Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Capitals of Culture in 2020
By Linda Tancs
Happy New Year! And you know what that means—another set of European Capitals of Culture! This year’s honorees are Rijeka (Croatia) and Galway (Ireland). Croatia’s third-largest city, Rijeka is its principal seaport, with an attractive promenade along the city center (Korzo). Given its seafaring heritage, a visit to the Maritime and History Museum is a must. Housed in the former Governor’s Palace, it includes artifacts like a Titanic life jacket, picked up by a worker on the Carpathia, the ship that saved over 700 passengers. In Galway, the offerings for its celebratory year will be classically Irish yet seen through a European lens. It’s a perfect opportunity for the Galway International Arts Festival team to collaborate on a year of arts programming. Don’t miss the chance to stroll along the city’s canals, following the River Coribb, where the locale is perched.
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A Rewarding Experience
By Linda Tancs
Most folks probably wouldn’t consider a trek through an airport (particularly on a layover) to be a rewarding experience. But you might feel differently at London’s Heathrow airport, where retail therapy is made more encouraging with Heathrow Rewards. Similar to other loyalty programs, you simply use your card at virtually any retail location at the airport to collect points toward spending on shopping, dining or transportation services. You can even boost your frequent flier balance by applying rewards points to your account. The program is free to join.
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A Dutch Hansa Town
By Linda Tancs
The Dutch Hanseatic towns are seven towns along the IJssel River, part of the Hanseatic (Hansa) League, a once powerful confederation of merchant guilds and market towns in northwestern and central Europe. One of those towns is Kampen, a charming place boasting its mercantile roots with historic warehouses and a fish market near the old town hall that has been doing business since the 14th century. It even hosts a replica of the medieval merchant ship De Kamper Hanze Kogge. Once the site of a prosperous tobacco industry, De Olifant is the only brand still produced in the factory on Voorstraat. Take the Kamperlijntje train from Zwolle, just nine miles away.
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Seattle’s Hidden Treasure
By Linda Tancs
There’s a side to Seattle, Washington, that you definitely haven’t seen. That’s because it’s hidden underground, a city entombed when the locale rebuilt on top of itself after the Great Fire of 1889. The result is a series of interconnecting tunnels revealing subterranean storefronts and sidewalks with plenty of stories to tell. You can experience it via a 75-minute underground tour beginning beneath Doc Maynard’s Public House and ending at Rogues Gallery. The easiest way to get there is by bus or light rail.
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The Little White House
By Linda Tancs
Florida’s only presidential museum, the Little White House in Key West was a sanctuary and working office for numerous U.S. presidents. It was foremost the winter White House for President Harry S. Truman and remains an occasional site for government functions. Tours are given daily. This is a great time to enjoy vintage Christmas decor from a bygone era. Merry Christmas!
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World’s Longest Sea Bridge
By Linda Tancs
Dubbed the world’s longest sea bridge, China’s Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge connects the Chinese mainland to Hong Kong and Macau. When it opened last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping hailed it as a showpiece of innovation and integration, spanning 34 miles across the Pearl River estuary. Now you can shave some time off the journey from the mainland to enjoy the Christmas celebrations in Hong Kong and Macau.
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The Spanish Tuscany
By Linda Tancs
Matarranya (Matarraña) is a Spanish gem bordering Catalonia and Valencia. Dubbed the Spanish Tuscany for its natural and cultural highlights, each part of the region boasts its own delights, like vineyards, olive groves, cheese and black truffles. Named after the Matarraña River, its most rugged terrain is the Puertos de Beceite range, a scenic area with a significant forest mass. Historically, the earliest civilization is evidenced by prehistoric rock art of the Iberian Mediterranean Basin (known as Levantine art), a UNESCO World Heritage Site encompassing over 700 locations. If you’ve never heard of this locale, it wouldn’t be surprising given that it is relatively unknown outside the immediate area. It’s reachable from Barcelona or Valencia by bus or train, and Reus airport is an hour or so away.
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Intrigue at the Palace
By Linda Tancs
Who doesn’t love a good story? The walls of Kenilworth Castle in Warwickshire, England, are filled with them. At the Great Hall, for example, Edward II was forced to abdicate in 1327 upon rising tensions with his French wife. Centuries later, Robert Dudley (Earl of Leicester) laid out the iconic tower and a formal privy garden in a final attempt to gain the hand of Elizabeth I, who stayed at the castle several times. Those gardens have been reconstructed, along with a staircase leading to Elizabeth’s chambers. One of the best castle ruins in the country, its view across the fields is one of the most famous landscapes painted by English Romantic painter J.M.W. Turner.
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Kale in Macedonia
By Linda Tancs
Kale in Macedonia: no, we’re not talking about today’s trendy vegetable. Turkish for “fortress” (and pronounced “kah-lay”), Kale is a historic fortress located in the old town of Skopje, the capital of the Republic of Macedonia. You can’t miss it, situated on the highest point in the city overlooking the Vardar River, the longest one in the country. Along the river’s eastern bank is the Old Bazaar, another landmark in the country, touted as the largest bazaar in the Balkans outside Istanbul. You can see these and other significant sites on a free walking and sightseeing tour (tips are appreciated).
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The Cajun Food Trail
By Linda Tancs
Cajun cuisine is a staple of Louisiana’s food culture. That’s especially true in the Cajun Bayou. Just 45 minutes south of New Orleans, it flows through wetlands and Cajun communities, the perfect place for a Cajun Bayou Food Trail. Along the route you can sample the Cajun delights of over a dozen restaurants. Stop by the visitor’s center in Raceland for a foodie passport and trail information. You can exchange your passport for a free, commemorative t-shirt once you’ve visited seven restaurants.
Travelrific® Travel Journal 