Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for short reads
The 2016 European Capitals of Culture
By Linda Tancs
New year, new cultural pursuits. The European Union’s honorees for 2016 Capitals of Culture are the Spanish city of Donostia-San Sebastian and Wroclaw, Poland’s fourth largest city. San Sebastian, the third largest city in the Basque Country, is focusing their agenda on a community of culture to foster peaceful coexistence. Seeking to link the two cultural capitals, Wroclaw’s opera director is planning a massive Spanish folk musical at the local stadium, featuring 50 dance groups and 80 choirs performing under the direction of a Spaniard. What a perfect way to promote understanding through culture and the arts.
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Rocks of Ages
By Linda Tancs
Cappadocia, Turkey, is a kingdom of caves and rock formations. Above ground, the chimney-like rocks have been carved into dwellings and, in some cases, luxury hotels. Below ground teems an ancient metropolis, carved deep into the earth by troglodytes. How best to view it depends on your point of view, literally. How about a hot air balloon ride above ground? Some of the underground cities, like Derinkuyu (the deepest), are open for tours.
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New Glass in China
By Linda Tancs
Twenty-five times stronger than other forms of glass, the glass-bottomed suspension bridge at Shiniuzhai National Geological Park in southeastern China’s Hunan province is aptly named Brave Man’s Bridge (Haohan Qiao). It stands, after all, 590 feet above a valley, a vertigo-inducing attraction in a land enamored with skywalks these days. But, as the saying goes, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet. The skywalk to end all skywalks is afoot (no pun intended) in Zhangjiajie National Park. Spanning a gap between two cliffs at a height of 984 feet and a length of 1,410, it will be the world’s highest and longest glass-bottomed bridge.
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Chocolate for a Cause
By Linda Tancs
Famagusta Gate is one of three original entrances into the old city of Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus. Not surprisingly, it serves as a cultural center. This weekend you could call it a chocolate center. That’s because the third annual chocolate festival is coming to town. A festive event, previous participants included ION chocolate, Lindt, Kalopesas and Platres Chocolate Workshop. Live chocolate shows, lessons and exhibitions are on the agenda. As usual, proceeds will be donated to local charities, a good reason to indulge without guilt.
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The Graveyard of the Pacific
By Linda Tancs
The Columbia River Bar represents a clash of the titans. That’s where the mighty Columbia River (the largest in the Pacific Northwest) meets the Pacific Ocean. As the river surges towards its meeting point, it drops a deposit of sand and silt that extends six miles into the ocean. Not surprisingly, this can result in a navigational nightmare. In fact, since 1792 around 2,000 ships have sunk in this area, earning it the moniker “Graveyard of the Pacific.” One of the most popular shipwrecks is the Peter Iredale. Its skeletal remains are on the beach at Clapsop Spit at Fort Stevens State Park in Hammond, Oregon.
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On the Ridge of First Mountain
By Linda Tancs
Originally known as “Kypsburg,” Kip’s Castle and its grounds span the ridge of First Mountain, on the border between Montclair and Verona townships in New Jersey. Constructed in the early 1900s for textile inventor and industrialist Frederick Ellsworth Kip and his wife, the estate’s glorious 9,000-square-foot mansion replicates a medieval Norman castle. The first floor is open for self-guided tours, a particular treat this time of year with holiday décor in full swing.
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Loons in New Hampshire
By Linda Tancs
It’s high loon season. No, we’re not talking harried travelers; we’re talking waterbirds, like ducks and geese. Their closest relatives, however, are penguins and albatrosses. The common loon is the most widespread species. Marveled at for its yodels, hoots and hollers, the Granite State has about 280 pairs of loons to delight visitors at most lakes. Squam Lakes Natural Science Center in Holderness, New Hampshire, is a particular favorite of locals and tourists. The seasonal boat cruise is a great way to learn about the natural history of the lake and its popular wildlife. You’ll also view locations where the movie On Golden Pond was filmed.
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A Sphere of Influence
By Linda Tancs
Water towers are fascinating objects, as some blogs will attest. For residents of Union, New Jersey, its 211-foot water sphere has long been a prized possession, rising regally above the Kawameeh swamp to greet weary motorists and air travelers alike. Constructed in 1965, the tower became the tallest water sphere in the world. A different structure, a 220-foot colossus in Erwin, North Carolina, is technically a spheroid, so Union’s prize is still unmatched.
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Racing Around the Caribbean
By Linda Tancs
Nelson’s Dockyard is the only Georgian dockyard in the world and is the largest tourist attraction on Antigua. In its midst is The Inn at English Harbour, a relaxing location from which competitors in today’s Royal Ocean Racing Club’s Caribbean 600 have been gearing up for the fourth annual yacht race around 11 Caribbean islands. The RORC Caribbean 600 features over 500 hundred competitors from at least 24 different nations taking part in this high-speed yacht race. The list of nations represented includes Australia, Austria, Canada, Cayman Islands, Croatia, France, Germany, Great Britain, Holland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malta, New Zealand, Norway, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden and the United States. The largest yacht competing this year is Hetairos, the world’s largest carbon composite sailing yacht and the favorite to win.
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Don’t Idle in Italy
By Linda Tancs
Anyone who has ever traveled to Venice, Italy, during peak season has experienced the herding phenomenon in and around the square and across its famous bridges, not to mention the scowls and angry utterances of the locals trying to keep pace with the droppings of litterbugs and loiterers. Well, idle no more. The Venetians are reclaiming their turf with fines for those foolish enough to nosh on their panini while touring. So sit down (at a table, that is), relax, and enjoy that gelato. Grazie.
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