Travelrific® Travel Journal
Picture postcards in prose.™ Check out the blogroll on the front page for official merchandise and other resources!Archive for travel writing
A Bar for the Madding Crowd
By Linda Tancs
Thanks to the digital era, humans have an attention span of nine seconds–that’s eight seconds more than a squirrel. Our reliance on technology is not likely to change, so why not embrace it? That’s what the folks at London’s The Thirsty Bear have done. The city’s first total self-service pub, each table comes equipped with iPads for food orders and self-pour beer taps. You can even surf the Net and choose jukebox music. The lack of queues is bound to make the crowd, well, less madding.
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Celebrating Cricket’s Bicentenary
By Linda Tancs
Lord’s, the home of cricket in London, celebrates 200 years of sport, having hosted the first known cricket match in 1814 between MCC and Hertfordshire. To commemorate the bicentenary of this venerated sporting venue, eager fans are awaiting this Saturday’s star-studded lineup in the MCC versus Rest of the World match. Luminaries include Sachin Tendulkar, Shane Warne, Brian Lara, Saeed Ajmal and Shahid Afridi. Can’t make the match? Visit the historic grounds and museum for a peek at the largest cricket collection in the world. The site is just a five minutes’ walk from St. John’s Wood tube station.
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Divine Guidance in Siena
By Linda Tancs
The avid horse player is likely to pray at the betting window to break even. In Siena, Italy, divine guidance is a central part of the race during Il Palio, the signature horse race taking place in the city each year on 2 July and 16 August. Today’s event honors Madonna of Provenzano; on 16 August the competition honors the ascension of the Virgin Mary into Heaven.
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Canada’s Big Day
By Linda Tancs
Today is Canada Day, a statutory holiday commemorating the nation’s creation. Prior to nationhood, a historic meeting took place in 1864 at Charlottetown port in Prince Edward Island that led to the Canadian Confederation. This year marks the 150th anniversary of that event, and PEI is celebrating yearlong with lots of festivals. Today’s free music festival at the Charlottetown Event Grounds features Barenaked Ladies, Tegan and Sara, Classified, David Miles, Roch Voisine, George Canyon and DRUM! Gates open at 12:00 p.m. Performers are on stage from 2:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
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Shaw’s Corner of Hertfordshire
By Linda Tancs
The writer Franz Kafka once remarked that writing is utter solitude. All great writers express the need for solitude–and some find it–like George Bernard Shaw. The Irish playwright moved at the height of his fame to an Edwardian villa in Ayot St. Lawrence in Hertfordshire, England known as Shaw’s Corner. In his garden he installed a shed–his writer’s nook–where he wrote Pygmalion, Man and Superman and Major Barbara. He named the little hut (which swivels to catch the sun) “London” so his wife could inform curious callers of his destination and avoid interrupting him. How clever!
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Fire and Brimstone
By Linda Tancs
The one-time sugar cane island of St. Kitts in the West Indies boasts one of the best-preserved historic fortifications in the Americas, located at Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park. Its walls, up to 12 feet thick, were built by African slaves from blackened basalt rock. A testament to British military engineering, it was dubbed the Gibraltar of the West Indies due to its imposing size and design. The 24-pound cannons and Magazine Bastion defended against the increasing use of explosive artillery shells. History buffs will love the remains of a complete military community of the 18th century.
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The World’s Highest Wheel
By Linda Tancs
There are plenty of high rollers in Las Vegas, but one High Roller is getting all the attention: the 550-foot-tall observation wheel commissioned by Caesars Entertainment. Debuting in March, the wheel promises unparalleled views of the Strip. At 51 stories high, it bests the Singapore Flyer, the Star of Nanchang and the London Eye, making it the world’s highest observation wheel. As usual, Vegas will not be outdone by anyone.
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Britain’s Cleanest Beach
By Linda Tancs
Part of the southernmost group of islands that make up the British Isles, Guernsey sits in the Channel Islands, less than 30 miles from the French coast. This 25-square-mile island is home to some of Europe’s most significant heritage sites, including prehistoric burial sites, World War II gun batteries and ancient forts. You might be surprised to learn that it also sports Britain’s cleanest beach, Vazon Bay. Located on the west coast, Vazon Bay is the island’s largest beach, a hot spot for surfers as well as families. While you’re living the island life, enjoy some potato peel pie. The dish gained notoriety thanks to the historical novel, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, which tells a story set during the German occupation of Guernsey during World War II, a time of scarcity when even potato peels were not wasted.
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Asia’s Largest Transnational Waterfall
By Linda Tancs
Spanning China and Vietnam, Detian is purportedly Asia’s largest transnational waterfall. Surrounded by karst mountain peaks, the three-tiered cascade reaches its most rapid pace in June and July. On the Chinese side, a walking path through tropical foliage lands you great views; just bring lots of mosquito repellent. To get there, go to Nanning and then take the coach at North Passenger Transportation Center to Daxin County. Upon arrival at Daxin, you should transfer to the bus route Daxin – Qilong – Detian.
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Land of the First Light
By Linda Tancs
Located south of Cape Cod in Massachusetts, the island of Martha’s Vineyard enjoys an international reputation as a summer playground for the well-heeled. The island’s original natives called the place Noepe, which means “land of the first light.” That may have been a prescient observation, considering the island is graced with five lighthouses: Edgartown, Cape Pogue, East Chop, West Chop and Gay Head. The sweeping views include Vineyard Sound, the tony enclaves of Edgartown Harbor and Chappaquiddick, and the cliffs of Aquinnah. No yacht? No worries. You can grab a flight to the island year round or take a ferry from Rhode Island, Hyannis or other ports.
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