Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for tourism
Opera on the Lake at Bregenz
By Linda Tancs
The town of Bregenz, the capital of Vorarlberg in the westernmost area of Austria, is located on the Bodensee (Lake Constance). Like any lake district, it offers striking views of the neighboring settlements from its eastern shores, especially those viewed from mount Pfänder towards Lindau. Unlike any other lake district, it has an open-air floating stage to mesmerize visitors during the annual Bregenzer Festspiele, a summer music festival open now through 22 August. This year’s opera on the lake is Verdi’s Aida, a fitting selection for a story that uses the banks of the Nile as a backdrop. As if that setting weren’t memorable enough, you can add to the experience with the purchase of a premium ticket for Festival Lounge, which includes a four-course dinner and a loaner of Swarovski opera glasses for viewing the four-act extravaganza in the lounge’s comfortable, covered viewing area. Your chariot awaits.
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A Fête in Belgium
By Linda Tancs
July 21 is National Day in Belgium, marking the day on which Leopold I took the constitutional oath as the first King of Belgium on this date in 1831 following the country’s independence from the Netherlands. For those lucky enough to have arrived for the opening of the urban Brussels Beach (Bruxelles les Bains), today’s events from 10 a.m. till midnight include merry makers parading in the capital amidst streets filled with black, yellow and red flags, music, theatre, an army exhibition at Place Poelaert and an arts and crafts market on the Rue de la Régence. That’s enough entertainment to keep you busy until the fireworks over the Royal Palace.
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Of Plate and Planet
By Linda Tancs
In support of taste education worldwide is the slow food movement. Slow food is a way of life–an appreciation of traditional artisanal food production waiting to delight traveling taste buds–an art that is as much a part of the landscape and tradition of a culture as any tourist destination. Slow food is also a recognition that safeguarding biodiversity in the pursuit of gastronomy mandates proper control of natural resources. With over 100,000 members and 132 countries, you’ll have all the support you need to stop and smell all that terra madre has to offer.
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The Lavender Capital of America
By Linda Tancs
On Washington State’s Olympic Peninsula sits a tiny town with a big inventory of lavender. Sequim, Washington might not exactly roll off the tongue, but the little farming community’s half-million lavender bloom of some 50 varieties earns it the title of Lavender Capital of North America. With a climate akin to the world’s lavender capital in Provence, France, it’s no surprise that business is booming. And Sequim wants everyone to know it, which is why they’ve hosted an annual Lavender Festival for the past 13 years. The 14th annual celebration of the showy and delectable sprig will take place from 16 to 18 July on Fir Street between Sequim Avenue and Third Avenue downtown. Enjoy the lavender goods, arts, music, food and farmers’ goods. You can even take a tour of the lavender farms. Plan on spending time in the valley? Be sure to bring your walking shoes. There’s plenty to see amidst the the soaring Olympic mountain range and the waters of the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
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Chopin in Paris
By Linda Tancs
Last call for the Chopin Festival at Orangerie du Parc de Bagatelle in Paris. The closing concert at 5 p.m. marks 27 years of chamber music honoring the great composer. This year’s event also honored Robert Schumann on the occasion of his 200th birthday. And what better day to enjoy a little musical serenity in the Eiffel district than today, a national holiday commemorating the storming of the Bastille. After the concert, hang around for the Bastille fireworks over the Trocadéro around 10 p.m.
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A Revival in Algeria
By Linda Tancs
It takes a village to raise a child, goes an African proverb. On a high mountain peak overlooking the Gulf of Bejaia in Algeria, it takes a village to bring tourism and land development back to Djoua Kabyle, a village decimated and abandoned in 1958 following the Liberation War. From 15 to 22 July the locals will hold the Festival De Djoua, themed “Tourism and Local Development,” in a bid to raise awareness of economic and social development in the area. Amidst a backdrop including sea, mountains, and archeological sites, locals will demonstrate their handicrafts and offer entertainment in the nature of music, storytelling, poetry and theater. Kids are sure to enjoy the donkey rides and playground. Lecturers will also be on hand to inform visitors about the history of the region and its future potential. Find a cheap flight from Paris.
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Big Wheels in California
By Linda Tancs
Mountain bikers will find nirvana at northern California’s Northstar-at-Tahoe Resort, where they offer over 100 miles of trails and a season bike pass for $279. Best of all, if you don’t want to use the lifts, you can bike the trails for free. You can get your rental at the Village at Northstar. Once you’ve conquered the hills, why not entertain yourself at the Village? Through the end of August you can enjoy your favorite tunes from the 70s and 80s on Tuesdays at the roller rink, or watch a movie there after sundown. You’ve got 21 open shops and 12 places to dine, too. A good day, as they say at Tahoe.
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Montreal Celebrates the Circus
By Linda Tancs
Those seeking professional training in the circus arts have found a home in Montreal since 1981 when the National Circus School opened. Amazingly, during all that time the cultural pursuits in this artsy city did not include a festival celebrating the very talent that the metropolis attracts each year. All that changed today with the opening of the first Festival of Circus Arts, an extravaganza uniting circus artists from Belgium, Germany, Spain and Canada through 25 July. Elephants not included.
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Wild and Scenic in Idaho
By Linda Tancs
At the River Dance Lodge Ranch Resort in Kooskia, Idaho, they say dreams come true and memories last forever. Well, how could you forget whitewater rafting, fly fishing, canoeing and kayaking in the Lochsa, Selway and Middle Fork of the Clearwater River, three of the original eight rivers in the area protected over 40 years ago by the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act? Hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding along the banks is available for those who prefer terra firma. Highway 12, designated an All American Highway, passes right in front of the lodge and offers easy access to the Lewis & Clark Trail. Sounds like a dream come true to me.
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One Man is an Island
By Linda Tancs
In one of English poet John Donne’s meditations, he famously wrote that no man is an island. Well, almost. Just outside the hustle and bustle of the Beltway rest nearly 90 acres of wildlife reserve accessible from the George Washington Memorial Parkway known as the Theodore Roosevelt Island. A fitting tribute to the conservationist ethos of the 26th U.S. President, the area is flush with forest, tidal marsh and wooded swamp, presided over by a life-sized presidential bronze. Teddy would no doubt approve.
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