TRAVEL
Home & Away with Robert Walshe Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin group is to launch into the hotel market, opening a chain of four-star properties across North America. Cities cited for the first openings include New York, San Francisco, Miami, Los Angeles, Boston and Washington DC, but Branson intends to open in other countries worldwide in the future. A new website www.virginhotels. com invites property owners and developers to consider ‘getting into bed’ with the Virgin group meanwhile Virgin Atlantic will increase the frequency of its flights between the UK and Ghana during the winter peak period from three to four flights a week. From December 11 to January 9 there will be an additional Saturday night flight from London Heathrow which will arrive in Ghana on Sunday morning. www.virginatlantic.com Ever wandered through a famous castle, wishing that all the tourists were gone and you could have the place to yourself? Four Seasons Hotel Prague makes fantasies come true with a unique opportunity for a private, after hour’s tour of historic Karlstejn Castle. Exclusive to Four Seasons Hotel Prague, guests can now experience and enjoy a private tour of Karlstejn Castle in the evening or at night after closing hours. A private guide will take guests through the Castle in a mystic journey lit by a flamed torch as he tells stories and myths related to this magical place and the people who lived there. www.fourseasons.com
Weekend Hotspot
Donegal is by far one of Irelands most ancient and traditional counties. The landscape is stunning and unspoilt with sandy beaches, top golf courses and some of the best surfing in the world. The region takes its name from the O’Donnell’s - one of the most powerful families who were the original inhabitants of Lough Eske Castle back in the 1400s. The castle that we see today was built in the mid 1800s. In fact a stone engraved with the year 1621 still remains on the property as a memory of its history. Renovated in recent years and transformed into Ireland most luxurious rural retreat, Solis Lough Eske Castle is perched on Lough Eske between Donegal Bay and the Blue Stack Mountains surrounded by 43 acres of ancient woodland. The setting is grand and the drive in im-
posing as you approach this most stunning Tudor Baronial property. Step into the Solis Lough Eske Castle, and you marvel at the imposing lobby which has been lavishly refurbished and extended to create the modern comforts and n Solis Loug graceful luxury that h Eske, Don egal. instantly competes al. neg Do e, Esk Lough is Sol Spa n with any world class hotel of its size. Here, you can escape into a world of relaxed elegance and personal Cedars Restaurant, Two service with spacious public rooms, 3 course table d’hôte impressive fireplaces and leaded win- dinners, mulled wine dows. The 98 bedrooms and suites and festive finger food vary with the most luxurious castle on Christmas Eve, A accommodations offering a blend of welcome glass of chamantique charm and modern comfort. pagne to commence The guestrooms at all levels exude your Christmas lunch, a natural beauty and charm while in a festive Christmas Day my opinion the interiors are a styl- lunch, A buffet supper ish blend of contemporary and tradi- on Christmas evening. n Brittany Ferries. tional. The antiques throughout Solis Fun & Musical entertogether with specially commissioned tainment is on offer artwork bring this historic building through the holiday into the 21st century. On my latest season. Prices start visit I was spoilt by a secluded gar- from €630 pps. This is a den suite hidden away from any sign hotel that’s got the wow factor. Enjoy of people or life and I returned home www.solislougheskecastle.ie feeling totally recharged assisted by a Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin signature massage at Spa Solis. The A Weekly Best Buy group is to launch into the hotel la carte menu at Cedars Restaurant ofThe Christmas markets in Copenhamarket, opening a chain of fourfers fresh, locally sourced and some- gen are magical and Sunway Travel star properties across North times organic produce – resulting in are offering return trips for 2 nights America. Cities cited for the first perfectly cooked dishes. The scallops with SAS to the famous Tivoli Garopenings include New York, San and fillet steak were my choice and dens in the city to experience a fesFrancisco, Miami, Los Angeles, the quality and service was remarka- tive experience with a truly Danish Boston and Washington DC, ble. The dining room is stunning with flavour. Shop till you drop and then but Branson intends to open in its floor-to-ceiling, button-back up- savour the mouth watering culinary other countries worldwide in holstery and modern crystal light fix- delights at this unique Copenhagen the future. A new website www. tures. The leisure centre and spa is in Xmas Market. Staying at the 4* Tivoli virginhotels.com invites propthe walled garden is designed to look Hotel prices start at €389 per person erty owners and developers to like an old glasshouse with the 12m including taxes and charges includconsider ‘getting into bed’ with swimming pool in a lovely bright gar- ing entrance to the Tivoli Gardens the Virgin group meanwhile Virden setting. Solis Lough Eske is now included! SAS offer 23 kgs checked gin Atlantic will increase the freestablished as Irelands leading 5 star baggage allowance travelling through quency of its flights between the resort property. Their festive break November/December www. UK and Ghana during the winter packages are available from only €630 sunway.ie or www.flysas.ie peak period from three to four pps with accommodation for two flights a week. From December adults sharing for 3 nights* (*includes Robert Walshe is a freelance con11 to January 9 there will be an 4 nights when you choose to arrive tributor / broadcaster and is guest additional Saturday night flight early as we are offering complimen- travel writer for River Media newsfrom London Heathrow which tary accommodation on the night of paper titles across the island of Irewill arrive in Ghana on Sunday Dec 23rd 2010 with breakfast daily in land morning. www.virginatlantic. com Brittany Ferries today an-
Pet’s Corner...
with Kathleen Murray
Happy Hallowe’en – or is it for pets? with Kathleen Murray: Animal Behavioural Therapist
It’s here again. What can we do to make things more comfortable for animals? If you have just gotten a new animal then you don’t know how it will react yet to the noise, so the best thing to do for it is to watch it and see how it handles noises in general for a start. If it is nervous or jumpy or gets startled easily then it will have a problem with the fireworks. Starting off with a nervous pup is not as difficult as trying to rehabilitate a dog that has already had a few years practice at being half scared to death by fireworks. It is really important that you tackle the problem if it is there because the more a dog gets to practice being nervous the more stressed it becomes as the years go
Living
by, until one day it all becomes to much and it has a heart attack or the stress causes it to run in front of a car etc. Fear has to be tackled. It doesn’t go away by itself. All animals react one way or another to noise, If the animal reacts badly then bring it indoors (house or shed) if you can and give it a small space to stay in. If it is in the house then it can go under a table, into a cage or into a small toilet area where it can feed safe. Put some noise on like a tv or radio so that there is something else happening and all the concentration is not on the fireworks. The animal will still hear the fireworks but the other noise will take away form the intensity of the expe-
rience. If you have the animal in the living room with you then just act as normal. Shaking or hiding under something is it’s way of dealing with the feelings it is having. Don’t keep looking at it or saying “Don’t worry, it’ll be ok”. This will only upset the animal. Just go about your business or watch tv or whatever and let the animal react to your calmness not your anxiety. If you are nervous or anxious the animal will pick it up straight away. You can’t fool an animal. They can read you like a book… so relax and don’t keep thinking about how it’s going. Just enjoy the evening and let the animal see it as something fun and not something to be scared of. Have a great Halloween.
Home and Away Extra nounced the expansion of services from Portsmouth to include the Spanish city of Bilbao with 2 crossings a week using its luxury cruise-ferry, Cap Finistère. The new route, commencing next spring, will be in addition to the twice weekly Portsmouth-Santander and weekly Plymouth-Santander services, giving a total of 5 crossings a week between the UK and Spain; 4 from Portsmouth and 1 from Plymouth. PortsmouthBilbao services (Cap Finistère) will depart every Sunday and Friday, returning Tuesday and Saturday with a crossing time of 24 hours (except Sunday which routes via Roscoff). During 2011 Brittany Ferries will have the capacity to carry 8.3 million passengers across the Channel to France plus another 800,000 to Spain. Book online at www. brittanyferries.com