TRAVEL
Home & Away with Robert Walshe Irish citizens seeking Australian working holiday visas have increased by over 30 per cent, according to new statistics released by the Australian tourism authority. For the year-on-year period to January 31st, 2011, the number of visitors aged 18 to 30 granted working visas increased by 30.51 per cent, totaling 11,122 of Irish travelers, relative to the same period in 2009-10. The visa allows travelers to stay for up to 12 months in Australia and work for up to six months with any one employer. There’s an option to extend the stay to two years with a second working holiday visa, but this is restricted to those who complete a minimum of three months “specified work”, such as fruit picking in an eligible regional area. See www.immi. gov.au and www.harvesttrail.org.au
Weekend Hotspot
The London Victoria & Albert Museum is well-known all around the world by its shortened recognition - V&A. The V&A in London city is a treasure of design and attractive fine art items. It is home to a compilation of over 4.5 million fine art items. . Its derivation goes back to the year 1852 as the South Kensington Museum. The Victoria and Albert Museum in London is extended above twelve and half acres of land, and is home to 148 art galleries in its bosom. It has a wonderful collection of art and design objects straddling from 5000 years old works of art, passing from olden to recent times. Its superb set of art and design things are varied traditions like North Africa, Asia, Europe and North America. V & A in London has for its neighbours, world famous organizations like Natural History Museum and the Science Museum. Its compilation of monuments, furnishings, ceramic objects, snaps, glasswork, sketches, fabrics, prints and printmaking, outfits, jewellery, medieval fine art items, silver and ironwork manufactured articles are the most excellent and biggest in the entire planet. The splendid Kensington Hotel in the cities leafiest suburb between Exhibition Road and Fulham Road is only a five to ten minute stroll away from the museums and is a perfect location for those who want to combine their culture vulture tendendancies with the glamour of Knightsbridge
Living
and Sloane Square shopping. Reopened in early 2009 after a £20 million refurbishment the hotel design enjoys an exclusive town-house feel and the late Irish hotelier PV Doyle’s vision of five star excellences has been re-born again thanks to the vision of his extended family. The property is an n Doyle Kensi amalgamation of four ngton Hotel London ex grand Victorian town. terior. use era Ho Op ney Syd n houses and the buildings’ original ceiling heights and volumes have been brought back to life, as have the peurday 23 April just in time riod mouldings and details. The en- to get your Easter eggs from trance hall houses a “jewel-box” like the sunny bunny. Fantastic reception, where red wine coloured value on offer and all prices velvet lines the alcove and a 1950’s include flights, transfers, acmetal sculpture hangs on the wall. commodation as stated, reA vintage 1960’s Murano glass and sort representative service, brass light fitting hangs centrally free baggage allowance and and sets the welcome elegantly. all taxes and charges. Deals The Kensington has 150 stylish include Fuerteventura staybedrooms and suites all different ing at the 3* Oasis Dunas n Doyle Kensington Hotel lobby. in style and colour. The wallpa- Apartments from €599, 4* pered bathrooms have flat screen Elba Carlota Hotel from €859 TV’s built into the wall, for guests & Gran Canaria staying at to watch whilst relaxing in the free- the self catering from €579, standing claw footed bathtubs after 3* Eugenia Victoria Hotel a long days walking in the nearby Half Board from €789. www.sunway. museums or shops. The vibrant ie Indulge in some serious beach cocktail bar popular with locals action with the following great value I never tire of the thrills and spills and residents alike. hosts tall brass deals to Thailand and the Far East of Las Vegas and I hear Celine Dion doors that originally graced the from holiday specialists, Travelhas returned to begin a three-year General Post Office in 1920s Dublin Mood. Offers include residency at The Colosseum at Caeand later at The Burlington when Phuket, Thailand from €615pp (incl sars Palace. The brand new show it was owned by the original Jury’s tax €953pp) 7 nights to the 3* Cenis created around classic Hollygroup. The restaurant named after tara Karon Resort B&B basis. Travel wood movies and stunning visuals, Aubrey De Vere, who was granted May 2011 / Ref 134904 or Beruwela featuring 31 musicians, including a the Estate of Kensington by William Sri Lanka from €758 p.p. (€1028 p.p. full orchestra and band. Celine will the Conqueror, reflects a 1930s Brit- with tax) continue her record of creating ish club like feel in décor, glamour. 7 nights 4* Eden Resort & Spa on groundbreaking concert performThe other Doyle members include B&B basis (includes 3 free nights) ances with this next adventure The Westbury, Dublin, Croke Park Travel May 2011 / Ref 134856. Prices promising to be the most spectacHotel, Dublin, Cork Hotel, Cork, The based on 2 sharing, including return ular yet. Closer to home Rí Rá Las Marylebone Hotel, The Kensington flights Ex Dublin, (airport taxes) Vegas brings an authentic Irish atHotel & The Bloomsbury Hotel, Lon- return transfers from airport to acmosphere to The Strip, along with don, The Bristol Hotel, Bristol, The commodation & accommodation as an impressive line-up of live music Back Bay Hotel, Boston USA The Du- stated. Travel Insurance extra. and fare that defies pub standards pont Hotel, The Normandy Hotel & www.travelmood.ie inside Mandalay Place. Crafted in The Courtyard by Marriot, Washingthe warm pub style of nineteenth ton DC USA www.doylecollection. Robert Walshe is a freelance century Ireland, Rí Rá Las Vegas com contributor / broadcaster and is features authentic artifacts careguest travel writer for River Media fully restored in Wicklow, includWeekly Best Buy newspaper titles across the island ing an 8-foot-tall, 500-pound carved Fly to the sun with Sunway on Sat- of Ireland plaster statue of St. Patrick dating back to 1850. Rí Rá Las Vegas will
Pet’s Corner...
Home and Away Extra feature live entertainment seven nights a week as well as traditional Irish cuisine. Tourists should take advantage of Florida’s free discount programmes. In Orlando, it’s the Magicard and in the Keys it’s the Keys Kash programme. The free Magicard gives users a 15 per cent discount off Amtrak fares to Orlando, 50 per cent off a minimum three-night stay at the Best Western, two-for-one ballet tickets, kids eat free deals, extra nights in hotels, free amusement rides, and two for the price of one admission to museums and other attractions. The card is valid for up to six people. The keys kash card offers over 100 deals including free kayaks when you book two nights in certain hotels, discounts on sailings lessons and chartered yachts, and free drinks and tourist attraction passes when you stay in certain hotels. www.visitflorida.com & www.fla-keys.com
with Kathleen Murray
Are you in the doghouse? with Kathleen Murray: Animal Behavioural Therapist
In many homes dogs are treated better than the humans? In some homes the dog has its own sofa or armchair. There comes a time when some people ask... has it all gone too far? The dog has become lord and master in many houses and is attended to so well by the owner that you wonder who is living in whose house? When your dog can pay the mortgage it can own the house. As there are many schools of thought and practice in raising a dog then someone may be offended by someone else’s method. If you are a believer in allowing the dog to do what it wants and too bad about the visitors then you would be offended by someone that puts the
dog out when a visitor comes in. Raising children has caused friction and ill feeling between neighbours, families and friends over the years and now dogs are doing the same. If guidance and a few basic rules are necessary for the human race then why would you not give the same treatment to your dog? If there were no rules for humans we would all be living in chaos. I would dread living in a world where humans could do whatever they wanted. Living with a dog that has not learned any basic rules is to be dreaded also. A dog that dictates to the owner, or other people, can end up being a very dangerous dog. What are the rules that a dog
needs to live by and why are some people not willing to teach them? The absolute basics for a dog are to come when it is called, without hesitation, to respect people by not jumping all over them without an invitation, to go to the toilet outside, not to bite people and not to be destructive. Some people find teaching these things difficult sometimes because they let their own feelings get in the way. They may have had an experience in their own lives that has left them with feelings that block their willingness to make their dog a good citizen, or they may not know how to teach these lessons. This is sad for the dog as it can lose out on many good experiences
and the dog may even lose its life because of it. The dogs that have no discipline in their lives are not happy dogs. Discipline has nothing to do with shouting or punishment. It’s about guidance. A dog needs to know that someone is in charge. It makes them feel safe and allows them to be a good companion. Companionship is two way traffic so everyone’s needs need to be met. A good companion doesn’t lift his leg and pee down the side of your sofa, growl when you try to get into your bed at night, snap at the visitors when they try to sit on the sofa, chase bicycles or cars down the road, terrorise people when they walk past your house, bite delivery people, run off and
not come back etc. Please come out of the doghouse and live in your own house. The dog should be part of the pack in your house, not the leader. Try to find a way to not over-indulge your dog but not neglect it either. Enjoy each other. Share the space but please be in control for everyone’s sake.