TRAVEL
Home & Away with Robert Walshe Tourism Ireland has bought the domain name Ireland. com from The Irish Times for an undisclosed sum. A new website will be unveiled to tourism industry leaders at the launch of the organisation’s 2013 marketing plans towards the end of the year and will roll out across top tourism markets from January 1 2013.Tourism Ireland’s Facebook audience is the third largest in the world for tourism bodies (after Australia and Spain) and the new site and new url will help to harness more effectively the phenomenal growth in social media and to project an even stronger online presence to attract more visitors to the island of Ireland. Meanwhile Dublin taxis have been ranked the fifth friendliest and the 13th best in the world according to the annual taxi report compiled by Hotels.com. Receiving 5% of the overall vote, Dublin taxi drivers were narrowly beaten in the friendliness stakes by London’s black cabbies, which topped the poll with 10%, while Bangkok (6%), Tokyo (6%) and Buenos Aires (5%) all followed closely. While Dublin taxi drivers fared well for their welcoming manner, they slipped four places to 13th place compared to this time last year according to 1,672* travelers from 29 countries around the world. For the fifth year in a row, London’s iconic black cabs were voted the best in the world with 11% of the vote. London was placed top in five out of the seven categories including safety, friendliness, cleanliness, quality of driving and knowledge of the area.
Weekend Hotspot
www.large-cottages.co.uk,
Searching for a large character property for a special get-together or holiday with friends and family? A new website features the
country’s widest choice of homes sleeping a minimum of eight people upwards. Almost 900 self-catering properties across Britain and Ireland – the largest accommodating 24 – can be viewed at www.large-cottages.co.uk making it a one-stop shop for locating the perfect houseparty venue. After selecting an area, website visitors can narrow down the choice by requesting details of properties which are, for example, close to a pub, suitable for children or disabled guests, or pet-friendly. The website brings together large properties on the books of agencies around the country, and enquiries and bookings are handled directly by these local experts Among a great selection of sizeable homes in East Anglia is a stunning 18th-century townhouse sleeping 11 on the seafront in the Norfolk resort of Cromer. Only seconds from the beach and with terrific sea views, 2 The Crescent makes a great base for families, as children and baby equipment is provided and there are two bedrooms especially for youngsters. Rooms feature original fireplaces and quirky decorative touches, while the kitchen is superbly equipped with no less than three ovens. A pretty illuminated courtyard has a large covered dining table plus a gas barbecue and drinks fridge – perfect for al fresco meals. Three-night rental* is from £795 in winter to £1,095 in summer. Seven nights is from £925-£1,835.Down the coast and close to the famous pier and painted beach huts in popular Southwold, Suffolk, is Seacroft, a substantial, rambling old house for up to 15 people. Furnished with a mix of antiques and modern pieces and decorated in warm colours, it has a homely atmosphere with a welcoming kitchen/break-
Pet’s Corner...
Farm animals are a worry for many people. If you have never been raised on a farm or have not spent time on one then you may be disturbed by conditions that are sometimes seen in the winter or in very wet weather on farms. Cattle are often the biggest concern for people. When people are out driving in the countryside they may see cattle standing in muck in fields. Standing in muck is one thing but sinking up to their arm pits is another. People see this as cruelty and often report this to the proper authorities.
The reason that I’m writing this is because it is good to know what is cruel and what is not. First of all it is important to understand that cattle are very heavy animals. Even a rabbit will break the ground in wet weather from running up and down. They will wear a mucky little path into the ground. Dogs that are excited will wear a path from pacing on wet ground very quickly, so it is not hard to turn the ground to muck. Feeding stands for cattle are usually close to a gate so that food can be put there eas-
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fast room with large range cooker, a first-floor sitting room with panoramic sea views, and a huge dining room created from the original ballroom which would be great for a party. The sixbedroom house also has an enclosed lawned garden and costs from £765-£1,455 for three nights and £981-£2,040 per week. In Kent, a beautifully restored converted oats house provides a peaceful country base for eight people, with sheep grazing in the adjoining meadow and wonderful walks on the doorstep. Tastefully decorated and furnished, Lanary Oast House, near Bilsington, retains plenty of original features with exposed beams, oak floors and original stonework, and a dining room and bedroom situated within the roundel. There is a comfy sitting room with cosy wood-burner, an attractive country-style kitchen, and a decked verandah overlooking the goodsized garden. The coast is 20 minutes away as is the Eurostar terminal, making a day-trip to Paris a possibility. Rental is from £475-£599 for three nights and from £633£938 per week. Or for large family groups looking for a fabulous seaside house in the West Country, there is Caen House, a luxurious new six-
bedroom home a short stroll from the long sandy beach at Croyde, North Devon. Accommodating 11 guests in great style and comfort, the house in the heart of the pretty village, is bright and spacious providing plenty of room for everyone to spread out, with a choice of sitting rooms, a huge, openplan kitchen/diner, and large garden with open country views. Three nights costs from £833-£1,236 and seven nights from £1,148-£2,679 per week. Largest property is an 11-bedroom country house, sleeping 24, with six acres of grounds and an indoor swimming pool near Hay-on-Wye in Herefordshire. www.largecottages.co.uk,
Weekly Best Buy Why not escape the stress of the run up to Christmas and treat yourself by vis-
ily and regularly. Cattle come to the feeding stand to eat and as they are heavy animals they churn up the ground as they walk around the stand. They are often happy to stay there for lengthy periods of time and if there is heavy rain then the whole scene becomes a mud bath. The cruelty part comes in if the cattle do not have dry ground that they can move to, away from the feeder, in order to dry off or lie down to rest when they need to. Sometimes this involves having to move cattle from one field to another every
iting a magical city such as Brussels, Copenhagen, Dusseldorf, Munich, Oslo, Stockholm or Vienna? Spend a weekend wandering through festive streets and extravagantly decorated stalls, filled with quality produce and goods that are an absolute feast for the senses. There is something to be found for everyone in these fantastic cities. If soaking up the local culture, cuisine and exciting atmosphere is not enough then there are the many bustling markets and stores to be explored for those who want to shop ‘till they drop. Get away from all the stresses and strains of the Christmas season with one of these wonderful winter weekends, staying in 3 and 4 star hotels, from only €235pp + tax when you book with Joe
Walsh Tours. These two night packages offer the chance to experience the countless seasonal delights that these beautiful European cities have to offer. Price includes: Direct return flights to city of choice and 2 nights accommodation in a 3 or 4 star hotel, on a b&b or room only basis (depending on accommodation choice). Travel insurance is optional and is available on request at €45pp. www.joewalshtours. ie Robert Walshe is Travel Editor for River Media newspaper titles across the island of Ireland & a travel broadcaster with the Q Radio Network in Northern Ireland www. robertwalshe.com
Home and Away Extra Turkish Airlines to increase frequency on their Dublin to Istanbul route. From March 2013 the number of flights each week will increase from seven to ten, with the introduction of new evening flights. On Mondays and Saturdays Turkish Airlines will fly twice daily from Dublin which means some great new onwards connections for their Irish passengers. This flight increase will open up and improve connec-
with Kathleen Murray
Farm animals
Living
now and then to give the ground a chance to recover. Farmers are normally very good at taking care of their livestock, even under the worst weather conditions… but you will always get the one that doesn’t. If you are concerned about a farm animal then you could ring the Dept of Agriculture for help or you can report it to any of the animal welfare organisations or the Gardai. Any of them will be happy to help you. Numbers for these organisations can be got at your local Garda Station.
tion times to destinations such as Sharm El Sheik (Egypt), Dar Es Salaam (Tanzania), Sofia (Bulgaria), Bucharest (Romania), Chisinau (Moldova) and Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina). Turkish Airlines added a number of destinations to their schedule this year, including the Maldives, Sharm ElSheikh and Ganja and will add Kilimanjaro and Kigali to that list in 2013. www.turkishairlines.com