Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for wales
The Most Fun Place on Earth
By Linda Tancs
Wales just might be the most fun place on Earth. Snowdonia, to be precise, is where Europe’s longest and fastest zipline debuted. Now, hold on to your hats–or bottoms, as the case may be–the same site has unveiled the world’s largest underground trampoline. A special train transports adventurous souls into the depths of the former Blaenau Ffestiniog slate mine, where three huge trampoline-like nets are hung at varying levels, linked together by walkways and slides. Participants in this first-of-its-kind experience are outfitted with cotton overalls and a safety helmet. Granted, an abandoned mine can be a bit drab, so LED lighting has been added to the walls for a more illuminating experience. Are you ready to put a little bounce in your step?
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The Big Zipper
By Linda Tancs
What is one mile long, 500 feet high and flies at speeds up to 100 miles per hour? Answer: The Big Zipper, Europe’s longest and fastest zipline. Located at an abandoned quarry in Snowdonia, North Wales, this adrenaline-boosting tourist attraction offers spectacular mountain views–if you keep your eyes open long enough to enjoy it! Are you ready to fly like an eagle? If not, no worries. The Little Zipper might be just the ticket for you.
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Waxing Poetic in Wales
By Linda Tancs
Welshman Dylan Thomas is best known for his poetry although he also wrote scripts for radio broadcasts, radio plays, short stories, films and an unfinished novel. Wales is undergoing a yearlong celebration of the centenary of his birth. The son of Swansea wrote many of his major works at a house in Laugharne, where the annual Laugharne Weekend takes place each April. This year’s centenary event will feature additional poetry weekends there into early May.
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A Leek or a Daffodil
By Linda Tancs
The Brits celebrate St. George. The Scots revere St. Andrew. What about the Welsh? Their patron saint is St. David, and 1 March marks St. David’s Day. Declared a national day of celebration in the 18th century, the first day of March was chosen to commemorate the saint’s death on that day in 589. Many miracles are attributed to Dewi Sant (St. David), who reputedly caused the ground to rise beneath him so he could be heard and seen by the congregation. The capital city of Cardiff will host its annual parade on 1 March beginning at 12:30 p.m. outside City Hall. The national emblems, leeks and daffodils, are typically worn on that day.
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Baroque Wonder in Wales
By Linda Tancs
A baroque garden is an elaborate entanglement of color, shape and size with artistic or dramatic flair, characterized by grand terraced landscapes. In Powys, Wales, Powis Castle’s hanging terraces remain virtually intact since the 1600s. That makes Powis one of the best surviving examples of baroque gardening in the United Kingdom. Hewn from the rock, the terraces are dominated by yew topiaries over 300 years old. The views of parkland below are dazzling, and don’t miss the woodland walks opposite the terraces.
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Where the Stars Are
By Linda Tancs
Light management is critical to preserving the beauty of the night sky. Just ask the folks at the International Dark-Sky Association, a non-profit organization fighting to preserve the night. They’ve certified five places in the world as an International Dark Sky Reserve–in other words, that’s where the stars are. The honorees are Mont Mégantic in Canada, Exmoor National Park in England, Aoraki Mackenzie in New Zealand, NamibRand Nature Reserve in Namibia and Brecon Beacons National Park in Wales.
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A Welsh Valentine
By Linda Tancs
Spooning your sweetie has a meaning all its own, particularly today, the Welsh equivalent to Valentine’s Day. Saint Dwynwen’s Day celebrates the patron saint of Welsh lovers. Like its 14 February equivalent, it’s a day for gift giving. And what better gift could there be than a Welsh lovespoon, handcarved in wood with symbols of love like interlocking hearts and wedding bells. Wishing you all love and friendship.
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Twenty Ten Hosts Ryder Cup
By Linda Tancs
Twenty Ten, located at the Celtic Manor Resort in Wales’s Usk Valley, is the first course ever built specifically for the Ryder Cup, golf’s crowning event taking place there from 1 to 3 October. The 71-par course presents water challenges on half of its holes to complement its many risk-and-reward dilemmas. Best leave that to the pros. For the rest of us, there’s a golf academy featuring a floodlit driving range, practice range, golf shop and teaching bays and two luxurious golf clubhouses to relax and unwind from it all. Located less than three hours from London, catch a direct train from Paddington.
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Voices of Wales
By Linda Tancs
Each year since 1947 the little town of Llangollen in the Dee Valley of northeast Wales hosts a big show: the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod. Now through 12 July, this musical festival and competition includes thousands of international choirs, folk singers and dancers. Many stars credit the festival with developing their musical careers, including Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavorotti. If you missed the grand opening Parade of Nations through the village streets on 7 July, then stick around for the grand finale, a “Licensed to Thrill” concert celebrating the music of James Bond featuring the orchestra of the Welsh National Opera.
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The World’s First City to Go Green
By Linda Tancs
The Welsh have six different ways of saying “green,” so it should come as no surprise that Wales boasts the first city to adopt an all-green program. The tiny hamlet of St. David’s has initiated an Eco City Project designed to maintain a carbon neutral lifestyle. The project supports the planting and preservation of trees to absorb carbon emissions, harvesting of rainwater, low-energy light bulbs and solar-heated water. Learn more at www.eco-city.co.uk.
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