Linda A. Tancs's Blog: The Long and Short of It, page 22

The Conrad Weiser Homestead

By Linda Tancs

The Conrad Weiser Homestead is a Pennsylvania state historic site in Womelsdorf that interprets the life of Conrad Weiser, an 18th-century German immigrant who played a major role in the history of colonial Pennsylvania. He was particularly notable for his knowledge of the Iroquois and in conducting matters of diplomacy with them. His efforts led to fairly stable relations between the Pennsylvania government and the Iroquois Nation during the 1730s and 1740s, and he later negotiated the Treaty of Easton, which concluded the vast majority of Indian insurrection in the eastern third of Pennsylvania. All visits to the homestead begin at the Visitor Center, which recounts Weiser’s many achievements in Native American diplomacy. In addition to the family home, the property includes his gravesite and an old springhouse.

American Helicopter Museum

By Linda Tancs

The American Helicopter Museum in West Chester, Pennsylvania, is home to one of the world’s largest collections of rotorcraft. Its assets include a fully restored Sikorsky UH-34D Seahorse, a Boeing CH-46E Sea Knight and a McCulloch J-2 Gyroplane. Several aircraft allow visitors to enter and experience what it’s like to operate it. A mobile unit called “Stubby” travels to schools, camps and community events and allows guests a chance to sit in the cockpit, operate the controls and learn how a helicopter works.

A Kingly Encounter in Scotland

By Linda Tancs

Regarded as a national hero in Scotland, Robert I, popularly known as Robert the Bruce, was King of Scots from 1306 to his death in 1329. He led Scotland during the First War of Scottish Independence against England and fought successfully during his reign to restore Scotland to an independent kingdom. Dunfermline Abbey is the final resting place of Robert the Bruce, and so it’s appropriate that it’s also the location where you can view a spectacular 3D replica of the king’s head (adorned in armor and a crown) in celebration of the 750th anniversary of his birth. To create the model, a cast of his skull (preserved at the Hunterian Museum in Glasgow) was scanned and enhanced with muscle formations and textured skin. The resulting model is heralded as the most accurate depiction of his face to date. The public can view it at the abbey until December 7.

Italy’s Marble Mountains

By Linda Tancs

The Apuan Alps is a mountain range in northern Tuscany. Known as a marble-rich area, the luxury stone has been excavated there since ancient Roman times, particularly in Carrara, which is one of the highest producing marble sites on Earth. The mountain range is protected as part of the Apuan Alps Regional Park, where you’ll also find Mount Forato, boasting one of the country’s largest natural arches. The park’s visitor centers are located at Equi Terme in Lunigiana, at Bosa di Careggine in Garfagnana, in Massa and in Seravezza. 

A Foray Through Switzerland

By Linda Tancs

The GoldenPass Express is one of Switzerland’s most picturesque train routes. The journey between Interlaken and Montreux is a little over three hours’ long and takes in Gstaad, Château-d’Oex and Montbovon. The train’s Prestige class offers heated leather seats, which can be rotated 180 degrees upon request. This travel class is also elevated more than the other travel classes, offering you an even better view of the fascinating scenery.

Sweden’s Oldest Tree

By Linda Tancs

Sweden’s oldest tree is Old Tjikko, its root system having survived for over 9,500 years now. A few feet have been lopped off the top because of a harsh winter last year. Only discovered little more than a decade ago, the tree takes its name from a dog that accompanied the researchers who found it. You’ll find it in Fulufjället National Park near the border with Norway.

France’s Little Ireland

By Linda Tancs

Situated in the Manche département, the Cotentin Peninsula is a peninsula in Normandy that forms part of the northwest coast of France. It’s affectionately known as France’s “little Ireland” due to its Ireland-like landscape boasting green countryside dotted with sheep, quaint villages and a rugged coastline. Among the many gems in the area are D-Day sites like the Utah Beach Museum, picturesque harbor towns like Quinéville and Barfleur and UNESCO-designated fortifications at Vauban. The Normandy Discovery Pass offers unlimited travel over two days for two people on all intra-Normandy journeys by train or Nomad coach. You can reach the area by car or train from Paris as well or via ferry from England or Ireland.

Autumn in Gougane Barra

By Linda Tancs

Gougane Barra is a scenic valley and forest park in the Shehy Mountains of County Cork, Ireland. There’s a tiny island at the edge of the lake at the entrance to the forest park where Saint Finbarr, the patron saint of Cork, founded his early Christian monastery in the 6th century. You’ll find a network of trails that wind through the woods and around the lake, one of many things to enjoy while the foliage undergoes its autumn transition. September 25 is the saint’s feast day; the closest Sunday is known in Cork as Gougane Sunday, when a steady stream of pilgrims gather at the saint’s hermitage.

A World of Books in Romania

By Linda Tancs

Founded in the 18th century by Hungarian aristocrat Samuel Teleki, Teleki-Bolyai Library in Târgu Mureș, Romania, is a historic public library and museum. It contains a large collection of first editions and important manuscripts documenting Transylvanian history as well as treasures including 15th- to 19th-century encyclopedias. As the venue’s name suggests, it also features the works of János Bolyai, a Hungarian mathematician and one of the founders of non-Euclidean geometry. Located on Bolyai Street, the library is an easy walk from the city center.

The Bradford Gudgeon

By Linda Tancs

Just 12 minutes by train from Bath, England, Bradford-on-Avon is a picturesque little town located on a bend of the River Avon. It’s known for its iconic, arched stone bridge built in the 13th century. A feature of that bridge is the domed building topped with a fish-shaped weathervane known as the Bradford Gudgeon. In the 17th century it served as a prison (Lock Up), or holding cell, for criminals awaiting their date with the magistrate, who were said to be kept “below the fish and over the water.” You can experience the wait yourself this month, when the Lock Up is open for a few days during Heritage Open Days.