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
An Etruscan Wonder in Italy
By Linda Tancs
Founded by Etruscans more than 2,500 years ago, the Italian village of Civita di Bagnoregio is one of some 20,000 ghost villages, remnants of a bygone era characterized by isolated living in precariously perched hamlets forged by medieval artisans. Located on a tufa rock hill that can be reached only by crossing a pedestrian bridge, Civita di Bagnoregio’s perch is all the more dramatic considering that large portions of the commune have been reclaimed by the valley due to landslides and other natural disasters. Still, the gorgeous panoramic views make this hilltop enclave a favorite of tourists who gladly pay an entrance fee designed to shore up its crumbling infrastructure. Around 74 miles north of Rome, it’s a popular day trip with tour groups.
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Cool Cats in Turkey
By Linda Tancs
Van is a city in eastern Turkey located on the eastern shore of its namesake lake, the largest one in the country. Like other areas of the nation, different civilizations have shaped its history. But Van has something that no other part of the country can claim: one cool cat, as in feline. Indigenous to the lake area, the snow-white, longhaired cat is distinctive for having one blue eye and one amber eye. And they’re pretty good swimmers, too.
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Copacabana of Malmö
By Linda Tancs
Malmö, Sweden, boasts a coastal location, which means a beach is never far away. In fact, within easy walking distance of the city center is Ribersborg beach. Known locally as the Copacabana of Malmö, this central recreational area comprises both a beach and a greenway. The shallow water beach includes open-air bathing facilities called Kallbadhuset. The greenway sports trees, ponds and lawns with several football and rugby fields. A broad promenade runs along the edge of the beach, ideal for cyclists, rollerbladers, runners and walkers. You’ll take in spectacular views of the Öresund Sound and have your pick of fantastic restaurants and cafés.
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Russia’s Underwater Showplace
By Linda Tancs
In the shadow of the Ural Mountains in Russia’s Perm region you’ll find Orda Cave, the largest gypsum underwater cave in the world. The clarity of its waters afforded by the gypsum makes it a diver’s paradise, but, due to its maze-like quality and freezing temperatures, the inexperienced flippered spelunker need not apply. Ongoing discovery makes its total length a moving target, but 15,000 feet is a fair estimate.
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City of a Hundred Spires
By Linda Tancs
Prague is known as the City of a Hundred Spires, its UNESCO-designated landscape in the Czech Republic dotted with spired churches. Its historic heart is in Old Town, bursting with Baroque buildings, Gothic churches and an astronomical clock. Drawing wonder for over 600 years, the clock adorns the southern wall of Old Town City Hall and gives an hourly performance featuring 12 apostles passing by the window above the astronomical dial and the movement of symbolic sculptures.
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Dynastic Splendor in Spain
By Linda Tancs
In Granada, Spain, a Moorish structure known worldwide is Alhambra. Alhambra means “red” in Arabic, defining the color of the outer bricks comprising this symbol of Granada that served as a palace and a fortress for its Muslim occupants. Resting atop a hilly terrace, the views from there are commanding, and there are plenty of sights within the complex that are worth visiting. Don’t miss the Court of the Lions and its 124 thin, white marble columns or the vaulted ceiling of the Hall of Ambassadors in Nasrid Palace, the one area of Alhambra requiring a timed ticket entry. After your visit to the palace grounds, spend some time relaxing in the Generalife (often translated as “Garden of the Architect”), one of the oldest surviving Moorish gardens in the world.
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Tokyo’s Oldest Temple
By Linda Tancs
Asakusa Kannon temple complex, the oldest Buddhist temple in Tokyo, Japan, is one of the city’s most colorful and popular temples. Kannon is the goddess of mercy, and legend has it that two fishermen fished her statue from the waters and returned it from whence it came, only to have it come back to them again and again. The shrine was thereafter built in her honor. You’ll enter through two gates to the five-storied pagoda and main building of the complex. In between these two gates is a large souvenir arcade where you can purchase items such as traditional Japanese fans or sample a local cake filled with red bean paste. Be sure to look upwards at the ceilings in the temple buildings for some beautiful murals.
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Little Big Town in Wales
By Linda Tancs
Hay-on-Wye is a Welsh market town nestled along the English border. It’s little in size (you can walk it in around 20 minutes) but big on books—really big, considering there are more than 30 bookstores, many specializing in out of print or hard to locate titles. No wonder, then, why it’s called the Town of Books. Today marks the start of one of the signature events of the year, Hay Festival. Running through June 3, the extravaganza comprises over 600 events featuring writers, artists, academics, thinkers and performers selected by the program committee. Special festival bus service linking Hay with trains and coaches at Hereford’s train and bus stations and Worcester Crowngate Bus Station runs for the duration of the event.
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A Heavenly Estate in the Forest of Dean
By Linda Tancs
Best known for its gardens and Roman temple complex, Lydney Park is a 17th-century country estate surrounding Lydney House, located at Lydney in the Forest of Dean district in Gloucestershire, England. You might call it a heavenly place, given that its ownership descends from William Bathurst, a composer of church hymns. Open only from April to June (and some select days thereafter), the spring gardens are abloom with flowering cherries, magnolias, scented spring flowering shrubs, azaleas and rhododendrons, to name a few. Excavation on the estate in 1805 also exposed evidence of settlements dating back to 100 B.C., a Norman castle and extensive ruins of a Roman camp including a temple.
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The Jordan Trail
By Linda Tancs
The Jordan Trail is a continuous route crossing the entire country of Jordan, offering over 403 miles of trails through diverse terrains and landscapes. From Um Qais in the north to the Red Sea in the south, it flows alongside the Great Rift Valley, overlooking rugged wadis and cliffs, breathtaking scenery and archaeological monuments. If the route sounds intimidating, then take advantage of the groups and companies leading hikes. Nevertheless, a complete through-hike is physically demanding; take that into account when planning your journey.
Travelrific® Travel Journal 