Cretan.”
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The House of Houdini
By Linda Tancs
Hungarian-born Harry Houdini is arguably the greatest magician and escape artist of all time. Born as Erik Weisz in Budapest, the House of Houdini there boasts one of the largest collections of the magician’s artifacts. The display includes handcuffs, straitjackets, movie posters and a replica of the cell he escaped from in his final show. The museum, which includes a theater for magic acts, is located at the foot of Buda Castle.
