Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Persian Pearls
By Linda Tancs
The ancient kingdom of Persia, now known as Iran, isn’t exactly a tourist magnet yet boasts 16 World Heritage sites worthy of distinction. Some, like the pre-Christian monumental ruins of Persepolis, represent one of the greatest ancient sites outside the Holy Land. Another top attraction is Isfahan’s Masjed-e Jāmé (“Friday mosque”), the oldest preserved edifice of its type in Iran and a prototype for later mosque designs throughout Central Asia. Created to exemplify Eden, the Persian Garden is a collection of nine gardens selected from various regions of Iran, maintaining an ancient geometric model and integrating cultural and social aspects of society in a manner intended to harmonize with natural surroundings. Thankfully, many of its historic sites are far removed from the more problematic border zones around Iraq and Afghanistan, a plus for the many university groups seeking tours of Persia’s pearls.
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All in the Family
By Linda Tancs
In Little Silver, New Jersey there’s an old house that predates the founding of the United States. Known as the Parker Homestead, the unassuming white Colonial with green shutters dates to 1725 or so. Descended from the earliest English settlers in New Jersey, the Parker family retained ownership of the home for over 300 years. This National Historic Site also boasts a horse barn, livestock barn and wagon barn. Together with the house, all four structures sit on land acquired by Joseph and Peter Parker under a land grant in 1665.
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A Year of Homecoming
By Linda Tancs
Although national gathering festivals are nothing new, it’s easy to appreciate each country’s unique artistic, cultural and ancestral heritage. This year, it’s Scotland’s turn to shine. Dubbed the Year of Homecoming, the slate of events includes a whisky festival, a re-enactment of Britain’s battle with Robert the Bruce, a celebration of Forth Bridges’ 50th anniversary and the Highland Games, a tradition since 1867.
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The Centre of the World
By Linda Tancs
Have you ever pondered which town is the nearest to the centre of the world? The people of Ludbreg in Croatia would have you believe that since ancient times certain circles of the earth expanded concentrically from their fair town, determining the position of major European cities. And so every year the citizens of Ludbreg add another tile bearing the name of one of the cities of the world to their main square on 1 April, Ludbreg’s birthday. It’s no April Fools’ Day joke; today is the Day of the Centre of the World.
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A Land of Urban Culture
By Linda Tancs
Croatia prides itself as a land of urban culture, sporting more cities than any other part of the Mediterranean. But the Mediterranean is only part of its charm, circled as it is by eastern, western and central Europe. Learn more about this newest member of the European Union on Travelrific® Travel Show.
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An Architectural Trifecta in Belarus
By Linda Tancs
Mir Castle, a red brick fortress in Belarus, is a trifecta of Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance architecture. Located in the town of Mir in the Grodno region (55 miles southwest of Minsk), the fortification serves as an emblem of the vast Lithuanian empire that ruled the region, the castle grounds having once belonged to the grand dukes. The castle complex was later built by Prince Yuri Ilyinich in the 16th century and became the family home of the Radziwills for over two centuries, who undertook extensive renovations of the complex to include an artificial lake, an Italian garden and a three story Renaissance palace along the eastern and northern walls of the castle. Recently renovated and restored, the castle is again open to the public.
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The Graves of Arles
By Linda Tancs
Southwest of the center of Arles in southern France is the ancient Roman necropolis, Les Alyscamps. Later a Christian burial ground, the path lined with numerous sarcophagi was a subject of paintings by Van Gogh and his onetime roommate, Gauguin. Van Gogh was quite prolific while residing in Arles; the Van Gogh trail is a self-guided walking tour highlighting points of artistic inspiration.
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Like No Place Else on Earth
By Linda Tancs
According to the National Park Service, Crater Lake National Park, Oregon’s only national park, is like no place else on Earth. Maybe it’s the lake at the heart of it all, one of the world’s deepest. Its majestic blue color can be viewed by driving the 33-mile path around the rim or getting up close and personal on a boat tour. Along the way, maybe you’ll see the Old Man, a mountain hemlock log that has been floating upright in the lake for more than 100 years!
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The Mob Mentality in Las Vegas
By Linda Tancs
In the heart of downtown Las Vegas is a former federal courthouse and U.S. Post Office included on both the Nevada and National Registers of Historic Places. Hearings on organized crime were conducted in this building at a time when legendary mobsters ruled The Strip. Nowadays it’s better known as the Mob Museum, where theater presentations, artifacts, and interactive exhibits capture the struggle between organized crime and law enforcement. Nothing but the truth prevails here, if you can handle it.
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Indoors at the Globe
By Linda Tancs
Like in Shakespeare’s time, London’s Globe Theatre is open to the elements–thus sometimes hath the brightest day a cloud, as The Bard wrote in Henry VI. But even the staunchest theatregoer wouldn’t mind some cover, 17th century protocols notwithstanding. That’s where the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse comes in. The newest addition to the Globe is an indoor candlelit theatre, accessible through the main foyer. The venue offers plays, concerts, opera and comedy. The Globe is best accessed on foot. Use a footpath along the Thames from Waterloo or Southwark Bridge.
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