Linda A. Tancs's Blog: The Long and Short of It, page 101

Christmas Lights in Cuba

By Linda Tancs

Arguably Cuba’s most famous fireworks festival, Las Parrandas is a nationwide street party culminating at Christmas Eve with spectacular fireworks accompanied by lighted floats, dancing and parades. The festival originated in Remedios, one of the country’s oldest cities, initiated (as the story goes) by a priest who commissioned the local youth to make a joyful noise in the streets to entice churchgoers in the weeks leading up to Christmas. This beautiful colonial town also has a museum where photos, documents and handmade objects linked to the festivities are preserved.

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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.

Sleeping Beauty’s Inspiration

By Linda Tancs

Germany’s Neuschwanstein Castle is one of the most visited castles in Germany and one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe. Many folks probably know that its fairy-tale character served as inspiration for Sleeping Beauty Castle as well as for Cinderella Castle at Disney’s theme parks. Unlike those very well-trekked destinations, their source was intended as a very private retreat for reclusive King Ludwig II. How ironic that over 1 million people visit his refuge each year! Entrance tickets are available only at the ticket center in the village of Hohenschwangau below the castle. Your admission ticket is valid for a guided tour of the castle at a specific time. Go now and avoid the summertime crowds.

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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.

Australia’s Many Heads

By Linda Tancs

The Red Centre is the beating heart of Australia’s Outback. Aptly named for color, it’s an extraordinary landscape of desert plains, mountain ranges, gorges and some of Aboriginal Australia’s most sacred sites. Kata Tjuta (the Olgas) is among its many natural wonders and cultural landmarks. Translated as “many heads,” Kata Tjuta comprises soaring, domed rock formations that glow at sunrise and sunset. The site is sacred to the local Aboriginal Anangu people, who have inhabited the area for more than 22,000 years. The best way to view this area is by walking one of the trails. One of the shortest walks is to the Kata Tjuta dune viewing area, which offers panoramic views of the landscape. If you’re eager to escape the crowds, then maybe the longest walk is for you. Known as the Valley of the Winds Walk, the 4.5-mile trail compensates for its steepness and difficulty with breathtaking views between the domes.

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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.

Butting Heads in Poznań

By Linda Tancs

Poznań is a city on the Warta River in western Poland. Halfway between Warsaw and Berlin, its Old Market Square is ablaze in richly-colored townhouses where merchants once traded in fish, candles, torches and salt. The crown jewel of the square is the Town Hall, dubbed long ago as “the most beautiful Renaissance town hall north of the Alps” by an Italian architect. You’ll likely find the biggest crowd there at noon, when two mechanical billy goats glide forth from the clock tower to butt heads 12 times. The midday hour has been marked in this fashion since the 1500s. A trumpet call signals the start of the action.

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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.

The Fabled Ruins of Parnassus

By Linda Tancs

Mount Parnassus is one of Greece’s mythological mountains. Named after the son of a nymph, Parnassus was the site of several adventures of the god Apollo. Delphi, an important ancient Greek religious sanctuary sacred to Apollo, was located on the mountain. The sanctuary was also home to the famous Oracle of Delphi, whose ruins draw tourists by the thousands. Just 60 miles by car from Athens, this limestone peak offers commanding views of the surrounding olive groves and countryside.

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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.

Scissor Hands in Peru

By Linda Tancs

Evocative of the movie Edward Scissorhands, dancers in Peru wield a large pair of iron blades as they jump, dance and tumble on the ground. The ritual is known as La Danza de las Tijeras, an energetic and costumed presentation that has taken place for more than 500 years. It’s inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Performances occur around Christmastime, coinciding with the summer solstice celebration of the Andean indigenous people, as well as during agricultural festivals at other times of the year.

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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.

The River of Silver

By Linda Tancs

Río de la Plata (river of silver) is an estuary of the Paraná and Uruguay rivers and forms part of the border between Argentina and Uruguay. The major ports and capital cities of Buenos Aires and Montevideo grace its shores, one of the most densely populated areas of both Argentina and Uruguay. One of its many charms is the small island of Isla de Flores. It was once named Seal Island by visiting sailors for its vast number of South American fur seals. It’s perhaps better known for the historic lighthouse. Established in 1828, it’s still an active aid to navigation with two white flashes every 16 seconds, visible for 19 nautical miles.

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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.

The American Spa

By Linda Tancs

Thermal water has been used for thousands of years to treat arthritis, joint pain, burns and skin disorders. Some of the most famous thermal baths in the world are found in Europe—most notably, in Budapest, the so-called City of Spas. If an international jaunt is not in the budget, then look no further than Arkansas. That’s right: in the heart of the Ozarks a thriving city (named, of course, Hot Springs) was built around the thermal waters that attracted folks of all walks of life in the 1800s. In fact, the success of the bathing industry led to the city being touted as “the American Spa.” Hot Springs National Park surrounds the north end of the city. There you can tour a historic bathhouse, hike forested trails and, needless to say, take a nice, hot bath.

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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.

Art and Nature in San Diego

By Linda Tancs

Art and nature are inextricably linked at Balboa Park in San Diego, California. On the natural side, who can resist the 100-acre San Diego Zoo? There’s also the Moreton Bay fig tree, one of the three largest Moreton Bay figs in the State of California, with a height of 78 feet, a crown width of 123 feet and a trunk girth of 486 inches. Illuminated during the Balboa Park December Nights celebration each year, it was planted as a small tree in a garden of the 1915 Panama-California Exposition. That event also boasted The California Tower, an iconic city emblem and hybrid of architectural styles and artistic movements, including Baroque, Plateresque, Churrigueresque, Rococo and Gothic. You could spend days exploring the park’s rich and expansive environment. For the time-strapped, consider a ranger-led tour or stroll along at your own pace with a pre-recorded audio tour. There’s even a 35-minute guided bus tour that gives a good overview of the zoo.

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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.

Green Spain

By Linda Tancs

Cantabria is an autonomous region in northern Spain, a strip of land between the Bay of Biscay and the Cantabrian Mountains. It’s known as Green Spain because of its lush vegetation, aided by a wet climate influenced by the Atlantic Ocean that produces around 47 inches of rain per year. It’s prized for its prehistoric caves, most notably the Sistine Chapel of Paleolithic Art. The region also forms part of the Northern Way of the Way of St. James, a pilgrimage route. Cheese is practically a religion there, too. Be sure to try the pasiega cheesecake, a local favorite.

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To limit the spread of COVID-19, attractions may be closed or have partial closures. Please keep those affected by the virus in your thoughts and be sure to follow the safety practices advocated by the Centers for Disease Control. Stay safe, and be well.