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
Australia’s Top End
By Linda Tancs
Australia’s Top End in the Northern Territory includes Darwin, Katherine, Kakadu and Arnhem Land. Tropical in nature, this month marks the start of the dry season, a good time to visit Cutta Cutta Caves Nature Park in the heart of the Top End. About 16 miles south of Katherine, the cave system was carved naturally over millions of years, a limestone landscape covering over 3,700 acres. Guided tours run hourly, and you’re likely to see five species of bats, including the rare ghost bat. About 170 species of birds have been recorded within the park, including the hooded parrot and the endangered Gouldian finch. The park is accessible from Stuart Highway.
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Cornwall’s Hobby Horse
By Linda Tancs
May Day is the biggest day of the year in Padstow, a tiny fishing village on the north coast of Cornwall, England. Reputedly the oldest folk festival in the country, the Obby Oss Festival celebrated there involves two separate processions making their way around the town, each featuring a person dressed as a hobby horse (‘obby ‘oss). The origins of the Cornish celebration are unknown, but it is believed to relate to the Celtic festival of Beltane, the spring festival dedicated to the return of the Celtic sun god, Bel. In each procession, the ‘oss is followed by a teaser (who taunts the ‘oss) and many dancers. In the older procession, the participants wear white outfits with red sashes and conduct themselves with much revelry. In the early 20th century, the temperance movement instigated a second ‘oss, characterized by more sober participants wearing white outfits with blue sashes. The two processions parade independently until late afternoon, when everyone gathers at the maypole in the town square.
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Singapore’s Southern Ridges
By Linda Tancs
Part of the Southern Ridges, Mount Faber Park is one of Singapore’s oldest parks. Its hilltop is covered by a secondary rainforest, a unique green space in this thriving financial capital. You’ll enjoy a panoramic view of the southern part of Singapore and the southern islands from the cable cars heading to Sentosa, Singapore’s island resort. Alternatively, view the terrain from the telescopes at one of the many lookout points that are situated at various sides of the ridge. The Southern Ridges Guided Walk begins at the park, where visitors can learn about its history and natural heritage.
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Gateway to Lake Baikal
By Linda Tancs
The hub of Eastern Siberia, Irkutsk is a popular stop on the Trans-Siberian Railway between Moscow and all points east thanks to its vibrantly colored churches and array of theaters and museums. It’s also a popular gateway to Lake Baikal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site nicknamed the Pearl of Siberia. Begin your exploration at Irkutsk Regional Museum, the oldest museum in Siberia and the first provincial museum in Russia. The Moorish-style building contains a history of the museum itself, dating to 1782 before a fire forced its relocation in 1883. You can book tours of Irkutsk and Baikal in the museum.
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At the Foot of the Pyrénées
By Linda Tancs
Beautifully set between the mountains and the ocean, it’s easy to see why the ancient royal city of Pau, France, was a prestigious resort for aristocrats from around the world in the 19th century. No less popular today, this charming city at the foot of the Pyrénées is a winter mecca for skiers and a go-to destination for art and history buffs. Enjoy a walk along central Pau’s Boulevard des Pyrénées where countryside views and mountain panoramas prevail on clear days. The boulevard leads up to the castle of Château de Pau, birthplace of King Henry IV of France and Navarre. Another treasure is the Pau Museum of Fine Arts, one of Aquitaine’s biggest museums and home to masterpieces from the 15th to 20th centuries, including a famous painting by Degas.
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Veteran Trees at Hatfield
By Linda Tancs
Just 21 miles north of London, England, Hatfield House is a fine Jacobean house and garden in a spectacular countryside setting in Hertfordshire. Blessed with an extensive parkland, three separate walks range in length from just over one mile to just over three miles. The medieval grounds, site of the childhood home of Queen Elizabeth I, boast ancient oak, hornbeam and beech pollards. One ancient oak in the park reputedly marks the place where the young Princess Elizabeth first heard of her accession to the throne. Hatfield House is nowadays the home of the 7th Marquess and Marchioness of Salisbury and their family. The pedestrian entrance to Hatfield Park is opposite Hatfield railway station. The fast train from Kings Cross to Hatfield takes 20 minutes.
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East Anglia’s Waterfront Town
By Linda Tancs
Steeped in history, Ipswich is a waterfront town in East Anglia. The county town of Suffolk, it’s the oldest Anglo-Saxon town in England. The town was granted a royal charter in 1200 and has been closely linked with the discovery of the New World and with historical figures such as Cardinal Wolsey and Charles Dickens. The town’s unique and free museum delves into Suffolk’s past from the Iron Age to the Romans and Saxons. Woolly mammoths were believed to have lived in the Ipswich area until 11,500 years ago, a fact commemorated by the life-size model that serves as a mascot in the museum.
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Azaleas Bloom in Tokyo
By Linda Tancs
Every year between early April and early May, Tokyo’s Nezu Shrine is ablaze in color as 100 varieties of azaleas bloom in its garden. And so marks the Azalea Festival, where visitors are treated to some rare varieties such as Fuji-tsutsuji (tiny bean-size flowers), Hanaguruma (pinwheel-like flowers) and Karafune (black azalea). Along with the flowers, there’s a plant fair, an antique fair, festive stalls and a special timed viewing of Sanjuroku kasen-e paintings.
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Rock Architecture in India
By Linda Tancs
Some of the most magnificent achievement in the history of rock architecture in western India is found in Elephanta Island off the coast of Mumbai. Located about 50 minutes away from the city by ferry, the island is known for its cave temples and sculptures from the mid-fifth to sixth centuries. The 15 large reliefs in the main cave not only constitute one of the greatest examples of Indian art but also one of the most important collections dedicated to Shiva. An added bonus is the journey to the island itself, offering spectacular views in clear weather of the iconic Gateway to India, a massive archway fronting Mumbai’s natural harbor dedicated to a visit by England’s King George V and Queen Mary.
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The Path to Wisdom
By Linda Tancs
Located in Lantau, Hong Kong’s largest outlying island, Wisdom Path follows a series of 38 wooden steles (upright slabs) containing verses from the centuries-old Heart Sutra — one of the world’s best known prayers revered by Confucians, Buddhists and Taoists alike. Rendered in Chinese and based on the calligraphy of famous contemporary scholar Professor Jao Tsung-I, the monuments are arranged in a pattern representing infinity. It’s a short walk from the largest outdoor seated Buddha statue in the world known as Big Buddha and the accompanying Po Lin Monastery.
