Travel & Leisure

7 European cities that are better in winter

BY ULRIKE LEMMIN WOOFREY

I DON’T know what it is about winter, but not only is it probably my favourite season, but it also suits certain cities so much better than summer. I admit that this view might be subjective, as all the cities listed in this round-up are also great places to visit during other seasons. But, somehow, the best season to visit, in my mind at least, is winter.

1. TALLINN, ESTONIA

Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, is like a time-stood-still fairy tale city. e old centre is snuggled within a sturdy medieval city wall, complete with lookout towers with red pointed roofs, and the cobbled lanes are hemmed with ancient buildings, some half-timbered, others painted in pastel shades. e market square sits alongside the old town hall, which dates to 1404, making it the oldest in the Baltic States. ere are shops selling the loveliest local arts and crafts, with those little big-nosed gnomes, also called tomte or tonttu, which originate from Norse folklore, making the cutest addition to your mantlepiece back home.

Now add snow, add cafes and restaurants with large open res and serving either mulled wine, or glöggi, and decadent hot chocolate, add an ice rink set against a row of colorful old houses, and peoplxe warmly dressed simply enjoying being out at the market square lled with stalls during the Christmas season, and you have the perfect winter atmosphere.

2. STRASBOURG, FRANCE

Choosing Strasbourg for this list was a no-brainer because it is the Christmas setting personi ed. I have never seen a city more decorated at Christmas than Strasbourg. Not one shop window or street is without twinkling lights, window decorations, or market stalls. You can barely take it all in, there is so much to see.

Don’t get me wrong, I have visited in summer and enjoyed sitting out by the river, and loving the atmosphere of the old town, but if you only get to visit once, make it December, and take in Christmas in Strasbourg. It has to be seen to be believed. And don’t think that it is too much or tacky. Not at all. It is simply perfect.

3. STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN

is is de nitely a case of rst impressions made in the snow and loved ever since. e rst time I visited Stockholm I arrived on a ferry from Germany that had just made its way across the frozen Baltic Sea, landing in Stockholm after it had just snowed. e Gamla Stan, the old town, the palaces in and around the city, the parks, the streets, the roofs, everything was covered in a thick layer of perfectly white snow, making the already lovely setting of countless islands, canals, bridges, and harbors even more special.

While Stockholm is great in summer, with its people enjoying the light, warmth, and the chance to enjoy the water, I have always preferred it in the winter. Maybe because the city is set up for winter, and knows how to make the most of it, while also o ering creature comforts and making every place snuggly and warm?

4. HELSINKI, FINLAND

Another northern winter winner delight is Helsinki, and do you know why? Because I fell in love with one particular café/restaurant called Kappeli, which is decked out in countless twinkling lights that light up the entire Esplanade in winter’s dark nights. Walking around the old harbour, visiting the covered market, the arts and crafts huts alongside the harbour, and then turning into the wide Esplanade, the historic Kappeli restaurant — one side lovely café, another side very nice restaurant — stands there like a special Christmas decoration, and it does serve rather good food, too.

And the square in front of the Helsinki Cathedral, just o the Esplanade steps from Kappeli, is another lovely sight, with a huge Christmas tree in front of the white cathedral.

5. PARIS, FRANCE

I have always maintained that winter was my favorite season in Paris, much to the horror of Parisians, who easily get a chill. But not only is Paris more void of people in winter but also, it is possible to walk along the beautiful architecture without the leaves of the trees being in the way of appreciating the scene. Not that I do not like the trees in Paris, it is lovely for the city to be so green, but when you walk along looking up, you often miss the details of the buildings for trees.

And should you get snow that stays on the ground, then head straight for the Ei el Tower. at might sound like unnecessary advice but trust me. Once it snows properly, all the metros and buses go on reduced service, and no one heads out. I had the entire Champ de Mars to myself, with four other people, managing to take wonderful pictures of a snowy Ei el Tower without people. Just imagine.

6. EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND

e capital of Scotland is truly lovely in all seasons, and even if it rains, it still has a certain charm. But Edinburgh pulls out all the stops not just for Christmas, with the steep lanes up to the castle looking particularly lovely, but especially over the New Year. is is the time to come and watch how the Scots party and celebrate Hogmanay. Come prepared and get a torch ready for the torchlight procession down the Royal Mile, and learn the words to “Auld Lang Syne,” which everybody bursts into at midnight.

7. HAMBURG, GERMANY

Hamburg is my hometown and I love all seasons there, in summer the canals and lakes are full of boats and paddlers, and the parks full of picnickers, and it is lovely to have a break from the famous schmuddelwetter, meaning the dirty weather, ie., the rain that dominates spring and fall. In winter, there is usually another break from the rain, when it turns to snow. And if luck has it, it gets cold enough for the two lakes that dominate the city center to freeze over. When that happens, all of Hamburg gets on the ice — walking, skating, setting up sausage and mulled wine stands, and people basically picnicking on the ice. en there are the Christmas concerts, best enjoyed in the modern Elbphilharmonie with its great views, or the truly iconic Hamburg setting of the St. Michaelis Church, the “Michel” as locals call it.

Add to that the great Christmas markets, especially the one in front of the historic town hall, and you will get the idea why this city is just perfect in wintertime.

MacDonagh Jnc project cited for major award

UPMC are delighted to announce that the newly established UPMC Global Technology Operations Centre in MacDonagh Junction has been selected as a nalist in the 2021 Fit-Out Awards as ‘Fit Out Project of the Year - Medium O ce’. Launched in 2012, the Fit Out Awards celebrate excellence in the execution of world-class t outs, and also the people and clients who drive these projects.

Speaking following the announcement as a nalist, Joanne Fanning, Chief Information O cer, UPMC, said: “I am delighted that the UPMC Global Technology Operations Centre (GTOC) has been selected as a nalist in the awards. We are proud of this achievement as it re ects the high-quality design, hard work in delivery and the dedication that has gone into the project here in Kilkenny by all stakeholders.

“UPMC established the GTOC in Ireland to support the health system’s continuing international expansion and it will employ more than 60 skilled technology workers and other support sta over the next three years in Kilkenny, adding to the more than 800 UPMC team already in Ireland.”

Ms Fanning continued: “UPMC are looking to help shape how healthcare is delivered in Ireland and we are fortunate enough to be able to do so across our locations. Providing high-quality healthcare in the South East since 2006, UPMC’s operations in Ireland now include UPMC Whit eld Hospital in Waterford, UPMC Kildare Hospital in Clane and UPMC Aut Even Hospital in Kilkenny.

“Outpatient care is available at the UPMC Carlow Outreach Centre, UPMC Hillman Cancer Centre radiotherapy locations at UPMC Whit eld and in Cork, the UPMC Sports Medicine Clinic at WIT Arena and the UPMC Concussion Network,” she said. e awards o er a great opportunity for companies from all over Ireland to come together, network, collaborate, and showcase their work. ey will be judged by a panel of distinguished commentators, critics, international designers and t out practitioners.

Ibec welcomes national plan’s shot-in-the-arm to regional area

IBEC, the group that represents Irish business, has welcomed the commitment to balanced regional development in the National Development Plan (NDP) and said successful delivery is paramount.

Ibec South-East Regional PresidentAndy Crowley said: “We welcome the ambition in the National Development Plan and the commitment to balanced regional development. Ibec had consistently called for a robust public capital investment programme to address infrastructure de cits in the region. e plan must stimulate investment, boost productivity, improve quality of life and support the creation of jobs in the region.

“ e revised National Development Plan supports enhanced regional connectivity. Connectivity is essential for more balanced growth and to tackle growing regional inequalities. Dublin accounts for almost half of all economic output, making us more reliant on our capital city than any other country in the EU.

“We must prioritise the reduction of this imbalance through ambitious investment in critical infrastructure in areas such as housing, education, health, digital, roads and public transport.”

He said a NDP with this scale of ambition had the potential to fuel economic growth. It provided an opportunity to address long-standing connectivity challenges, persistent regional disparities and support the recovery and sustainable growth of our city, towns and villages. However, delivery was paramount, he said.

“ is necessitates a bold ambition to radically improve capital project delivery timelines. e commitment to advance the necessary changes to the planning process will play a vital role in this. e focus of Government must be rmly xed on delivery to secure the future growth of the region.”

Two men held over €1.18m. cannabis haul

A MAN has been charged in relation to the seizure of cannabis with an estimated street value of €1.18 million. e man, aged in his 40s, was due to appear before a special sitting of Gorey District Court.

He had been travelling in a vehicle stopped by Gardai in the Kilkenny area.

A second man arrested in connection with the seizure has been released without charge.

A le will be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

e arrests were made as part of ongoing investigations targeting people suspected to be involved in an organised crime group operating in the Kilkenny area. e joint operation was carried out by personnel attached to the Revenue Customs Service and the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau.

A total x59kg of cannabis with an estimated street value of €1,180,000 was seized by Revenue o cers the course of the operation. THE Department of Education & Skills has approved the development of a major extension at St Senan’s National School in Kilmacow, south Kilkenny. e project will see the construction of three new mainstream classrooms, two Special Education rooms and a twoclassroom Special Educational Needs base. e works will also include the demolition of an old prefab on the grounds of the school.

Local TD John Paul Phelan said the extension would “will signi cantly improve facilities” at the school.

Deputy Phelan said: “ is long-awaited extension to St. Senan’s NS is great news for the entire school community and indeed Kilmacow and the surrounding areas.

“ e school team has been under enormous pressure in recent years due to capacity and this work will vastly improve facilities for sta and pupils alike, allowing the school to cater for current and future demand throughout the area.”

Pupils urged to STEM up to the mark

SCHOOLS in Kilkenny are being encouraged to register and take part in the 2021/22 F1 in Schools education programme this autumn by members of Student Innovation Ireland and Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) e F1 in Schools STEM Challenge raises awareness among schoolchildren all across the globe of STEM through Formula 1; it encourages students to think creatively, improve their skills, and gain con dence. It is the only global multi-disciplinary challenge in which teams of students aged nine to 19 deploy CAD/CAM software to collaborate, design, analyse, manufacture, test, and then race miniature compressed air powered cars made from the F1 model block.

Four Irish winners from the 2021/22 season will compete in the F1 in Schools World Finals representing Ireland in the UK next April. e national nal aired on TG4 earlier this year and Aaron Hannon, CoFounder of F1 in Schools, is calling on schools to enter this year’s challenge:

“F1 in Schools is a great opportunity for secondlevel students to dip their toes into the world of business, leadership, engineering, science and technology before deciding what direction they want to take after they’ve nished secondary school. We had a great uptake last year and we’re calling on more schools, teachers and parents to apply and get young people involved this year.

“F1 in Schools opens many doors for our participants, including a once in a lifetime opportunity to represent Ireland at the F1 in Schools World Finals in the UK early next year.”

Lucy Daly, Head of Chassis Design at Formula Trinity at Trinity College credits F1 in Schools for helping her realise that design engineering was her passion. She said: “F1 in Schools was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. I competed at regional and national level in both 2014 as a junior cycle student and in 2016 as a senior cycle student. Next September, I will lead the team as Team Captain for the 2022 edition of the Formula Student competition at Silverstone International Racing Circuit which is a dream come true. My goal is to have a career in the motorsport industry as an aerodynamic or chassis engineer. “

For more information visit f1inschools.ie or email info@f1inschools.ie.

Major plans approved for south county school

Parent – child sleep wars

ANDREW MCDONALD HYPNOTHERAPIST

THE BATTLE to get your kids to sleep is well-known to most parents. It’s a natural part of growing up when children test boundaries and bedtime is one of the biggest. However, Mums and Dads know the importance of getting a good night’s shuteye, particularly with school back. So what do you do when your son or daughter is pushing the limits of what you think is an appropriate time for them to nod o ?

Particularly prevalent with teens, but common with younger children too, is “social jet lag”. is has nothing to do with their relationships with friends. It is caused by the habit of kids to sleep later on a weekend than during the week. Many teenagers, and little ones, on a Friday and Saturday go to bed at a time which bears no resemblance to their weekday schedule, sleeping till or even past lunchtime the next day. is shifts their body clocks, often signi cantly. Without having travelled anywhere, they’re basically living in a di erent time zone on non-school days making it more di cult to get to sleep early on Sunday – ursday nights.

Of course, later bedtimes at weekends is normal. Good luck trying to tell your child they need to go to bed at the same time seven days a week! at aside, it’s worth keeping that extension within reasonable limits so your teen doesn’t nd it impossible to get to sleep early enough on a weekday. Equally key is not letting your son or daughter snooze too late on a Saturday and Sunday morning.

Another good idea is avoiding screen time, and this includes the television, for at least an hour before heading to bed. is is a good idea for parents and other adults too. In simple terms, your body creates more melatonin, the sleep hormone, when it gets dark. By using phones, laptops and televisions within 60 minutes of going to bed, you’re sending your brain the message that it’s still daytime due to the light from these sources thus depleting your body of this natural chemical.

A relaxation routine can encourage good sleep too. For that last hour of the day, instead of using screens, your whole family could get together to listen to soothing music, meditate, practise yoga or any other activity which encourages you to unwind. Not only will this help your child get enough shut eye, it will help you as well!

Getting a good night’s sleep is a battle for all of us at times. No matter how many good bedtime habits you put in place, sometimes things just won’t go your child’s way. However, by establishing good patterns, you can help your son or daughter to get those much-needed hours of shut-eye and make bedtime a breeze.

Man in the Mirror

THE new season doesn’t just mean a wardrobe refresh for the ladies! Men, get your wardrobes autumn/winter ready with all the looks you need from MacDonagh Junction Shopping Centre.

Every wardrobe needs that go-to casual yet stylish seasonal out t. Look no further than River Island for the perfect out t that combines a classy look and feel. Team a pair of jeans with a classic white tee and checked shacket to showcase an e ortless style. Finish o this casual and comfy look with a pair of trainers from Skechers.

Searching for some outdoor gear? Regatta have a large selection of waterproof walking shoes perfect for autumn hikes. Even better, there’s no need to worry about the rain as they have insulated waterproof coats that will not only keep you dry but also toasty warm!

Now that the outdoor and casual looks have been taken care of, it’s time to step it up a notch for a more sophisticated look with a dinner jacket, suit trousers and dress shoes from TK Maxx- a classic style that never ages!

For more men’s fashion inspiration make sure to follow MacDonagh Junction Shopping Centre on Facebook and Instagram.

*All prices correct at time of print

q TK Maxx €12.99 River Island €87 u

Skechers €80 u t TK Maxx €79.99 €79.99

t Regatta €84

q TK Maxx €39.99

THIS WEEK, in our look at the recently published book of poetry and prose by e Kilkenny Involvement Centre and e Recovery College , we feature poems from three of our guest writers: Michael Harding, Angela Keogh and Martina Evans

Much More Than Words

If ever a book deserved the award for ‘ e Perfect Title’ surely that accolade must go to a new compilation of poetry Much More an Words. Indeed its very title describes comprehensively the diversity of the treasures to be discovered within its covers. is volume of carefully crafted poems, interspersed with prose and enhanced with well-chosen images, is the second collection produced by e Involvement Centre Kilkenny and the rst in a joint venture with e Recovery College. e Kilkenny Observer Newspaper is delighted to promote the work of e Involvement Centre and e Recovery College, and so, will publish a selection of their work over the coming months. ‘Much More Than Words’ can

be purchased at the following Kilkenny outlets: Bargain Books, The Butterslip Khans Bookshop, James’ Street & The Book Centre, High Street. Price: €10

Michael Harding

“From a very young age I wanted two things, ... some kind of mystical, private solitary life and to be a poet... I published my rst poems in the Junior Digest aged 11”. Michael Harding was born in 1953 in Cavan and is an Irish short story writer, newspaper columnist, novelist and playwright. He was a recipient of the Stewart Parker eatre Bursary in 1990 and the Bank of Ireland/RTE award for excellence in the Arts in the same year. He won the Hennessy Literary Award for short stories in 1980 and became a member of Aosdana in 2000. He is the author of six volumes of memoir, and his latest book, What Is Beautiful In e Sky, was published in 2020.27

Dreaming of Trees

When I was a boy I dreamed of trees, of wind, and of doors opening and closing in the night. I grew up in a landscape of drumlins smooth as lapis lazuli, neatly dotted with hard woods of glorious gold on autumn days, and forests of beech and huge chestnuts like the skirts of some giant auntie making canopies of shade along the roadside, beside stone pillars and gothic gates, in the late summer evenings, when we would cycle home from the lake, our carriers hung with branches of wild pike. Cows and ies beneath the chestnut trees on hot days, the eld gone to mud and cakes of dung. I stood beneath the trees and gazed up at the tips that bent over in the harsh wind of winter, and saw them leaning and screeching, and I thought there was someone there. Someone behind the veil. Someone su ering in that windy cry.

Michael Harding

Angela Keogh Martina Evans

Angela Keogh is a Kilkenny born writer, much of whose childhood was spent between Michael Street, the Sion Road and Bennetsbridge. She has been published in the Kilkenny Broadsheet a number of times. Her play e Winter Dress, about the arrival of the Black Death in Kilkenny in 1348, toured in 2017 and 2018. Her novel of the same name was one of the winners of the Irish Writers’ Centre Novel Fair 2020 and was published in 2020. Two of her radio plays were recorded by KCLR in 2020 and were broadcast in 2021. Angela also works in theatre and as a tutor at e Hedge School on the Moone.

An Irish Poem

Slips o the page and calls next door, with a plate of sandwiches. An Irish poem, in blue lipped Wexford sparkles, between the showers, like a million blinking eyes. An Irish poem, wanders over bogs and ghost estates dreaming of bravery.

An Irish poem chases away sorrow with a bottle of beer and stumbles about in the ill- tting shoes of its neighbours. An Irish poem reaches back to empty bellies with useless arms. An Irish poem is staring at the screen, writing about loneliness, still listening to drunken songs in a small old house. An Irish poem sleeps in damp doorways and warm beds and tries, as best it can, to wake up. An Irish poem has abandoned the relics and the wells and carries itself in a whispering breeze and red sky. An Irish poem has spaces between the verses of poverty and plenty and needs a good editor. An Irish poem is the sob of a mother in a convent and a boat leaving. An Irish poem is laughter on a dark day and a quiet queue of the dying. An Irish poem is tying ropes and cutting ropes, cold with shame on a snow lled morning. An Irish poem is an ugly mob at a mosque and deep pockets at Christmas. An Irish poem is a pair of pigeons purpled in light searching, searching, searching. Martina Evans is an Irish poet, novelist and teacher. She grew up in County Cork in a country pub, shop and petrol station and is the youngest of ten children. She is the author of books of prose and poetry. When Martina joined us to discuss poetry and other things, she had just completed work on her latest collection Now We Can Talk Openly About Men which was featured in the Times Literary Supplement, Observer and Irish Times Books of the Year.

Clinical Indications

Oh was shorthand for the chemical equation C2H5Oh – Ethanol meaning alcohol, a tip-o from the doctor, a code message to say drink was involved, the patient was drunk. e radiographer faraway in a deserted X-ray department at night had to watch out for the obstreperous. It might have been shorthand for Irish but how could they scare me when I only had to lay my Cork accent like a wand on their ears? 25

Once I puzzled over a request form for a chest X-ray that gave one word – Irish – in the Clinical Indications box. Was it a joke? Or working backwards, shorthand for the drink or drunk or look out for the telltale fractures of the third metacarpal from frustrated Paddies punching walls for the bi-lateral healed rib fractures of the older labouring immigrants who got so plastered they fell down, broke, healed and carried on, the stigmata inside the coats of their skin like the rays from a sacred heart? Or did it mean what I never understood? at night, the young doctor with the black moustache too close to me at 2 a.m., his breath in my ear, whispering – Something has to be done about the Irish. ey’re spreading TB, spitting it on the oors in Kilburn. I’m scanning another man’s head so I can’t move away from the smell of his Wotsits. I look straight ahead while through the microphone on the other side of the glass my voice echoes – Keep still, you’re doing brilliant – to Mr MacNamara, yards away terri ed on a moving table. Much More Than Words

Local property tax evaluation

OVER the past few days, we all have been receiving our local property tax evaluation forms. As always, these brown envelopes come in our doors without any fore warning, and it is no wonder therefore, it causes many of our seniors to worry and become stressed over another bill as the winter is about to arrive. Not to mention heating bills going up, ESB on the rise, the car we use once weekly, the petrol is sky rocketing and on it goes.

is week we are going to look at ways to alleviate any worries we might have about this LPT.

Valuing your property

• It is not necessary for property owners to use online sources to determine the value of their property for

LPT. • Other non-online sources that will assist property owners to value their property include auctioneers advertisements in newspapers (local and/or national) or checking the information displayed in the local auctioneer’s o ce. • Property owners are required to determine the value of their property to identify the ‘valuation

band’ their property falls into, which, in turn, determines the amount of LPT a property owner will pay. • As the bands are very wide, it is not so much an exact valuation down to the last euro property owners need to determine but rather an honest and realistic approximate valuation.

LPT for those who cannot access or use online services.

• Revenue fully appreciate that not all property owners are able to avail of, access or use online services. • Revenue’s service delivery model, including in relation to Local Property Tax (LPT), is designed to cater for those who are unable to avail of these services. • Speci cally in relation to

LPT, Revenue has issued approx. 200,000 paper LPT

Returns accompanied by a covering letter to property owners who have not previously led or paid their LPT through our online portal or who are not registered for

either of our online services (my Account or ROS). • Property owners who haven’t received a paper LPT Return and who are not able to submit their

LPT Return online should not be concerned. • An alternative option available is to contact Revenue’s

LPT Helpline on (01) 7383626. • Revenues call centre agents will assist property owners by ling their return and setting up their payment

method over the phone. • In advance of calling, property owners will need to rst value their property and have their Property ID and PIN to hand (these can be found on any LPT correspondence previously received from Revenue). • Alternatively, property owners can write to Revenue with details of their Property ID, your PIN, property valuation and preferred payment option.

Paying your LPT

• ere is a wide range of LPT payment options that do not require interaction with online services. • For example, property owners can choose to pay by cheque, by once o cash payment through an approved payment service provider, or by deduction at source from their pension. • Property owners can select any of these payment options on the paper LPT return or when they contact

Revenue by phone or in writing. • If property owners have already been paying LPT by one of the recurring payment options, the current payment method will be automatically carried forward to 2022. • is means that the current recurring payment method will continue to apply for 2022 unless a property owner selects a di erent payment option when submitting his or her LPT Return or if he or she noti es Revenue by telephone or in writing that of a di erent payment method.

You May be exempt from paying Local property Tax (LPT)

e Local Property Tax as mentioned earlier is a worrying bill for our seniors. As we get ready for the winter, and we count our pennies to ensure we have a well-insulated and heated home we then got the LPT though our door but………you may be exempt.

You may be exempt from paying local property tax (LPT). Many of us have a carer or we are carers and we have had to get the house adapted due to a disability, or that of our spouse that needs assistance. ese guidelines deal with two reliefs applying to local property tax (LPT) which are relevant to properties occupied by individuals who are either disabled or permanently and totally incapacitated. ere are two di erent types of LPT relief: 1. A reduction in the chargeable value of a property that has been adapted to make it more suitable for occupation by a person with a disability where the adaptation work has resulted in an increase in the chargeable value of the property. Up to the year 2017, the adaptation work must increase the chargeable value to the extent that it moves into a higher valuation band.

From the year 2017, the relief will operate by allowing the chargeable value to be reduced by a xed annual amount of €50,000. 2. A full exemption from the charge of local property tax (LPT) for properties that have been constructed or acquired because of their suitability for occupation by individuals who are permanently and totally incapacitated to such an extent that they are unable to maintain themselves and whose condition is so severe that it dictates the type of property that they can live in. e exemption also applies to properties that have been adapted to make them suitable for occupation by such individuals. • e property must have been adapted for the sole purpose of making it more suitable for occupation by a disabled individual. • Following its adaptation, the property must be occupied as the sole or main residence of the disabled individual. • e chargeable value of the property must increase because of the adaptation work, and • a relevant local authority grant must be paid towards the cost of the adaptation work, or where such a grant is not paid, the liable person must receive approval from Revenue for the relief

So, if you have any adaptations done to your home, say adaptation of your bathroom, and if it was funded by the local Authority, it may qualify you for an exemption of the LPT.

Filling in any form is daunting, but we have a citizens advice bureau to help our citizens with information, an Older Peoples Council and we at Twilight can advise as best we can to help alleviate any stress or worry you may have.

Take care and stay safe.