Tagged With "Marianne North"
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Feb 24, 2014: Taprobane, Sri Lanka
You'd want to look along the stretch extending from Hikkaduwa (southwest corner, north of Galle) all the way past Matara. But one of the loveliest beaches in the world is Unawatuna, maybe 5-10 km east of Galle. You can't go wrong staying there, PortMoresby.
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Re: Megabus Making Bus Travel a Viable Option
That's a good tip, TravelRob! I didn't know much about these buses before reading them. Are they only found in Europe and North America?
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Re: You CAN'T Take It All With You: Keeping the Load Light
A nicely written piece, PHeymont, with lots of good tips in it. I generally have two packing philosophies 1) Road trip (North America0. If I've got a large car trunk, then I'll take a lot of stuff along just not to have to bother with stuff like laundry. Might even throw in a heavy tripod and good pair of hiking boots, as well as a fishing rod, etc. 2) Overseas plane trip. Lighter is definitely better. A carry-on size bag like you and your wife use is idea. Especially if you will be...
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Re: Where in the World is Gumbo (#13)
As this was uploaded by DrF, I am thinking that this is near a place that I lived for a year. One of the most beautiful parts of North America.
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Re: The Petite Ceinture, Paris: Where Gumbo Was (#71)
In an e-mail, Jonathan L provides an update—a happy one—on the Gare Ornano. It appears that about a year after I took my pictures, the station was sold, the KFC is gone, and a new cafe+recycling center has renovated the station; a picture below shows a view of the rear very different from the one below the KFC picture above. The site now also hosts food trucks! Thanks to Jonathan L for finding the followup, which can be found at http://www.larecyclerie.com/ It's in French, but if that's a...
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Re: The Sunshine Skyway Bridge – The Creepy and the Miraculous
I drove across the Skyway Bridge for the first time about a year ago. It was a dark and foggy night (sounds like something Snoopy would type out, doesn't it), and the bridge seemed to go on forever. But it is well constructed and on the upslope makes it seem as if you're riding to the stars. Scariest bridge I ever was on was on across the Alligator River in North Carolina. The bridge was between a half mile and mile long, very low lying (might even be a floating bridge), but the fog was so...
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Re: Tuktoyaktuk: A village on the Arctic Coast of Canada
Hi Tom. I live in the UK. We're not lovers of cold weather, but we did have a night 10 months ago when it fell below freezing for a few hours. Some say "Global Warming" but I say the Jet Stream got stuck in its usual "Summer" position and Caribbean winds kept us warm. We don't have a mosquito problem here ( 200 miles north of London) but I'm curious to know. Are there any noticeable changes to your weather ? Longer summers or wetter winters ? I remember studying the shifting Polar Ice Caps...
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Re: Tuktoyaktuk: A village on the Arctic Coast of Canada
I don't know much about global warming. I suspect that pollution contributes to it, but these things also happen on their own as we know from ice ages and warming periods in the past. I have noticed long periods of warm weather but then it gets cold again. I have read that the Arctic ice is melting but this coming winter is predicted to be very cold here in Canada. Although I have travelled in the Arctic, I have not spent enough time there to observe any climate changes. There are scientists...
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Re: Iceland's Keflavik airport aims to become major global stopover
Traffic at the airport has about doubled in the past 10 years. Who would have guessed that the UAE airports would be so successful. After all, very few people actually get out there, We'll see what happens. Iceland is beautiful and unique. I'm fond of Icelandair's deal where you can stop at the Island for up to a week without extra cost enroute between Europe and North America. If they keep expanding their routes, that alone will cause significant increase in traffic.
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Re: Canada's Westjet enters Trans-Atlantic market
Westjet has been promoting this to its frequent flyer members (like yours truly) for months now. They have extensive routes in North America, including Mexico and the Caribbean, but this is a big change in their business model. I'm not sure if this will work well, though. Westjet only flies Boeing 737s (much like Southwest, for example). That transatlantic journey is a long and uncomfortable one to make in a single aisle aircraft. In contrast, Air Canada, the other major Canadian airline,...
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Re: When there are no more beaches, will we all head for the hills?
When the Vikings first discovered Greenland a thousand years ago they wrote of a "Green and pleasant land with pastures, cows and animals". Now its a frozen wasteland ! In 1817 the wine producers of North Yorkshire (England) abolished their trade association as summers were becoming too cold to grow grapes. They've never grown grapes since ! This time last year we were digging the snow out. Today is 68f and sunny. Climate change doesn't go away. Ever.
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, June 3, 2014: British Telepone Box, Malta
I enjoy these British phone booths! I'm not sure the last time I saw a phone booth in North America. Maybe at an airport somewhere, but they've all but completely disappeared (thanks to near universal ownership of cell phones).
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Re: Finding Reiner: Taking a Break in Cologne
A River Cruise from Amsterdam through Germany (inc Cologne) , France then into Switzerland is an amazing journey. http://www.vikingrivercruises....basel/itinerary.html Or you can follow the Rhine from North to South by car and stop wherever you please. The road runs along side the River for most of its journey !
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Re: Where in the World is Gumbo? #52
Still not very much activity on this one, so here's one final clue. This place is just a 13 km drive from one of North America's few UNESCO World Heritage sites. Full discussion on Saturday. But let's get this solved by then.
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Re: Banff National Park: Hiking in the Subalpine Splendor of Sunshine Meadows
Thanks for the nice comment, MsNomadica, and welcome to TravelGumbo! The Canadian Rockies are a very special place and perhaps no place is this better demonstrated than in Lake Louise. If you're traveling from Seattle, a trip up through Victoria and Vancouver, up and north from Whistler towards Jasper, then down the Rockies through Lake Louise, Banff, Canmore. I'd recommend making a loop drive, down through the Crowsnest Pass, Fernie, Cranbrook, Bonners Ferry, Sandpoint, Couer d'alene and...
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Re: Where Gumbo Watched the Sun Rise (Puzzle #20)
Acadia is one of the few "main" US National Parks I've yet to visit. A serious gap in my travel map.... Having just spent a large number of hours on an Air Canada flight to and from South America, I found it interesting to read the claim that Acadia sees the first USA Sunrise. The ads on the AirCanada video screens from Newfoundland made it very clear that if you want to see the first sunrise in North America, you need to go there instead. That is something I hope to do soon as well.
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Jan. 23, 2014: Sleeping Giant Provincial Park, Ontario
Passing through Towns in Australia and North America (incl. Canada) I like to stop off and take a few photo's of places that have been named after places in the UK. In Chester PA. I was asked "Do you have a Chester too?" - " Yes and a Jersey, York, Boston, Washington, Dover, Bethesda, Birmingham and a few more " Didn't know you had a Fort William until I was watching a "Who Do You Think You Are" TV show recently. A female Celebrity was tracking her ancestral trail from the UK.
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Re: Where in the World is Gumbo? #25
Follow up is comming at 7PM. But one quick correction - Milwaukee is NORTH of Chicago not west.
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Re: Where in the World is Gumbo? #25
Actually, Milwaukee is both north AND west of Chicago...although not west by much! Chicago is at 87.6278W, and Milwaukee at 87.9500W.
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Re: Walking in England
England is covered with thousands of miles of man made Canals. They were the Highways of the Industrial Revolution. Carrying Cotton, Coal, Timber all over the country. The boats they used were pulled by horses which walked along the tow path. Every mile or two you'll find a pub to stop and relax. Maybe a meal too. I love walking by the canals. Back to nature and peaceful. LEEDS TO LIVERPOOL CANAL. This is Haskayne. 8 miles north of Liverpool.
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A tropical oasis: Wahiawa Botanical Garden, Oahu
I'm fond of exploring parks and libraries in the cities I visit, for different reasons. Libraries are fun because I love and collect books, and because the quality of a city's libraries tells me a lot about that city's priorities. ...
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Is your airline on time?
How does your favorite airline compare to the best there is? Here are some of the best. Of major international airlines, Iberia had the best on time performance, 90.05%. Of the budget carriers, AirBaltic had the best record,...
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All the Tea In...Charleston?
Tea gardens, as the farms are traditionally known, no matter the size, have been seducing me for over a decade. In Yunnan and Guangxi Provinces of China, Himachal Pradesh and Darjeeling in Himalayan India, in the Cameron Highlands of...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, November 29, 2014: Winter in Sorrento
Mid-December and moving north from Egypt and Malta, Sorrento was our base for a few days before heading for Rome and home. The weather was mild, as the potted flowers on the doorstep attest, mostly overcast with an occasional shower....
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Visiting historic Skagway, Alaska
Skagway, Alaska owes its existence to the Klondike Gold Rush in the late 1800s. There were three main routes to the Klondike. One route was across Alaska. A second was the all-Canadian route starting at Edmonton and...
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Following the European Beer Trail: Oktoberfest to Sorrento
To answer your question. Yes, Italians drink beer. It’s not a well-known pastime of Italy, however it is becoming more common. But before we get to Italy let me tell you about my beer adventure that led me to central Italy. I started the...
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Charleston's Grand Mansions: Drayton Hall
On a recent visit to Charleston, South Carolina, I bought a 2-day pass, called the Charleston Heritage Passport , at the North Charleston Visitor Center near the airport, and planned to include as many of the sites it offered of...
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Charleston's Grand Mansions: Joseph Manigault House
On a recent visit to Charleston, South Carolina, I bought a 2-day pass, called the Charleston Heritage Passport , at the North Charleston Visitor Center near the airport, and planned to include as many of the sites it offered of...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Dec 4th, 2014: A Ride to Paradise
The Strasburg Train - Pennsylvania. Climb aboard the larger-than-life steam train and enjoy a round-trip ride through the tranquil Amish countryside to Paradise, PA and back. This is the most relaxing...
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Charleston's Grand Mansions: Middleton Place
On a recent visit to Charleston, South Carolina, I bought a 2-day pass, called the Charleston Heritage Passport , at the North Charleston Visitor Center near the airport, and planned to include as many of the sites it offered of...
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Scotland's vote may help ax high flying tax
The infamous British Air Passenger Duty, which can add as much as $450 to airfare for a family of four flying trans-Atlantic to or from Britain, may have met its match in the Scottish vote against independence earlier this fall. Seem...
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A Day in Chartres
If you’re looking for a nice escape from the crowds and chaos of Paris, consider heading to the small city of Chartres for a day or two. Situated 60 miles (96 km) southwest of Paris, just an hour’s train ride from the...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, December 10, 2014: Black Arctic Ground Squirrel
Ground Squirrels are fairly common in western North America. Many people call them gophers but this is not correct. A gopher is an animal that lives underground and stays there. Most people have never seen one. Ground...
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Memphis, Tennessee 3) The rest of the city
There’s a lot more to Memphis than Graceland, although Graceland is by far the city’s most popular attraction (which I’ve previously discussed here ). A city of about 650,000, Memphis has a...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, December 27, 2014: Cromer, Norfolk
A line of colorful English beach huts, not unusual, but always a happy sight, especially on a gray day, also not unusual, on a day trip to the East Anglian town of Cromer, on the North Sea. Read more than you ever thought you’d...
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Charleston's Grand Mansions: Aiken-Rhett House
On a recent visit to Charleston, South Carolina, I bought a 2-day pass, called the Charleston Heritage Passport , at the North Charleston Visitor Center near the airport, and planned to include as many of the sites it offered of...
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The Loire River Valley
Many find a visit to the Loire Valley to be the highlight of their visit to France, as did we. When we were planning our journey I discussed our itinerary with my friend, Wayne. Wayne and his wife had...
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The Medieval Fortress and Town of Chinon
There are few places in France of greater historic importance than Chinon. You wouldn’t know that by what you see when you drive thru it today as it seems a small sleepy rural town. You’ll see little evidence of...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Dec 16, 2014: Golden Bay, Malta
Golden Bay is located on the north-west coast of Malta , and is one of only a handful of sandy beaches around the coast. Although Malta is surrounded by water, most beaches are just rocky outcrops, and the few beaches that do have sand...
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The Bear Blog
I had a hunch when Shelly and I were planning our 59 National Park in 59 weeks tour that wildlife would be center stage. I knew that the buffalo would roam in Yellowstone, that the tropical fish would dance...
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Arctic Birds on Migration: Saskatchewan
Many of the Arctic birds are large white birds such as geese and swans but also include smaller and different coloured sandpipers and other birds. Where is the best place to see these magnificent Arctic birds? The most...
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Saguenay Fjord — Deep and Long but not very Tall
I’d heard as a schoolboy that the Saguenay Fjord was one of the longest in the world. Years later someone told me the area around Tadoussac was pretty, sparsely developed and inviting. Given a spare day or...
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Newgrange; Ireland’s ancient Passage Tomb
Newgrange is the oldest structure I've ever visited. It was built over 5,000 years ago (about 3,200 B.C.) during the Neolithic era, before even Stonehenge or the Great Pyramid of Giza. It’s obvious that Newgrange was...
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Montreal: Je Me Souviens
There are many great cities to visit in Canada, two of my favorites (for different reasons) being Vancouver and Montreal. Vancouver has one of the most breath-takingly beautiful settings of any city in the world, and I’ll be discussing it...
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Quebec — A Walled European Fortress In America
Quebec, like New York, is both a city and a state (or rather, a province). It’s an island of French heritage and culture within our Anglo-North American continent. We combined this visit with stops in Montreal and...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Jan 3, 2014: Santorini, the site of lost Atlantis?
Located in the southern Aegean Sea, 120 kms north of Crete, the beautiful island of Santorini lies in the island group known a the Cyclades, often referred to as the Windy Islands due to it's total exposure to all winds in the Aegean Sea. Thera,...
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Liverpool - What do you mean. It has a Beach ?
When I tell folks I meet on Vacation I'm from Liverpool UK they say "You must be enjoying all this beach life. Long walks on the Sand. Fishing. Fresh air and gorgeous sunsets" so I reply "No. I get all this back in Liverpool- I'm...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Nov 8, 2013 : The Sanctuary Knocker, Durham Cathedral, a World Heritage site
Set high in England's Durham Cathedral’s North door and known as the "Sanctuary Knocker", dating back to 1093 AD, this magnificent door knocker played an important spiritual and social role in the history of Durham Cathedral, now a beautiful...
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A Visit to Ireland: Part 1) An overview of the Country and its People
I remember being in Wales several times and looking across the sea to the west, thinking that I needed to get to Ireland. Well I finally made it, completing this journey with my brother on our annual "getaway trip"! It was a trip we really...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Feb 21, 2014: Hadrian's Wall, England
1,450 miles from Rome was the limit of the mighty Roman Empire in 122 AD when the Roman Emperor Hadrian came to Britain and took the decision to build this massive stone wall in order to consolidate his rule and the geographical extent of his Empire....