Linda A. Tancs's Blog: The Long and Short of It, page 105

The Art of Trash in Sonoma

By Linda Tancs

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, as the saying goes. You might invoke that thought when you visit the trash art in Sebastopol, California. Made from recycled trash like old cars, cookware, discarded pipes and aluminum trash cans, it’s an outdoor exhibit of outsized and outlandish figures adorning a three-block radius along Florence Avenue in this small Sonoma County town. Conceived by Patrick Amiot and Brigitte Laurent, the works include a rat at the wheel of a hot rod, a tea-sipping Mad Hatter, a joy-riding skeleton on a chopper, giant birds and a mermaid.

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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 Bellarine Trails

By Linda Tancs

Australia’s Bellarine Peninsula is a peninsula located southwest of Melbourne in Victoria boasting fabulous trails. First there’s the tasting trail, featuring the best of cool-climate wines that define the region. Along with nationally rated five-star wineries, the trail includes top suppliers of local produce, olive oil, cheeses, pies and seafood. You can walk off your gastronomic experience along the second route, the Bellarine Rail Trail. That’s a 20-mile walking and cycling track following the route of the former South Geelong to Queenscliff branch line. Pace yourself; the hike takes about eight hours to complete.

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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.

An African City of Bridges

By Linda Tancs

Constantine is the third-largest city in Algeria, currently named for Emperor Constantine the Great, who restored the city following its destruction during a war before his succession. It’s popularly known as the “city of bridges,” an unsurprising title given the precipitous gorge through which the Rhumel River flows. Of the eight bridges, the most spectacular is arguably Sidi M’Cid, which at one time was the highest suspension bridge in the world. Its eastern side leads to Monument aux Morts, a memorial built to honor the French soldiers from Constantine who died during World War I. From there you can enjoy panoramic views over the plateau (some 2,000 feet above sea level) on which the city sits.

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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.

Gateway to the Amazon

By Linda Tancs

Known as the Gateway to the Amazon, Belém is the capital of the Brazilian state of Pará. Founded by the Portuguese in the 1600s, the city boasts well-preserved, Portuguese-colonial architecture along the riverfront district. The docklands also feature South America’s largest outdoor market, Mercado Ver-o-Peso, a site offering not only foods and vegetables but also crafts and antiques. A big highlight this time of year is the city’s religious festival known as Círio de Nazaré (The Taper of Our Lady of Nazareth), inscribed by UNESCO on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The event culminates in a procession on Sunday, when a wooden image of Our Lady of Nazareth is carried from Sé Cathedral to Sanctuary Square, accompanied by hordes of pilgrims from around the country.

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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.

African American History in the Sourlands

By Linda Tancs

Sourland Mountain is a ridge straddling the borders of Somerset, Hunterdon and Mercer counties in New Jersey. Among its charms is one of the most historic buildings, the 120-year-old, one-room Mount Zion African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church. Now known as the Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum, it recounts the culture and contributions of African Americans who lived in the Sourlands for hundreds of years.

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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.

From Castle to Hostel

By Linda Tancs

St. Briavels Castle began in the 12th century as a significant means of defense against the campaigns of the Welsh. Strategically located in the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, it reaped the benefits of the area’s renown as a center of the medieval iron industry and the manufacture of crossbow bolts. Under King Edward I, thousands of crossbow bolts were produced at the castle in preparation for the king’s defensive campaigns. Once the conquest of Wales was completed, the castle served as a debtor’s prison. These days, the castle’s gatehouse prison serves as a youth hostel. Due to this use, access to the interior is limited; visitors should call ahead. However, the exterior of the castle and moat can be viewed during daylight hours, and there is seasonal access (April to October) to the inner bailey and courtyard.

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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.

Between Pakistan and China

By Linda Tancs

Some might call the Karakoram Highway the ultimate road trip. Or maybe thrill ride is a better term. Connecting China and Pakistan across the Karakoram mountain range, it’s loaded with hairpin turns, pencil-thin roads and steep slopes. It’s also billed as the world’s highest paved international border crossing, reaching over 15,000 feet above sea level. Stretching about 800 miles, part of its path traces the ancient Silk Road, a network of trade routes formally established during the Han Dynasty of China. If you’re keen to test your stamina (as well as your nerves), then this might be the trip for you.

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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.

Land of the Gonds

By Linda Tancs

The area occupying India’s Kanha National Park was once the domain of one of Central India’s indigenous tribes, the Gonds. Now it’s a popular tiger reserve, one of the finest in the country. But don’t overlook its other jewels, like the endangered swamp deer. Conservation efforts have boosted the population so significantly that the species is now regarded as “the jewel of Kanha National Park.” Get ready for a visit during peak season, October to March. The park is accessible from popular destinations like Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh.

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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.

An Agent of Change in Richmond

By Linda Tancs

The home of Maggie L. Walker in Richmond, Virginia, became a prime location in the heart of Jackson Ward (a National Historic Landmark), the center of Richmond’s African American business and social life at the turn of the century. At that residence she devoted her life to civil rights advancement, economic empowerment and educational opportunities for Jim Crow-era African Americans and women. She was no less an inspiration in her own right, being the first Black woman in the U.S. to found a bank. She also established a newspaper and spearheaded a variety of civic groups. Her home is a National Historic Site on North 2nd Street.

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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.

A Whale of a Time in Iceland

By Linda Tancs

If you’ve dreamed of getting up-close and personal with a whale without risk, then Reykjavik’s whale museum is the place for you. Appropriately named Whales of Iceland, it showcases life-size replicas of 23 whale species found in Icelandic waters. Painstakingly reproduced, the exhibition includes an 82-foot-long blue whale, a full-size sperm whale and even an endangered North Atlantic right whale. You can download an audio tour to your phone or tablet or take advantage of the guided tour offered at 1:30 p.m. to all ticket holders.

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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.