TRAVEL
Home & Away with Robert Walshe Minister Leo Varadkar, the Republic of Ireland minister responsible for Transport, Tourism & Sports received his Seychelles counterpart Alain St.Ange, the Seychelles Minister responsible for Tourism and Culture at his offices in Dublin recently. The cooperation between the Seychelles Tourism Academy and the Irish Shannon College of Hospitality Management was also acknowledged. Minister St Ange explained that the Seychelles are now accessible than ever to holiday makers or honeymooners from the Republic or Northern Ireland with Emirates & Etihad offering connections to the capital Mahe via the Middle East daily from the splendid Terminal 2 at Dublin Airport. He also discussed the impressive range of branded hotel chains in Seychelles operating side by side with excellent local ‘home grown’ properties. www.seychelles. travel
Holiday Hotspot
www.peninsula.com www.aerlingus.com The Peninsula Hotel Chicago is the finest luxury hotel in the city and consistently wins top US accolades including the exclusive Mobil Five Star and AAA Five Diamond
award. When you walk into the lobby, the concierge and receptionist greet you by name and the legendary five star service you come to expect from this hotel group immediately springs into action. The Peninsula’s decor is modern, with a sprinkling of the Far East. It offers a number of different choices in guestrooms, from an exceptional standard to a 3,000 square foot suite with private terrace. The bedside table has a control panel to manage the lighting, deactivate the doorbell for privacy, and alert housekeeping when you want service. Amenities include: marble bathrooms with separate shower, telephone and television, fax machine and data port, free wifi internet access, flat screen television, mini bar, in-room safe, multiline phones with voicemail, bathrobes, guest laundry and dry cleaning, and DVD player. The Peninsula Espa is designed to revitalise the mind, body and spirit by indulging in luxurious body treatments and skin care. You’ll discover calming treatment rooms, a relaxation lounge, eucalyptus steam room, Jacuzzi and
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ninsula Chicag
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Pet’s Corner...
more. This oasis combines oriental, Ayurvedic and European techniques for a full experience. It also features a 25 meter swimming pool and sundeck. There are a number of dining options including “The Lobby “which despite the open space manages to blend the most amazing menu with a perfect ambiance accompanied by a quartet creating a true feeling of elegance. The Chef de Cuisine is Lee Wolen boasting a culinary pedigree that includes the famous Eleven Madison Park in New York, a three Michelin-star restaurant, where he held the position of Sous Chef for three years. He is so passionate about this space that he presses the flesh nightly and you really feel you are meeting a culinary genius. For starters we shared Foie Gras Torchon with orange, gingerbread, and lemon balm & Smoked Arctic Char with roasted beets, horseradish and pumpernickel which were sublime. The roasted pork tenderloin and crispy belly with sauerkraut, dates and mustard was my choice for main course and did not disappoint. The signature dish on the menu is whole roasted chicken for two with roasted fall squash, lady apples and chocolate and was by far the popular choice with most. Located next door to Tiffany’s and across from the historic Water Tower & Saks, Fifth Avenue, the Peninsula Chicago offers a unique chauffeur service, featuring two bespoke MINI Cooper S Clubman vehicles as a complimentary amenity to suite guests. The concierge team has developed a series of self-guided tours focusing on popular themes, including family, culture, romance, outdoor excursions, entertainment, dining and of course, shop-
Living
ping. For couples or girlfriends looking for a perfect winter escape or a pre- Christmas shopping extravaganza you can reserve the Peninsula “ retreat “ package from US$395 including daily continental breakfast for two. Guests will also receive one lucky n The Skydeck at draw ticket at Willis Tower Ch check-in for a icago. chance to win an exciting prize, such as dinner for two in The Lobby; three hours in a one-stop Chicago expea chauffeured MINI Cooper; rience full of interactive gourmet chocolates; an up- exhibits and…The Ledge, grade to the next available a glass balcony extending room category or a compli- four feet outside the 103rd mentary 60-minute massage floor of the tower. www. - or even a complimentary theskydeck.com Chicago overnight stay in a Deluxe has a large number of other Suite during your next visit tourist attractions, but to Chicago. www.peninsula. there are undoubtedly secom If you’re spending 72 lect handfuls that are by far hours in the windy city I the most popular with visiwould highly recommend tors including. a visit to the Richard H. Millennium Park one of Driehaus Museum which the newest additions to citis housed in the restored ies many wide-open urban Samuel M. Nickerson Man- spaces, and is host to a sion, with galleries of objet range of indoor/outdoor acd’art from famous design- tivities for the entire family. ers of the 19th and 20th You can listen to top musicenturies all draped in the cal events at the outdoor elegance displayed by the pavilion, or glide across the wealthy during America’s ice skating rink this winter Gilded Age. www.driehaus- Located just east of downmuseum.org The Art In- town on Lake Michigan, stitute nearby has one of Navy Pier offers scores of the world’s most notable entertainment and dining collections of Impression- options, making it one of ist and Post-Impression- Chicago’s top tourist attracistart in its permanent tions. collection. Its diverse holdBuilt in 1930, the Shedd ings also include significant Aquarium is one of the American art, Old Mas- premier aquariums in the ters, American decorative country and home to an arts, Asian art and mod- impressive collection of unern and contemporary art. derwater life. www.artic.edu If you love Travellers going to the heights a visit to the Willis US can now enjoy the new Tower is a must see! improved facilities in T2 by The Skydeck open daily clearing both passport conoffers spectacular views trol and customs & excise spanning up to four states, prior to boarding their flight
from Dublin. Ireland is the only country outside the North America Region to offer such a service. This will mean that upon arriving in the US, tourists will be treated similarly to domestic passengers. The Aer Lingus transatlantic service continues to lead by example and is by far the most comfortable, reliable and value for money service to the USA out of Ireland. From check in to onboard the infamous “smile “and award winning service is present. If you are travelling in Aer Lingus Business Class, are Gold Circle Club members you will be able to use any of the Gold Circle or affiliated lounges either side. Aer Lingus operate a daily service between Dublin and Chicago. From summer 2013 there will be four additional flights a week, on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Lead in fare for winter travel (to 31 Mar) is €279 each way. www.aerlingus.com Robert Walshe is a travel broadcaster with Q Radio Network and Travel Editor for River Media newspaper titles across the island of Ireland. www. robertwalshe.com
with Kathleen Murray
Dumping animals - a major issue This practice is one that has gone on for a very long time. For the past three or four years it had eased up a bit as people had more money and were in a better position to hold on to animals, or neuter them. Dumping is not the answer to a crises with an animal problem. It doesn’t matter if it is a cat, dog, cow or horse there is an answer to the problem. Animal charities are overwhelmed with calls and animals, and are at the worst time ever in their history with regard to funding, so their hands are often tied when it comes to helping to solve the problem. To solve the problem that you may be having with an animal right now you need to ask yourself a few questions and be very honest with yourself
when you answer. No point in telling yourself a lie it won’t solve the problem now or in the future. First question... why do I want rid of this animal? Is it a money problem, a behaviour problem or a population increase problem? If it is none of these then you may be getting rid of an animal simply because you don’t like it or it has medical problems that are causing you more work around the house. If you don’t like the animal why was it there to begin with? Did another family member get it and now you have all the work with it? It is important to understand that whatever problem there is with an animal in your life the animal should not be the one to suffer, it is never the fault of the animal. Second question... Are
you in a position to put things right between you and the animal. Now that it’s there then working the problem can cure the problem in many cases, so there is no need to get rid of the animal. If it is not a behaviour problem then it may be a financial problem. For farm animals you can call the Dept of Agriculture for help. They will guide you and offer assistance in resolving the problem. There is no shame in not having the money (the people who robbed us blind have no shame) but there is a shame in leaving an animal to die of starvation or to fend for itself “in the wild” when it has been raised by people who provided the food up until now. It won’t know how to feed itself, and won’t have access to proper feeding if dumped.
The risk to the public, to motorists especially, from wandering animals is very high not to mention the injuries that the poor animal will receive as well. If it is a cat or a dog then it may not meet with an understanding person if it appears in someone’s garden and causes trouble like raiding bins or chasing their cats etc. If it is fortunate enough to arrive in good hands then you have caused misery for the animal and also for some soft hearted person as well, as they may not be in a position to keep it and won’t know what to do with it, ending in anxiety, sleepless nights and less food for themselves as they may be in hard times also. If it was a problem that your animal has been reproducing because you couldn’t afford to
neuter it then the charities may be in a position to help you with that if you explain your case. You could do a little fundraiser for the charity and get enough to neuter your animals out of it, back from the charity again. It is a way of helping them to help you. If all is lost and you can see no way forward then ring the ISPCA and surrender your animals so that they can be put to sleep kindly, or rehomed elsewhere and go on to have a decent life elsewhere with someone in a better financial position right now. You would be more at peace with yourself if you didn’t have to dump them somewhere and then wonder what became of them, not knowing if they lived a cruel life or died a cruel death.