Get on the water in Ireland or Europe!

Things to do on the water Travel Tuesday 16th August 2016

As the temperature heats up for our Irish sailors at the Olympics in Rio, there's still time to enjoy the water at home or on a European city break this autumn. I'm looking at top things to do in Venice, Paris and at home in Ireland. whether you want to take a day trip or are staying near the water and want to try something different there are lots of ways to enjoy the water at home. I've listed a few below.

A word of caution if you are swimming in the sea in the south or east of the country.

Lions Mane Jellyfish

There has been an increase in sightings of Lions Mane jelly fish in the waters around Ireland. If you see large brown shapes in the water with long tendrils then stay well clear. Their sting can cause symptoms such as vomiting nausea and respiratory distress. seventeen were removed from waters in Dun Laoghaire and Sandycove last week. I saw one in Howth Harbour this morning and apparently they are all over Skerries and Portmarnock.

Some victims can suffer an anaphylactic shock from the sting so please keep away if you see the long brown hair-like tendrils. The weever fish is also present in waters one hour either side of low tide so be on the look out for this creature that can also cause shock and excruciating stings.
for more information see the Irish Water Safety board on  www.iws.ie

Lough Erne

County Fermanagh is a beautiful rural county and unspoilt due to its unique geography. With so many lakes and waterways it hasn't been over commercialised or changed by agriculture. Enjoying wonderful views on the water, I recently stayed at the lovely Killyhevlin Hotel which is only two miles from Enniskillen. A water taxi takes visitors into the town and Erne Tours offers a cruise of Lough Erne under cover of glass. For more information see www.ernetours.com
Enjoy a Saturday evening ruise for £28 per adult and £16 per child. Or take a two hour trip to Devenish Island and see some monastic wonders dating back to the sixth century including a round tower and high cross.
If you prefer to follow a food trail then www.ernewatertaxi.com will bring you on a three hour tour of tasting the best food in the area on Saturday Mornings at 10am for £50 pp. If you would rather a picnic then for £35 they offer a picnic hamper of local produce in one of the many beautiful locations on the lough where you can enjoy the food in a peaceful setting.
 Lough Erne is made up of two lakes, Upper Lough Erne and Lower Lough Erne and the best way to see them is to be on them.

A little over two hours drive from Dublin brought us to the Killyhevlin Hotel where we checked in and got straight down to enjoying the leisure facilities. The Kids loved the pool while my friend Catherine and I hopped into the outdoor hot tub to enjoy the view of the lakes. The treatment rooms are tucked away in the leisure centre and I enjoyed a speciality Killyhevlin massage which included a head massage and cleansing facial.

The hotel is bright and modern and we enjoyed cocktails before dinner in Kove restaurant while the girls lapped up their mocktails! Being the year of food and drink is just another excuse to travel up North. But the food was mouthwatering and we enjoyed, duck, sea bass and my daughter sampled the children's menu and devoured her chicken fritters. The staff were so friendly and went out of their way to make us feel at home.

The rooms were large and enjoyed views of the lake and a settee which doubled as an extra bed making it great for families. We really enjoyed our meal and went for a little trip on the water after dinner into the town of Enniskillen by Water taxi. Fermanagh turned out to be quite a nice surprise and I look forward to going back and exploring other parts of Lough Erne another time.

Midweek escape

2 x nights bed and breakfast available Sunday to Thursday, one four course dinner in Kove restaurant, with breakfast each morning.  Guests can also enjoy comp use of the Killyhevlin health club, complete with indoor swimming pool and outdoor hot tub.

From only £99 per person sharing. Subject to availability. http://www.killyhevlin.com/

We enjoyed some of the areas local attractions from boating on the water and exploring the Marble Arch Caves. 

The caves have been open over thirty years and have all the features enjoyed at the Ailwee Caves with similar flora above ground to the Burren in County Clare. It was one of the worlds first Global Geoparks making it a must do for geography teachers and great for school trips.

The caves tour includes a boat trip through the caverns but isn't always open if the water level is high. For more details visit www.marblearchcavesgeopark.com
A guided tour is £9.50 for adults and £6.50 for kids. family tickets are £23 for 2adults and 2 children.

To find out more about things to do in Northern Ireland visit http://www.discovernorthernireland.com/information/aboutNI.aspx

Athlone

I took the kids on a Viking Tour from Athlone Castle on a replica Viking ship. Our captain and navigator gave a running commentary which was informative and enjoyable with stories of folklore and natural history. It proved great fun for all ages and an interesting 45 minute trip along the river to Hodson Bay. At €10 per adult and €5 for kids it was good value too. Running from Easter to the end of October you can find more details here http://www.vikingtoursireland.ie/

We were left off on the jetty at Hodson Bay and home to Baysports Boat and Water Sports Centre. This is Ireland's largest inflatable waterpark and will rival any found on the continent. There was plenty to entice my teens and tweens who were given wet suits on arrival and after debriefing were brought out to the floating pontoon by rib.

The hour spent on the slides, trampolines and other delights slipped by but even after all that exertion they wanted to try kayaking. The waterpark is excellent value at €10 per hour for children up to 14 years old. http://www.baysports.ie/

There are lots of things to do at Baysports so why not fill a day on your way to or from your holiday destination around Ireland. We stayed at the Radisson Blu Athlone and enjoyed great location with the kids to see the town and get to Hodson Bay to enjoy the water sports.

Whether it’s a family break or a trip for the cycling enthusiasts there is something for everyone at Radisson Blu Hotel, Athlone this summer.

A family of two adults and two children can enjoy two nights’ accommodation, breakfast each morning to set you up for the day ahead, a delicious dinner on the evening of your choice in Element’s Bistro with bike hire to explore Athlone and beyond in the fresh summer air. The Get Your Greenway On package is available from €445 per family, so trade in the daily grind for some leisure time at Radisson Blu Hotel, Athlone this summer.

Couples can enjoy a two-night stay with a freshly prepared breakfast on both mornings and an evening meal in Elements Bistro on a night of your choice. Complete the experience with a scenic cycling tour to explore Athlone and beyond in the fresh summer air. The Get Your Greenway On package is available from €145 per person sharing.

Paris

You  can get on the water even on a city break. It's a great way to get a new perspective of a city.

I've a great deal for a trip to Paris next spring and if you do decide to go to the capital of romance then make time to dine on the Bateau Parisienne.

The Bateaux Parisiens is the most upmarket way to take in views on the River Seine. We sat at cloth covered tables and our hostess greeted us with glasses of wine with kir and warm nuts. We browsed the menu as our barge gently pulled away from the gaze of the Eiffel Tower. The kids devoured the roast chicken and gravy while the adults ate salmon and pork belly. Desserts were more-ish and all this while we were serenaded by a live rendition of La Vie en Rose. 

My daughter Nicole enjoying lunch on Bateaux Parisiens

                                       

Expedia.ie offer Return flights and a three night stay in 5-star Juliana Paris on the Left Bank in Paris start from €381 per person sharing, including taxes and fees; saving €157 altogether when you book this flight and hotel together with Expedia.ie For this deal fly directly from Dublin to Paris with Ryanair on Thursday, March 9th 2017 returning Sunday, March  12^th  2017.

For details of the bateaux Parisiens see http://www.bateauxparisiens.com/ prices start from €59 including three course meal wine and cruise.

Venice

Venice has to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Built on water it has some of the best collections of art from the Guggenheim to St Marks Basilica. In fact every building is a unique piece of art in this city of warm ochres, siennas and pretty painted facades.

Taking a gondola is a must and water taxis will allow you to haggle.

It's a popular destination for departing cruise ships and a stopover at the begining or end is a great opportunity to experience the city.

If you are tempted to get some Late Deals to Italy Topflight have a great deal to Lido de Jesolo

The Hotel Portofino is a 3* hotel offered on a half board basis.

Price includes flights, return transfers, accommodation for 7 nights, all taxes and services of the Topflight respresentative in resort. Go to 

http://www.topflight.ie/summer-sun/italy/venetian_riviera/lido_di_jesolo/hotel_portofino
for flight details and prices - 7 nights September 3rd from €668 pps

Novel Traveller News Thailand, Madrid and Paris

The battered copy of Us by David Nicholls that I borrowed from
The Hotel Paradise in Thailand - I'd better bring it back!!!

I’ve just turned the final pages of the book I’ve been reading for the last few weeks. ‘Us’ by David Nicholls called out to me from the shelves of the Hotel Paradise’s library on the beautiful island of koh Yao nao in Thailand. As I was a big fan of his book ‘One Day’ I was really looking forward to reading ‘US’. I had every intention of putting it back before leaving, but found it difficult to find time to read it in between the pedicures and massages.

Beautiful Thailand

Thailand is girlie heaven and I was with my best friend (of more years than I will admit without revealing my age) and every time I opened the book there was some other spa-like experience or delicious low-carb-meal beckoning so I didn’t get to read fifty pages. It was my first trip to the tiny Thai island and I’m dismayed that so many Irish travellers see Thailand as a destination for backpackers and middle aged men with dubious intentions. Thailand is great for families and the Scandinavians and Germans take their kids to the smaller remote islands en masse. Something tells me that our European neighbours like to keep this little known fact a secret. In fairness the long-haul-flight pushes up the price of a family package to a far-flung destination but we recouped this expense as the cost of food, beer and excursions etc. was so much more reasonable than many European destinations.

Outside the Prado

But back to ‘Us’ and once I got on the aircraft for home I was hooked as it has two enthralling elements – a heartbreaking love story that kept me hanging until the end to find out if Douglas makes it back into his wife Connie’s heart and a trip though Europe where Douglas searches for his son Albie, taking him to some of the most inspiring galleries and treasures of European painting, most notably in Paris and Madrid.

Me in Madrid

My son Mark and daughter Nicole at the Mona Lisa

This reminded me of the time that I brought my kids to the Louvre, and the queue was an hour long even though it was a miserable Friday at the end of November. So I was very pleased that I had bought The Paris Pass which meant we were able to skip straight to the top of the line. When travelling with kids I’ve discovered avoiding queues is a priority because their short attentions spans don’t leave much time to get around a gallery. Most museums can be large labyrinths to get lost in, so I usually check the layout online before travelling and it helps make the most of our time there. At the Louvre, The Mona Lisa was a priority for my kids to see being probably the most famous painting in the world and because it hung in Napoleons bathroom! Another intriguing fact about it that the Kids loved was the fact that it is priceless. Next question was how much is priceless? The Mona Lisa was a bit of a disappointment but Arcimboldo’s exotic faces made from still life objects were far more interesting.

Nicole in Koh Yao Noi

Picasso Guernica

Bigger than the Louvre

One painting that never disappoints and was the final one mentioned in ‘Us’ is Picasso’s Guernica in the Reina Sofia Museum, Madrid. Described perfectly by Douglas, it really is an image that will move and leave an impression with the viewer. Documenting the Nazi’s attack of the Basque town, permitted by the Spanish Leader, Franco, it is an allegory of all wars, a statement that is as relevant today as it was when it was painted. It is so big it has its own room and leaves a punch that will be a highlight of any visit to Madrid, even for the kids because sometimes they just get brilliance in a way adults don’t. Speaking of Madrid and Paris I’ve rooted out a nice deal that might entice you for a short break away to the Spanish capital.

My daughter Nicole at paradise hotel Koh Yao Noi

Now I’ve to get that copy of ‘Us’ back to the Hotel Paradise in Thailand. I think it needs to be delivered by hand just to make sure it arrives safely!
Happy reading and travels

Michelle x
The Novel Traveller

5* Madrid from €289pp in June

 

From €289pp for the 5* Silken Puerta America Hotel.  Price is per person based on 2 adults sharing for travel in June 2016.

 

Price includes:

·         3 nights in the 5* Silken Puerta America Hotel, Madrid, Spain

·         Double room on a room only basis

·         Aer Lingus flights from Dublin to Madrid

·         Airport taxes & charges

·         Link to offer: https://www.clickandgo.com/design-your-own-holiday/details/2016-06-10/3/2::0/RO/DUB/0/1058/125/294?search=all/Madrid/2016-06-11/3/2::0//DUB/0

Paris en famille!

It's not easy to escape to the Christmas markets alone so I devised a cunning plan to make a trip to Paris for the entire family. Ten year old Nicole loves shopping, hubby's new hobby is photography and football loving son Mark had said he'd love to see Paris St German play at home. So we set off on a low fare Ryanair flight to Paris Beauvais. Coach transfers from the airport to Port Maillot are not cheap at 34€ return, so we pre-booked a taxi online for convenience at an extra cost. Our hotel the Astotel Malte Opera was in a great location close to the Louvre and metros. The family room ticked all the boxes with two ensuites, a fabulous extra balcony room and two TVs. Soft drinks in the mini bar were free and it even had a random exercise bike. The breakfast included everything my crew enjoy including freshly squeezed orange juice with the bits left in.
Our first port of call was only minutes away where we paid our respects to the Mona Lisa. Nicole's appraisal of the priceless painting was, "It's much bigger than Charlotte said it was going to be!" We had beaten the queues by buying two museum passes. The Paris Pass includes transport so is a good investment too. The French love their culture and it's great to see that all museums and galleries are free for under 18s which makes it light on parents wallets. After snapping our photo at the famous glass pyramid outside, we jumped into a cab − a decadent treat with a €3 supplement for the fourth passenger but it is the quickest way to get to the Eiffel Tower. This is one landmark that's just as impressive in real life. We pre-booked lunch at 58et on stage one and this is a great way to avoid the long queues and save precious time entering by a special lift. Lunch was served via picnic baskets in ceramic dishes − a novelty for the kids. Our table looked out over the river seine with the imposing Trocedero backdrop. Dinner was delicious with mouth-watering mash and dessert consisted of a chocolate Eiffel Tower with Créme Anglais and proved a big hit.
Afterwards we strolled past the skateboarders and street entertainers that lined the steps of the Trocedero. Here the boys hopped on the metro in one direction to Parc des Princes and home of Paris St Germaine while Nicole and I went to the markets. The market on the Champs Elysées starts earlier than most of its European counterparts and runs until Jan 7th 2015. Starting a little later but lasting well into the New Year are the markets at Montmarte and Saint-Germain-des-Prés.


















The entire boulevard from Place de la Concorde could have been designed with Christmas in mind. Every tree sparkled with tiny white and blue fairy lights and as the sun went down magic filled the air with the aromas of cinnamon and mulled wine. A glass set me back €4 but even cheap French wine is good. Small wooden huts painted white and covered with synthetic snow set Nicole's eyes alight. Filled with the usual array of hand crafted soaps and jewellery she broke open her purse to buy a bauble for the Christmas tree with a hand-painted Eiffel Tower. The pink food stalls were difficult to pass wafting yummy smells of candy floss, gaufres and churros. The atmosphere was magical but very busy so I had to hold Nicole's hand tightly. It isn't easy to get lost at the markets as it runs in straight lines but our legs were aching and just in perfect time we had chosen to meet up with the boys at the Disney store.We pushed the kids to the limit by squeezing in one additional excursion after dinner. But as our metro stop was only a few metres from the Arc de Triomphe, we hiked the 284 steps and caught a glimpse of the Eiffel Tower sparkling − as it does for the first five minutes of every hour. The view down to the wheel of Paris with Christmas lights is possibly one of the best in Europe. After a blissful night's sleep in our oasis of peace at the Malte Opera we woke refreshed and ready for more. The Musee d'Orsay houses a great selection of impressionist paintings and the chance to see Whistler's famous portrait of his mother that the kids recognised from Mr Bean The Movie.  It was lunch time and we had a treat in store. 
The Bateaux Parisiens is the most upmarket way to take in views on the River Seine. We sat at cloth covered tables and our hostess greeted us with glasses of wine with kir and warm nuts. We browsed the menu as our barge gently pulled away from the gaze of the Eiffel Tower. The kids devoured the roast chicken and gravy while the adults ate salmon and pork belly. Desserts were more-ish and all this while we were serenaded by a live rendition of La Vie en Rose. The sun peeked out from behind the clouds as we glided past Notre Dame and the Statue of Liberty. If Carlsberg did Sunday lunches then this would be it. We had a couple of hours to spare so returned to the markets en famille before the last flight out of Beauvais. With our bags crammed and heads full of amazing memories Paris was given the thumbs up by all.












Fact BoxFor all information see Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau www.en.parisinfo.com

The Hotel Malte Opera can be booked through www.astotel.com with family rooms available

The Paris Pass/museum pass adults www.parispass.com

For a special tour of the Seine see www.bateauxparisiens.com Sunday lunch €57 pp.

The Eiffel Tour restaurant 58et on premier etage see www.restaurants-toureiffel.com to book online, picnic lunch from €21 with panoramic views of Paris.

Dublin to Paris Beauvais with Ryanair see www.ryanair.com