The waterways

Ireland’s modest but picturesque waterways boast glorious scenery, a calm environment and plenty of opportunities to explore a long and often chequered history while taking advantage of spectacular sunsets and a real sense of peace and quiet.

Cruising takes place on the rivers Shannon, Erne and Barrow, with the famous Grand Canal linking the beautiful River Shannon to bustling Dublin. As the most well known route, the Grand Canal traditionally carried goods such as coal, grain and turf up to the capital before being used extensively for leisure.

Diverse and often surprising, the waterways of Ireland can all at once incorporate ancient monasteries, varied architecture, busy hubs of activity and remote pockets of undisturbed beauty. Any journey by boat along these watery paths will take you past a series or bridges, locks and other features which make travelling these parts interesting.

Ideal for nature lovers, the canal network is suitably isolated and gives way to wild flowers, hedgerow, wildlife and larger lakes and loughs. Dotted around the landscape are a variety of important historical sites, demanding nothing in return for imparting their knowledge of times gone by.

Highlights

Steeped in legend, mysticism and natural beauty, the Irish landscape is full of secrets, heroism and charm. With a host of adventures waiting, canal boat hire offers a unique vantage point and is the ideal way to scratch below the surface and learn about the history of this fascinating country.

There are plenty of sights to behold as you weave your way along these scenic waters with Portumna’s grand 17th century castle a key attraction and a beautifully restored Irish example. In terms of sites of religious importance Clonmacnoise is a must, founded by St. Ciarrn in the mid-6th century. Featuring an extensive site which is home to a ruined cathedral, seven churches, two round towers, ancient graves and three high crosses, the site is truly breathtaking.

As the canal network meanders towards Lough Derg, everyday stress evaporates as the calm tranquillity of this ancient pilgrimage site becomes apparent. Intrinsically Celtic Lough Derg has been receiving pilgrims for over 1000 years and continues to extend its welcome.

When stepping off the boat to stretch your legs you are treated to a choice of traditional towns offering plenty of chances to have a bit of craic in the local pubs and restaurants and some of the liveliest options are Athlone, Ballinasloe, Portumna and Enniskillen.

With an incredible history and culture waiting to be stumbled upon, any meander down Ireland’s waterways becomes something of an adventure as the landscape opens up its many treasures. You never know where the day will take you aboard a traditional vessel in a very beautiful part of the world.

AUTHOR BIO:
Jennifer writes regularly on cruising and boating for a range of specialist websites and blogs. She enjoys canal hire with her family from time to time and exploring at a leisurely pace. On this occasion she writes on behalf of http://www.leboat.co.uk

1. Maribor, Slovenia: Though Maribor is a small city; it is the second largest city of Slovenia. There are many attractions in this little city. Maribor Synagogue, Betnava Castle, Maribor Castle, Cathedrals, Fransiscan Church are some of the famed attractions. Located in the wine growing hills, Maribor’s famous river Drava, adds drama to the picturesque landscape. Apart from the famous attractions, the Three Ponds Park is an awesome place in the woods with three ponds, small lakes, lawns and more. One of the ponds is hidden at the Ribniska Street that leads to the Pyramid hall which is another attraction known for viewing the city from the peak. Stara Trta and Water tower are god places for relaxing with the oldest wine in hand.

1. Mostar, Bosnia: Serving you the taste of multi cultural past, Mostar is the municipality of Bosnia. The most natural falls of Europe placed in mountains is a sight one cannot miss; Kravica Falls are located here. People from many countries crowd this place in summers to swim, eat fish and click. Old Bazaar is another attraction of Mostar that presents Turkish shops selling handicrafts, clothes, souvenirs and paintings. Then there is The Old Bridge known as Stari Most with a real touching history;a medieval bridge that was preserved during war. Not stopping over the bridge would be an insult to this beautiful place.

1. Zadar, Croatia: Encompassed in a rich engineered heritage Zadar is the most undervalued location with non-euro currency. Zadar holds a place in the territory of the Roman Catholic Archbishop. The famous attractions are Organo Marino, City Gate, Nature Park and Church of St Donat. At Organo Marino, a white macadamize at the waterfront Riva is a pictorial attraction and people come here to stroll over and for coffee conversations. And Nikola Baisc’s Sea organ that consists of musical chambers underground is the perfect music to listen by the setting sun. Zadar city gate is an old historic gate that allows access to the very old and small alleys.

1. Suceave, Romania: The old capital of Moldova; Suceave is home to many painted monasteries and historical attractions in Bucovina area of Romania. Mirauti church is the landmark of Suceave and was revived between 1898 -1901. This place will bring in the pleasure of experiencing renaissance village where you can wander through traditional Romania, walk in the parks, tour the monasteries and also bird-watch.

1. Kotor, Montonegro: Located in the isolated Gulf of Kotor, this place is a coastal town with many sailors and traders apart from being a UNESCO heritage site. The best known places for which this place is distinguished are Sveti Marko Island, Mount Lovcen, Cathedral of St Tryphon and more. The old town of Kotor is incredible; walking down the stone pavements, sitting at an outside café and appreciating history is something that you will enjoy. Another attraction is the city walls that is located 3 miles up on the hills. The best view of the Kotor bay is from the top of the city walls. The same walls will also lead you to the fortress of Saint Ivan.

About Author

This post was authored by Irina Kirilov, a blogger for Thrifty Bucharest Rentals , the company that represents Dollar Thrifty in Romania. Irina loves to interact with other travel bloggers, so why not follow @carhireromania  on Twitter as well?

Things To Remember When Travelling With Children

For anyone travelling with school-age children, one of the main things to think about will be which of the school holidays you use to take your break. Holidays during breaks in school will always be in high demand so it is important to book early. When you choose to go, will to some extent be determined by where you decide to go, as the weather in your chosen destination should also be a consideration if you have children. Your choice of destination will also be important as travelling long distances, particularly with younger children, can be stressful and would not be a relaxing start to any holiday.

Types Of Holiday

There are many types of holiday that are suitable for those with children depending on their age and the type of family that you are. Some families like the idea of having an all-inclusive holiday where you have paid for most things in advance, making it easier to budget. These same people would probably also enjoy joining an organised group for an adventure holiday where much of the organising is done for you so all you have to do is enjoy the trip. Alternatively there are those who will relish the prospect of self catering and planning their own adventure or taking to the water and then choosing their own Moorings, effectively making their own holiday.
Any of these options are great for children of all ages, however, older children are more likely to enjoy activities such as cycling, kayaking and hiking that are on offer on an organised family adventure holiday when you can experience simplicity of life. Likewise, older children are likely to enjoy the idea of being the ‘crew’ on a sailing holiday where as a family you have chosen your moorings and organised your own route.

Child Friendly Destinations

Depending how far you want to travel and the type of holiday you want, there are many destinations that are suitable for families with children of all ages. One option is to remain in the UK for your holiday, however, family holidays in Europe can provide excellent value, whether you stay in one country or visit several. There is a huge amount to see and do and along with the culture, history and scenery, a family holiday to Europe is a great idea. If you want to travel further, then the United States of America is very child friendly or why not try Asia. Hong Kong in particular is gaining a reputation for being popular among those with children.

So whilst travelling as a family can be stressful, it does not have to be. Provided you choose the right destination for you and your family as well as the right sort of holiday, you will all have an amazing time.

AUTHOR BIO:

Jennifer writes on a regular basis regarding travel for several travel websites and blogs. This includes writing about family holidays with simplicity as well as sailing and Moorings.

Spearhead by the United States Navy and the National Science Foundation. I’m on board the Hawk bill for the first leg of its six-week Arctic cruise. Stocked with scientists and special equipment, the 30-year-old attack sub will zigzag around the Arctic Ocean, mapping the seafloor while collecting data on temperature, currents, salinity, nutrients, and ice thickness.

Given that the Poles are widely seen as bellwethers of global climate change, this all looks very dramatic. But it may be just another imagined monster lurking in the blank spots of our knowledge. Perhaps the water regularly warms and cools and the ice regularly thins and thickens as atmospheric pressures and water currents oscillate. There’s evidence to suggest that, but it’s not conclusive. Although a 1997 accord Sophisticated navigation equipment got the Hawk bill from Hawaii to the general vicinity of its surfacing site, but in the end it all came down to an X shoveled on the ice, visible from the sub via video camera. Aim is not precise, as two sailors learned when the sub surfaced where they were standing (bottom). The surfacing site was about a mile from a temporary ice camp (facing page), which served as both a staging area and a science laboratory. Arctic science was once largely done from such camps, capable of delivering only a tiny fraction of the data a submarine can.

Gave scientists access to decades of historical Arctic data collected by the Soviet and U.S. governments, the record is far from complete and before 1950 largely nonexistent. So the questions remain: Will currents and temperatures revert to more familiar patterns? Or are the Arctic showing signs of global warming?

Some scientists think that the Arctic Ocean may have lost its summer ice 400,000 years ago, when the Earth was as warm as it is now. The Earth has a history of warming and cooling dramatically in just decades or even years as environmental factors amplify each other. In the Arctic, for instance, sea ice reflects most solar energy, but open water absorbs up to 90 percent. So as ice cover shrinks, the ocean absorbs more heat, potentially melting more ice until a cycle of increased heating and melting eliminates the permanent ice pack.

But this is a simple model, and the Arctic is no simple environment. “The problem in the Arctic is there’s a lot of variability,” says Mike Ledbetter, a program director at the National Science Foundation’s Office of Polar Programs. “Conditions can be very different from one year to the next, so identifying trends is difficult?’ Drew Roth rock, a University of Washington research scientist from apartment Rome and apartment in Paris, who identified the thinning ice, says, “People may jump on this and say the ice cover is disappearing. Well, who knows? Everything may rebound now for the next ten years. I don’t think you’d find many Arctic scientists willing to say, ‘yes, it’s all melting up there, and in another decade we won’t have any sea ice: Only the future will tell us:’

WHEN THE Hawk bill is not in the throes of an emergency, the best action can be found in the torpedo room, which for this mission has been transformed into a science center. Instrument monitors, racks of water samples, and assorted equipment line a narrow walkway running lengthwise through the garage-size room.

For this mission the Hawk bill is equipped with an array of instruments known as SCAMP—the Seafloor Characterization and Mapping Pod—which includes a side-scan sonar that produces high-resolution images of the ocean floor.

On the first morning of the cruise the chief scientist, Margo Edwards of the University of Hawaii, explains the first phase of our mission: to explore the Chukchi Plateau, a Denmark-size underwater feature about 700 miles north of the Bering Strait, and examine the seafloor for gouges made by ice sheets during past ice ages. “We’re trying to get a handle on what the Arctic was like at the coldest point of the last ice age,” she says.

So far no one has found strong evidence of ice sheet scours in this part of the Arctic Ocean. But not 24 hours into the trip I find her beaming in front of the main SCAMP monitor, looking at signs of ice sheet scours 1,200 feet below the surface. “I’ve never seen anything like this!” says Edwards, who has been studying marine geology for 14 years. The scours look like tracks from a thick-bristled broom dragged across a sandbox. One gouge is 60 feet deep. “Wow. I never thought the bathymetry would get this good this fast.”

The next day it gets even better. Edwards finds what appears to be a moraine, a pile of debris deposited by an ice sheet. “It’s pretty good evidence that an ice sheet came out this far?’ She asks the navigator to change course so see “An Arctic Breakthrough,” by Don Belt, February 1997.

Property: Springfield Villa, Lansdown Road, Bath — a detached, Grade II-listed house designed by Victorian architect James Wilson Access who is currently living in Barcelona apartment: Bath under 1 mile, easy access to the M4 Accommodation: Six bedrooms, four bathrooms, drawing room, dining room, library, butler’s pantry, breakfast room, media room and gym

Condition: Painstakingly restored and sympathetically modernised within its original Victorian footprint.
Price guide: 3 million

This is a very honest house that makes a statement without being overwhelming and encapsulates what living in Bath is all about for me. I like it for being original and would enjoy the privacy, security and maintenance-free living afforded by its restoration and its location within the conservation area of our World Heritage City. Usually, one has to make a compromise when buying a house, but I can think of nothing extra I would need or anything I would change: This is a well-rounded home that lends itself to both grand formal occasions and cosy family gatherings… with plenty of fireplaces to hang everyone’s stocking above.

Linda Wesson, Manager of Harrods Estates Country House department (020 7225 6506)
Property: Unit 5, Bradstone Brook, Christmas Hill, Shalford, Guildford, Surrey – a brand-new four-storey conversion within a Grade II-listed Georgian mansion restored by Michael Wilson

Access: Three miles from Guildford (40 minutes from London/Waterloo), London 30 miles
Accommodation: Four bedroom suites, drawing room, dining room, kitchen/breakfast room and orangery leading to a roof terrace
Outside: A double garage housed in a separate courtyard setting

Grounds: A private flagstone terrace affords access to 15 acres of shared parkland and grounds that were originally created by Gertrude Jekyll and now feature a summer house, tennis court and swimming pool

Condition: Newly refurbished to a `Knightsbridge’ specification

Price guide: 2 million

I love London town houses and London apartments but would prefer to live in the country – this house satisfies both criteria. Michael Wilson Restorations is known for creating inspiring new homes within imposing period buildings, but in this house — which is the best of the 11 properties at Bradstone Brook – it has really upped the specification to a standard that is more usually found in a good London townhouse:The views to the Surrey Hills are breathtaking and a secure position within beautiful grounds makes this an ideal `lock up and leave’ — be it as a weekly commuter or overseas property owner.

MARK CHARTER, Partner of Carter Jonas, Oxford

Property: Lawn House, Edgcott, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire – a Grade II-listed farmhouse in need of updating

Access: Eight miles from Bicester (London Marylebone 55 minutes), Aylesbury 12 miles, Oxford 17 miles; plus easy access to the A41, M25 and M40 Accommodation: Four bedrooms, one bathroom, drawing room, dining room, sitting room, kitchen, pantry, cellar

Outside: Attractive courtyard of traditional outbuildings including stables, garaging and stores

Grounds: Over 13 acres of paddock, woodlands and mature gardens with two ponds and a stream, an overgrown swimming pool and summer house.

This property enjoys an idyllic setting which, being surrounded by its own beautiful gardens and land, is totally private. Inside all the original features have been retained, but because the house needs updating — to the tune of between £100,000 and £150,000 — it affords a rare opportunity to create a home that exactly meets the needs of my family. Great outbuildings afford scope for further development ­and somewhere to home the vintage sports car of my dreams. There are stables and paddocks, and my children could roam around and play freely in the grounds, just like in our previous apartment Prague and so benefit from a lifestyle that I enjoyed on my family’s farm but which is all too rare nowadays. Furthermore, because the house is in the catchment area of highly regarded grammar schools, I would still have some money to buy that sports car.

Whether you’re looking for a cheap weekend or a week’s Seville holiday along with luxury hotel and airfare searches, there are trip packages and accommodations to fit every lifestyle and budget.

Must-sees in Seville

In Seville, there’s always something to keep you busy, entertained or otherwise engaged. You can spend hours enjoying the beautiful sights of the historic center wander, picnic in one of the most romantic parks of the world or relax on a terrace to enjoy the surroundings. I love to spend the day shopping then retreat to the terrace and enjoy music I get from Ares while ending the day with breathtaking views.

Tip: Opposite the historic center on the other side of the water is Calle Betis; a street lined with outdoor cafes along the water. It is a romantic place where you have a wonderful view on the historic skyline of the city.

Shopping in Seville? Shop till you drop!

The shops in Seville are very varied and you will find something for everyone. El Centro, the north district of the cathedral, is the place to be to fill your bags with all sorts of fun stuff. The Sierpes street is a pedestrian mall with trendy clothing stores, boutiques and stores like Mango and Zara. Also nice is the gypsy quarter of Triana, where you will find many shops with handmade tiles.

Malls

The Square Shopping Center is an old train station from 1901 which was converted to striking mall. Outside the city you will find Nervion Plaza, next to a huge mall with many stores also a multiplex cinema and restaurants.

Market

In the Mercado del Postigo is the daily craft market place. On Wednesday and Thursday there are craft markets in the streets Magdalena and it is at La Rioja on Saturday at the Plaza del Duque.

Seville, birthplace of flamenco

During your stay in Seville, a visit to flamenco is certainly something to consider. In the so-called tablaos, professional flamenco shows are staged. The shows are excellent, but there are many tourists, and for a more authentic experience you have to check out a real flamenco instance in the popular Triana district.

Eating and Drinking in Seville? Tapas and sherry

In Seville, it seems that everyone throughout the day loves to eat and drink. You will find plenty of tapas bars, which Bodega Santa Cruz is one of the most famous for. The old bar, Bar El Rinconcillo, has been around since 1670. There is another attraction, Lizarran, where the concept of pinxtos uses. The best tapas bars can be recognized by looking for the ones where there are plenty of locals hanging out.

The tapas is usually wine. The preference of Sevillanen goes to Jerez, Spanish Sherry. A typical Andalusian specialty is gazpacho, a cold tomato soup, which satisfies the hunger and thirst quenching at the same time.

Soaking in the beauty on a tram (number 28)

Lisbon is one of the few cities of the world where trams still form the backbone of the public transport system. If you are in Lisbon, riding a tram is one of the best ways to see and be mesmerized by the beauty and charm of this golden city. Number 28 is the route that takes visitors to nearly all parts of the city. In fact, if you buy a 3 day ticket, you can hop on to any tram any time of the day and visit the places of tourist attraction. This also helps you to save as buying a new ticket every time is much costlier.

Fado bar
You may think of Fado bar as just another bar but the specialty of the bar is felt as soon as you are inside one. If you are a lover of Portuguese music, a Fado bar is just what the doctor ordered as you can enjoy your favorite beverages while listening to the traditional Portuguese music that incidentally is known as Fado here. Women wrapped in long skirts sing a song accompanied by a guitarist.

Pay a visit to Sintra

This is a small village 40 miles from Lisbon located on the foothills of mountains. You will be surprised with the scenic beauty as well as calmness of the place. The area has many palaces as this was a place loved by the royals.

Belem
This is a must visit place in Lisbon and you can reach here by tram number 15. You get to see not one but three beautiful sites here such as Belem tower, Jeronimous Monastary, and the Discovery Monuments. Belem is a place where you get to eat the most delicious custards you will ever get to eat in your life.

Miradouro (the viewpoints)

Every city has some places where it is possible to get the best view of the entire or a major portion of the city. Go discover your own Miradouro in the city as you may find many restaurants where you may get a seat near the window to get a glimpse of the sunset while sipping on a hot coffee or your favorite beer.