Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Rock of Ages
By Linda Tancs
In a country filled with ancient remains, a newly discovered fortress over 3000 years old might not seem like a big deal. But in the City of David, just outside Jerusalem’s Old City, a 26-foot-high wall predating Herod proves that Jerusalem’s Bronze Age is characterized by more than measly little weapons and implements of the period. Now open to the public, the digs are believed to be part of a protected passageway built by Canaanites, residents of the Holy Land prior to the Hebrew conquest. And you thought the early Romans had dibs on the phrase “master builder.”
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Seafest is a Family Fun Affair
By Linda Tancs
Kaikoura Seafest at the Esplanade in Kaikoura, New Zealand bills itself as a smorgasbord of food, wine, and entertainment for the whole family. This year’s event will be held on 3 October, but be advised: tickets to the big top bash on 2 October are already sold out! The food part is easy; the event celebrates the abundance and variety of cuisine offered in the area, including mussels, paua, salmon, prawns, whitebait, ostrich, emu, crayfish, and more. As for the wine, this year’s event is sponsored by the North Canterbury Food and Wine Trail–need I say more? On the entertainment end, kids are sure to love the clowns, face painting, balloons and magic. Musical acts include The New Entrants, Sneaky Feet, Double Talk and The Black Velvet Band. Best of all, the winter has seen plenty of action in the Kaikoura Canyon, where three of the winter resident sperm whales have been sighted in addition to some transients. Just one more reason to make the trip.
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Beijing Celebrates Diversity
By Linda Tancs
Sixty years of Communist rule will soon be feted in Beijing when National Day celebrations commence on 1 October. In addition to its spectacular military parade on Tiananmen Square, the city has erected giant columns to celebrate China’s ethnic diversity. Rivaling the attention given the Bird’s Nest of Olympics fame, the pillars of red and gold are an imposing sight in a city basked in notoriety for its reinvention. Consider the refurbished Palace (now Peninsula) Hotel, the World Trade Center, Grand National Theatre and redesigned airport. Maybe the pillars are as much a tribute to architectural diversity as anything else.
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The Ultimate Fashion Show
By Linda Tancs
Every fashionista knows that the line between art and fashion is not always clearly defined. Perhaps nowhere is this more evident than at the WOW (World of Wearable Art) Show in Wellington, New Zealand, where fashion and art merge annually at this time of year. Now through 4 October the WOW Awards feature over 150 garments of worldwide designers hand picked by judges to compete for $100,000 in prize money. In this Carnivale-inspired atmosphere, the top threads are showcased in all their sartorial splendor in a 2-hour theatrical and musical presentation. Fashion meets art. Or art meets fashion? You decide.
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Hotel at the Crossroads
By Linda Tancs
Wilderness meets Baroque among the gentle peaks of the Hyblean Mountains in southeastern Sicily at Eremo della Giubiliana. A five-star hotel, it is set in a 12th century convent that served as a fortress against the incursions of Barbary pirates, surrounded by the Baroque cities of Ragusa and Modica. Above all, it may be the only hotel with its own archeological site, displaying the remains of ancient farm life with late Imperial age and Byzantine wall remains. Of course, you’d rather admire the relics than feel like one, which is why you can take in the view through the large glass doors of the hotel spa facing the site. As you might expect, the facility uses natural elements (like centuries-old olive trees hand crafted into fine soaps) to pamper its guests. As the saying goes, everything old is new again.
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Crawdaddy is King in Pensacola
By Linda Tancs
They’ll be packing away pistols in Pensacola, Florida this weekend, but it isn’t what you might think. Crawfish pistolettes, a Cajun specialty, will be featured along with southern style crab cakes, gator bites, blackened mahi mahi, bang bang shrimp, shrimp creole, boudin balls, and shark on a stick at Pensacola’s Seafood Festival in historic Seville Square downtown. The highlight, of course, is the Gulf fare for which this region in northwestern Florida is famous, but you can also shop at the arts and crafts fair or take part in a 5K run/walk, cooking demonstration, or just enjoy the music. The event is organized by Fiesta of Five Flags, a community group combining tourism promotion with local history. Thus, Fiesta is based upon the founding of Pensacola by Don Tristan de Luna in 1559 and celebrates the flags of five governments that have flown over the city: Spain, France, England, the Confederacy and the United States.
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Cranfest Draws Big Crowds
By Linda Tancs
In the tiny town of Warrens, Wisconsin, cranberries outnumber humans 3 to 1 (at least). But this is the heart of cranberry land, after all, so it shouldn’t be all that surprising. However, the human population swells to over 100,000, during the world’s largest cranberry festival, which takes place during the last full weekend in September in this little hamlet (population: less than 400). Now in its 37th year, Cranfest offers three miles of booths with everything from arts and crafts, flea markets and antiques to a farm market. After all that walking, you’ll be hungry. Why not indulge in some pancakes with cranberry syrup and some deep-fried cranberry fritters. Of course, you can take a tour of a working cranberry farm, too. Best of all, the proceeds from the event go right back to the community–civic pride at its best.
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Your Daily Bread
By Linda Tancs
At the Abbey of the Genesee, you’ll be given this day your daily Monks’ Bread. Located in Piffard, New York, the abbey grounds are graced by the Genesee River to the east, golden ponds, flora and fauna (deer and wild turkeys, for instance). All that peace and serenity belies the industriousness of its permanent occupants–the Trappist monks–who make up to nine varieties of specialty breads in a modern bakery operation. A taste of heaven, indeed.
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When Pigs Fly
By Linda Tancs
Victoria’s largest public event is taking place now through 27 September at the Royal Melbourne Show in Australia. Like a county fair, the show includes livestock, rides, exhibitions, food and competitions. Perhaps the most engaging contest of all is the pig racing and diving show. Held five times a day during the entire fair to accommodate its loyal followers, the show features flying pigs aiming for a perfect score of 10 as they dive in the water. And the crowd goes hog wild, as they say.
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Bavarian Air in Breckenridge
By Linda Tancs
U.S. statesman Benjamin Franklin is often misquoted as having said, “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” Surely, though, the sentiment is agreed in Breckenridge, Colorado, home of this weekend’s 15th annual Oktoberfest. Kicking off the festival is Friday night’s Brewmaster’s Dinner; reservations are required. Those in the know have no doubt already reserved their Oktoberfest lodging package, starting at $90 per person per night and including two nights of lodging, tickets to the Brewmaster’s Dinner, beer vouchers and a reserved commemorative beer stein. Day trippers can start the party at 11 am on Saturday and Sunday along historic Main Street. As you might expect, the thoroughfare will be rife with traditional costumes, German cuisine, oompah bands, Bavarian dancers and, of course, Paulaner bier by the steinload. The largest historic district in Colorado, this mountain town offers unforgettable fall foliage to complement the festivities. Can you take all that in during the day? Maybe you should look for some last minute lodging, just in case.
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Travelrific® Travel Journal 