TRAVEL
Home & Away with Robert Walshe Passengers flying with Ryanair to the Canary Islands will have to pay peak season prices for check-in baggage all year round. Ryanair said that while its prices for check-in baggage on all other routes will revert to £15 (£25 for heavy bags) on September 1, baggage fees on flights to the Canaries will not be reduced. The airline claimed it was sticking with the higher fees on flights to the Canaries throughout the winter ‘to encourage passengers to travel light’.
Weekend Hotspot As you descend towards Mumbai you can’t help but notice the slums below. Asia’s largest slum with its tin huts and tarpaulin roofs encircles the cities airport. As you clear the arrivals hall and emerge into the humid conditions, remember to grab a pre-paid coupon taxi but be prepared for India’s thrumming metropolis, a city of gaudy Bollywood movies, packed-trains, stunning colonial architecture interspersed between grime and green, and that smiling, head-nodding can-do attitude that ensures things are always buzzing. Situated on a peninsula Mumbai (formerly Bombay) is an economic powerhouse home to more millionaires than any other city on the Indian sub-continent. Mumbai is also an important port, handling a third of all international trade, and a base for many of India’s largest companies. However, among all this wealth are cases of extreme poverty with almost half of the population living in slums. Mumbai is always warm, but is at its coolest from around October to early February when maximum day temperatures average 87.8°F (31°C). The monsoon arrives anytime from late May, with the heaviest rainfall in June, July, and August, diminishing through September and October. Mumbai’s main sights can be found in the south of the city, where the European settlers established themselves and local communities took root. The centre of Imperial Bombay is the area known as Fort, after the fortifications that protected the British settlement. The busy streets are packed with colonial architecture, temples, mosques, and many ancient bazaars. Visitors can immerse themselves in colonial history at Chhatrapati Shivaji Ter-
Living
minus or dive into modern-day life at the Dhobi Ghat; where the city’s dirty laundry gets washed and aired. Every day hundreds of dhobi wallahs (someone who does the laundry) beat the dirt out of hundreds of bags of laundry in row upon row of open-air troughs. Most attractions are central and can be reached on foot; otherwise taxis are the easiest way to get around but remember the meters are largely for ■ Four Seaso decoration, as drivers prefer ns Mumba i Pool to negotiate a fixed rate. Mumbai’s most recognized monument, the Gateway of India, was constructed to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary to the city. It was completed in 1920 and remains as a striking symbol of the British Raj era while the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower across the road ai exterior which hit the headlines in 2008 ons Mumb ■ Four Seas when it became a target of a terrorist attack is well worth a visit. Marine Drive is Mumbai’s Japanese, Chinese most famous thoroughfare. lined and Indian. Lively open wok with Victorian buildings, art deco and tandoor stations domi■ Gateway to India Mumbai apartment blocks and palm trees. nate the lower level, while At the top end is Chowpatty beach, the upper area has sushi the only strip of sand in central and teppanyaki tables, plus Mumbai and a favourite spot with a robata grill. It’s fascinating Santa Cruz domestic airport. While locals for evening strolls. Mumbai to sneak a peek at the chefs is also full of interesting places to in action so prepare yourself for the I found Mumbai slightly overwhelmgo street shopping. Remember to most anticipated meal surrounded ing but fascinating I was happy to stock up on attractive souvenirs at by extensive glass and wood. San-Qi know I could quickly retreat to the Colaba Causeway, delight in cheap has a large collection of local red finer things in life at the wonderful shoes and clothes at Linking Road, and white varieties from areas such Four Seasons Hotel! www.fourseascour the narrow alleyways of Chor as the Nashik Valley and Bangalore sons.com www.incredibleindia.org Bazaar for antiques or sample the Hills. and I was pleasantly pleased Weekly Best Buy fresh food at Crawford Market. to learn that Indian wines are startBrittany Ferries is offering holiThe Four Seasons Hotel Mumbai in ing to be taken seriously among Worlii offers luxurious accommo- connoisseurs. The extensive wine- daymakers discounts of up to 25% dation, with 202 rooms and suites by-the-glass list offers classified on a wide range of self-drive cotall boasting breathtaking views of clarets and a unique selection all in tage holidays in France. These price the Arabian Sea, Mahalaxmi race the company of a local in-house dj cuts run until the end of the year, course and an ever changing sky- playing funky jazz. The spa on two making them ideal for couples, or line. The bedrooms are decorated floors offers inspired Ayurvedic families with pre-school age chilwith warm neutral tones and plush treatments and an 18-meter outdoor dren looking for an autumn holiday wool carpets all accented by gleam- pool and it’s pretty cool to relax in bargain. The discount applies to ing mahogany and rich fabrics and I suck a Zen like space knowing what the total holiday price including love the bath tub with a high view! chaos and mayhem lies outside. both ferry travel and accommodaGuests have several dining outlets The Four Seasons guest service phi- tion, leading to some considerable to choose from including Prato on losophy continues to impress me savings. For example, a week’s getathe Lobby level serving breakfast, and the concierge service here has way to an 18th Century Normandy lunch and dinner. My favourite is to be one of the most impressive I cottage (pictured) this September San-Qi an energetic foodie experi- have experienced anywhere. On a costs only £110 per person for a ence that promises an eclectic culi- practical note the property is an family of four travelling with their nary adventure through some of the hour’s drive from the international car – saving them £145. www.britmost popular cuisines of the East - airport and 45 minutes’ drive from tanyferries.com
Pet’s Corner...
Home and Away Extra EUROPCAR has gone all high-tech at Heathrow Airport with a touch-screen to help customers to plan their trip. From this month travellers arriving at Heathrow T5 will be able to use a Microsoft Surface, a 30-inch touch-screen inbuilt to an interactive table. The technology gives customers a virtual guide to their location, allowing users to draw routes using highly detailed maps provided by search engine, Bing. The Surfacetables are being rolled out across Europe. 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
The end of the summer IT’S THAT time of year again and things are winding down. Soon it will be the end of the summer. Thoughts will be turning to other things like school, night classes, winter clothes and more. It is not the time to be getting a new pup. From now on the evenings will be shorter, colder and maybe windy or wet. This is not good toilet training weather for pups. People don’t enjoy standing outside waiting in the cold. If you are an experienced dog person then you know the amount of time, energy and hard work that goes into setting a young
pup up for life as a family pet. If you are prepared for all of that and are totally committed to the outdoor work that it will require then you can handle raising a pup in the cold weather. If you are getting a pup for the first time or are getting a pup after the death of an old dog then you will not know or will have forgotten how much work there is in brining up a new pup, that’s why the spring and summer are the months to get a pup... for everyone’s sake. A pup needs to go out to the toilet about every half hour to an hour when it first comes home to set it up for the clean
dog that you want it to be when it is older. If it is lashing down with rain or hailstones then this is not fun for either of you, as a young pup will need you to stay with it until it has done something. Young pups are very scared of the world. They need to be clearly guided and protected. That’s what their mother would be doing for them if they were still with her. If you go back into the house before the pup has gone to the toilet then the pup will want to go back in too as it will be scared without you. It will go to the toilet in the house then. Closing a door and leaving it
outside by itself will make the pup insecure and can cause further problems in different areas. A leaf falling for a tree can be scary for a pup. Plastic bags blowing in the wind can scare a pup. After a few weeks the pup will be confident enough to go out by itself but in the beginning you will need to be with it come rain, hail or shine. Pups need to be brought out to be socialised.
It’s important for them to meet other dogs and people when they are young so that they don’t develop problems with shyness or aggression. Winter time makes all of this very difficult and many people give their dogs up after they have “let them go” for this important phase in their lives.
Please don’t take a pup in the dark cold weather and then not be out there with it when it needs you to be. You are responsible for how it turns out. A dog is only as good as the handler. Ring me now to book your place in a five week workshop or training class for the autumn and winter.