TRAVEL
Home & Away with Robert Walshe MOST Rome hoteliers angry about new room tax, imposed by council on millions of tourists who come to city each year. The level of the tax varies according to the type of accommodation. Tourists staying in campsites and bed and breakfasts will each pay an extra €1 a night; guests in one- to three-star hotels pay €2; and visitors in fourand five-star accommodation €3. With charges applying to children aged 10 and older, the tax could add a significant amount to the cost of a family holiday. To celebrate `Capital of Culture’ year in 2011, the city of Tallinn is going to be buzzing every day as visitors, performers and venues make the most of its role. The city’s hotels and event organisers have responded admirably to the challenges presented by being the cultural capital with high quality hotel packages and some world class events. Scandinavian Airlines fly 7 times a week from Dublin to Tallinn, via Copenhagen, from as little as €96 one way including taxes. www.flysas.ie
Holiday Hotspot
No visit to Peru is complete without a visit to Machu Picchu. Located high in the mountains not visible from the valley below, this city sat undiscovered in the heart of the Peruvian jungle for many centuries. Situated at 2,350 meters above sea level in an isolated location on the slopes of the Peruvian Andes, the most exciting way to access Machu Picchu is by walking the Inca Trail, a popular hiking path that soars to 4,000 meters over its 45km length. The Incas hid Machu Picchu so high in the clouds it managed to escape discovery by Spaniards during their empire building. It was rediscovered in 1911 by archaeologist and historian Hiram Bingham with the help of a local farmer who knew of its existence. Clearly based on ancient Cusco, Machu Picchu contains delicate squares, storehouses, temples, workshops, stairways and even water fountains amongst what at first seems a simple layout. There’s a traditional out of town graveyard guarded by a gate, a sacred sun rock, and even an underwater channel used to nourish crops with the water running from
■ Machu Pichu gham
Living
Peru
Bin ■ Orient Express Hiram
it. You’ll need to book months in advance to guarantee one of the limited daily spots (500 per day) due to damage to the site from excessive tourism. The first time you see the ancient landscape at the peak of its subtropical mountain home, or explore the well preserved temples, fountains, houses and tombs all hidden away far from civilization you’ll be very glad you did. If you do not fancy hiking to the Citadel you can heighten the experience by traveling from the city of Cusco to Machu Pichu aboard the Hiram Bingham Orient-Express Train. This has to be one of the most spectacular and luxurious rail experiences in the world. The train features luxury décor including elegant upholstery and an assortment of high-end appointments. The train is equipped with a dining car, a bar and kitchen and is designed to accommodate up to 84 passengers. The Hiram Bingham Orient-Express gives you a delectable taste of the style and elegance that is a true luxury travel experience. Machu Picchu owes much of its glory to the unique location and the very time you enter the city, you cannot help but marvel. To assist with my Peru planning I used Cultural Immersion a specialist tour company based in Cusco. They provided quality travel services and tour guides throughout Peru, including Machu Picchu,Sacred Valley, Lake Titicaca, the Peruvian Amazon, Lima and other main attractions. The company also help with the development of the poor
Pet’s Corner...
villages of the Andes working on many development projects so you know you are helping the indigenous populations by working with Eduardo and his team. For those who would prefer to spend time in the sacred valley Liberatdor Tambo del Inka is the best hotel from which travelers can reach Machu Picchu. This spectacular resort & spa invites you to relax and indulge the senses and the property is now one of the countries cutting edge design and hospitality experiences. Machu Pichu is one of the most talked about travel destinations in the world and for once I was left awestruck by its sheer magnetism and spirituality. LAN airlines operate an excellent domestic service to local airport Cusco from Lima and local train station Poroy is the departure point for Peru train services to the sacred valley and lost city. The best websites for further details are www.liberatdor.com www.culturalimmersion.org www.visitperu. com www.lan.com , www.perurail. com, www.orientexpress.com
Weekly Best Buy
With glorious beaches and an average of 340 days sunshine, Barbados has rightly earned its title as Pearl of the Caribbeann.Whether you’re looking for a relaxing beach holiday or planning the perfect honeymoon, GoHop.ie offer you this Caribbean island getaway from only €999pp. Price quoted is for 7 Nights at the 4* Bougainville Hotel
Home and Away Extra
■ Orient Express Hiram Bingham Dining Car Resort and includes return flights from Dublin via London with British Airways and all airline taxes. Offer is valid for travel between 26th April - 28th June and 15th August and 30th September. Supplement of €208pp applies for travel during 29th May - 5th June. www. gohop.ie OzBus could be the New Year challenge you’ve been looking for. Taking in 17 countries and three continents, Ozbus is a unique way to see the world. Budget trips are now priced at £4,699 - a saving of £600. New Year Special Comfort trip is now £6,299 - a saving of £400. London to Kathmandu Budget trip is now £2,599 and Comfort trips are also available at £3,299. Offers are limited and are available on a first-come first served basis. www. oz-bus.com
Relais & Châteaux starts 2011 by announcing 4 new establishments (www.relaischateaux.com) joining the association and 9 chefs promoted to Grand’s Chefs status. The new members are La Masion Decoret hotel and restaurant in Vichy, France; Combal Zero restaurant in Rivoli, Italy, Europea restaurant in Montreal, Canada; and, Villa Samadhi hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. In addition to the three new member Grand’s Chefs Relais & Châteaux (Jacques Décoret in Vichy, France; Davide Scabin in Rivoli, Italy; Jerôme Ferrer in Montreal, Canada), the others are Philippe Colinet and Yoshihiko Miura of L’Auberge des Templiers (Berry) and Christophe Bacquié at L’Hôtel du Castellet (Var) in France; Michael Fell at Villa am See (Bavaria) in Germany; Antonio Guida at Il Pellicano (Tuscany) in Italy; Stéphane Décotterd at Le Pont de Brent in Switzerland; and, Joseph Lenn, at Blackberry Farm (Tennessee) in the USA.. www.relaischateaux.com Robert Walshe is a freelance contributor / broadcaster and is guest travel writer for River Media newspaper titles across the island of Ireland
with Kathleen Murray
with Kathleen Murray: Animal Behavioural Therapist
When a dog dies RECENTLY I’ve talked to people whose dog has died. It doesn’t matter how the dog died (old age or accidently) it has had an impact on the family. There are often bonds that have been there for a very long time. If you have had a dog for several years then you will have bonded one way or the other by then. Some people say they don’t like the dog... that it was always a nuisance, but then are often taken aback by how they feel when it dies. They didn’t realise how much it had grown on them. If you have worked with,
played with and cared for an animal even if you were only doing it out of duty then you will miss it in some way for a time when it dies. It will have become part of your day even if it is only seen as an extra “chore”. For people that really enjoyed their dog it is a big loss. For some people it is the same as losing a family member. Dogs are part of the family. The grieving is the same. You cry and you miss the presence of it being there. You may have photos of it and special moments that you remember. It has been there through worrying times or
happy times and many hours of fun and happiness were had in it’s company. You chatted to it and it just sat there and listened. You hugged it and shared food with it (even when you shouldn’t). You may have made some new friends through having the dog, at a class or at the beach. There are so many memories.
Companion If it was a working companion then you will miss the reliablity of having another life there with you working with you and anticipating what you want it to do next. There are people who laugh at this and say “It’s only a dog, get over it, get another one”. That’s very sad because they obviously have missed out on the
joy, health perks and personal growth that an animal brings into your life just by being itself. It brings an end to lonliness for many people. It gives people confidence. It gives many people a reason to get up in the morning. It can be a great help to people with depression. A dog is often the only thing that is there when the curtains close at night. There are people whose dog has saved their life. There are people that couldn’t get out of the house if they didn’t have a dog to guide them. There are children that cannot respond to humans but they can to a dog. For whatever reason people miss their dog, the fact that it is gone is often heartbreaking for them.
There are people that haven’t found a human companion in life or have been let down. There are people that wanted a child and couldn’t have one but had a lot of love to give. A dog can often fill that gap and lonliness until people get back on their feet again emotionally. When kids grow up and leave home there is an empty nest to be filled. Dogs have different personalities the same as humans and my dogs have all been very different. I have certainly missed every one of them for their uniqueness and contribution to my life. I have one of 14 yrs at the moment When she goes it will be
a great loss. She has been an incredible pet and workmate and I could always rely on her. When someone is upset about the loss of their dog then please be very sensitive and respectful towards their feelings and show them that you know that their loss is important to them.... because it is.