Northern Spain special, Bilbao and the Camino

Northern Spain is a different World - fun with the kids in Bilbao!

Spain is always a popular destination for Irish Tourists and this summer it is more so than ever with a predicted increase to 1.4 million in 2016. But when we think of Spain all too often we choose popular destinations like Barcelona or the Costa Del Sol but Northern Spain is having a Renaissance for a number of reasons and I've been checking them out.

I recently returned from Bilbao nestled in Basque country and close to the other jewels of the region, San Sebastian and Pamplona.

With the kids in tow we arrived on a Wednesday and checked into the Gran Hotel Domine in Bilbao, set across the road from the glorious Guggenheim Gallery. I didn't know about Puppy, the lovely doggy covered in flowers who sits outside the gallery - an incredible living sculpture that children especially will love to touch. We spent our first day cycling around the city on bikes with a guided tour - it was three hours long and I wondered if my teens would be giving out but on the contrary they adored seeing the city while doing an activity. Next day we took the unusual perspective of seeing the city from the river. Once the most polluted in Europe it is spotless and full of fish after a massive cleaning that cost the city millions. It was money well spent as we were able to kayak freely up and down on our two hour trip.

Any activity like this works up an appetite and Bilbao is a wonderful city for food lovers.

I'd recommend it for couples or girlie weekends and my kids adored the pinxtos which are a different kind of tapas to the usual you will find around Spain.

The transport system is excellent and shopping condensed in the one area which was perfect for my 12 year old daughter to get to see all her favourite stores. Bilbao is a masterpiece in design and layout. In the seventies many of the ugly industrial buildings that hugged the river were demolished and the infra structure was developed to a high aesthetic and working standard.

San Sebastian is only an hour away by bus and a beautiful city - why not do the coastal route and creep along the unspoilt beaches that hug the Atlantic. Another popular activity that has brought millions to Northern Spain is the Camino. Most pilgrims walk the final section of the 800 mile pilgrimage which is over 110km and get their passports stamped along the way in various hostels and guest houses. It seems to be a wonderful experience and life changing from anyone that I have spoken to who has done it. I've put together some deals below from Irish Tour operators and links to the Bilbao Tourist Board and the beautiful Gran Hotel Domine Where we stayed in Bilbao. 

Travel Tuesday on TV3's Midday chat about Bilbao - click here for link Bilbao on Midday 

Aer Lingus operates a daily service from Dublin to Bilbao with up to two flights on Saturday. One-way fares including taxes and charges start from €49.99 including taxes and charges

www.aerlingus.com

http://www.bilbaoturismo.net/BilbaoTurismo/en/tourists#

http://www.hoteldominebilbao.com/

http://tournebilbao.com/en/

http://www.bilbobentura.com/

www.madmuseum.es
www.spain.info

Most popular package - Camino Frances from Sarria to Santiago

This is the most popular Camino route known as the French Way. This trail captures the perfectly captures the essence of the Camino de Santiago. You will meet fellow pilgrims, discover local traditions and enjoy the unique atmosphere walking through Galicia's green countryside. This route finishes in the historic town of Santiago where you will collect your pilgrim certificate. 

Price: A 6-night self-guided tour on the French Way from Sarria to Santiago starts from €560 per person sharing for 6 nights. More details here: French Way

Another popular option is the last section of the Camino Portugues from Tui to Santiago

The Portuguese Way is the second most popular route among pilgrims to Santiago but you don't have to trek all the way from Lisbon to discover this classic Camino trail. 

Start from the town of Tui in Galicia, separated from Portugal only by the River Minho, and walk to Santiago in just a week. Tui is home to a wonderful historic centre and spectacular medieval cathedral-fortress. On your way you will reach the coast in the fishing village of Arcade, where you should taste the famous local oysters.

Price: A 7-night self-guided tour on the Portuguese Way from Tui to Santiago starts from €746 per person sharing. More details here:Camino Portugues

All prices include: Half-board accommodation, luggage transfers and holiday pack with route notes and practical information.

Price does not include:

Flights, transport, travel insurance.

www.caminoways.com

tel: 015252886

Final Stage – Camino Frances (8 days)

Weekly departures from April to October

Sarria to Santiago (8 days), the full and final stage of the Camino Way…

All inclusive price                                                                             Special Offer

     Flights                                                                                        From €775 

     B&B                                                                                       per person sharing

     Luggage transfers

     Pilgrim passport

www.maptravel.ie

tel: 01878311

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

Dallas for shopping, JFK and JR!

There was a time when the Irish flooded across the Atlantic grabbing bargains in malls like Woodbury Common but the strong dollar has seen a slowdown in travel shopping. However, with the Euro making a slow comeback I arrived in to Dallas FW Airport with an empty suitcase to see if I could make up my fare like we used in the halcyon days. I booked my flight in the January sales for €498 − good value to the United States despite travelling to Heathrow to get a direct connection. I stayed at The Fairmont Hotel, located conveniently Downtown, close to the arts district and buzzing McKinney Avenue where the best restaurants can be found. The views from our hotel room were on par with JRs office! Great coffee making facilities and a huge bathroom are another bonus.

My travelling companion is an avid shopper and accountant, great help when working out conversion rates. We set off on our first excursion to the highly recommended Stampede 66 Texas restaurant. The decor is very cool with wire sculpted horses protruding from the ceiling. Dallas is buzzing and it's no surprise as the state of Texas has the 13th richest economies in the world, on par with Saudi Arabia.

After dinner, the Fairmont Hotel sent its courtesy car to collect us FOC and brings us to Reunion Tower. It's just one of the nice luxuries included in our room rate in a hotel and ten minutes later we are on the Geodeck, observation point on the 68th floor. With spectacular views of the Dallas skyline it's well worth a visit day or night and helped us to get our bearings. For an outlay of $44 the Dallas CityPass booklet covers the entrance charge. The CityPass is good value and covers admission into four major attractions, good value for a weekend sightseeing.

We took a cab to Deep Ellum next, the trendy music district for the rest of the evening. Most of the bars have live bands with no cover charge. We choose The Free Man, a Cajun bar and lounge, where the beer is reasonably priced and the band exceptionally good.

Next morning, thirty minutes by car took us to The Grand Prairie Premium Outlets, which opens at 10am and where designer and name brands are at savings of 25% to 65% everyday. We found great shops and excellent value at Columbia and Aeropostale. I brought a cardboard cut out of my daughter's foot to help find a pair of runners in the Nike store. I picked up a pink pair of trainers for just over $30. The Vans store also offered savings. For my tween daughter, Justice is perfect and one of the last stores that can't be found in Ireland. Everything in the shop had 30% off on the new season range. Reasonably priced trendy gear and different to all that will be seen on the streets of Dublin. The Converse store was another with great offers - two Tshirts for $25 working out at just over €10 each.

A brand purchase like a Micheal Kors handbag is where real savings can be made and a big purchase like an engagement ring from Jared Vault could save the price of flights or hotel or both. It's worth noting that US gold carat measurements can be different to those commonly used in Europe. The exchange rate doesn't mean that all items are as cheap as they used to be but they are definitely about 30% overall cheaper than at home. Shoes are up to 50% cheaper in some cases. The food hall was great for lunch with a choice of Asian or local food and before we maxed out our credit cards we decided it was best to return to the Fairmont and offload our bags.

The hotel courtesy car brought us to the Sixth Floor Museum and Book depository, saving on taxi fare. The sixth floor museum is a must do. It takes visitors through the final hours of JFKs life and I left with more questions than answers about who actually killed him. The Grassy Knoll is marked with a bright yellow banner and the actual spot where the president was shot is marked in the middle of the road by a white x.

With spring in the air the Dallas arboretum is a wonderful attraction and including the admission to the Sixth floor museum we have already more than made up the price of our CityPass. Art isn't the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of Dallas but any city that is booming and prosperous has funds to support the arts. The Dallas Museum of Art is currently showing an exhibition of Dutch masters including Vermeers. The space and interactive information areas makes this one of the most impressive galleries that I have been to in a while.

The city that gave us hours of viewing in the 80s, and where the much beloved JFK came to a sad end proved to be a wonderful destination for a fun filled weekend.

Factbox

For more information visit www.visitdallas.com

Fights to Dallas with www.United.com start from €600 

Shopping information see

www.simon.com or www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/grand-prairie

Register online to download coupons and make savings

Dallas City Pass is $44

For Fairmont Hotel details see the www.fairmont.com/dallas

Rates start for a double room from $255pn

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

Oooooklahoma a trip with my Dad!

I have had a wonderful summer so far travelling to new places and I've started to write a new book! I'm behind on my blogging but look out for a feature coming soon in the Irish Mail on Sunday about my time spent in Oklahoma in June. I visited the Red Earth Festival, which is one of the biggest Pow Wows in the country, while I was there.

My dad at Red Earth with some new Indian friends

Chisholm Trail Lookout Point

We started off with a stay at a ranch and fitted in a lot more - I will be posting the article soon but here are some photographs of this amazing state and all that it has to offer.

Trolley ride to feed the cattle

Riding the Range at Island Guest Ranch

My father got very attached to his horse

Ponca city Pioneer woman statue

We ended up in Jail at the western museum in Enid

Then we went south to chickasaw country and made friends with our guide Fran who told us all about her nation.

Then we bought mountain pies at the foot of the Arbuckle mountain range, had time to buy antiques in Commanche, a hat in Stockyard City and finished off with a baseball game in Oklahoma city!

famous fried pies

Commanche

Stockyard city

Chickasaw Baseball Park

Oklahoma is also the state with the largest stretch of Route 66 still in tact and there are plenty of museums and famous sights to see along the way - including the museum of the West where I almost lost Dad!

Ann's Chicken Fry House on Route 66

Spot the real John Wayne

It was such a wonderful trip and I'd recommend to bring anyone who's a fan all things cowboy and Indian!

For more information about Oklahoma see www.travelksok.co.uk/

Acropolis Wow!

I recently spent two days in Athens while waiting to meet up with my cruise ship Celebrity Reflection and was pleasantly surprised by the buzz and delights waiting for us. The full article is available on the Sunday World website and you can read it here www.sundayworld.com/acropolis-wow
Athens isn't somewhere that comes to mind when thinking of a city break but two nights was the perfect length of time to see all that the city has to offer.

The changing of the guard in ceremonial dress is a must at the parliament buildings.

There were plenty of traditional restaurants to choose from in the Plaka and winding streets with interesting souvenirs on sale

The Acropolis and environs are not completely renovated yet but it is a magical site to visit and now there is an impressive museum at the bottom of the mound which is a must visit.

As my article in the Sunday World confirms we were Wow-ed by Athens!

If you are thinking of staying in Athens the Radisson Blu Park is a great base and has reasonable rates. The rooftop pool is a must to escape the heat from the busy streets and the staff were lovely.

the website is www.radissonblu.com/hotel-athens click if you would like more details.