1
TRAVEL Home & Away with Robert Walshe Home and Away Extra Living MOBILE phone companies will be forced to cap the amount they charge for overseas data roaming at 80p (€0.90) per megabyte from next July under EU proposals announced recently In another good piece of news for travelers and holidaymak- ers, customers will also be able to switch to other providers for their overseas roaming, leading to greater competition and potentially even lower charges, according to EU tel- ecoms commissioners office. They also announced that the cap on the cost to consumers of overseas calls and texts will be lowered in each of the following three years. From July 2012 prices will drop for calls made from phones across Europe to £0.28 (€0.32) a minute; £0.25 (€0.28) from July 2013; and £0.21 (€0.24) from July 2014. But consumer groups have warned that the costs to networks of introducing the first ever cap on data roaming could be passed on to customers through price rises else- where. Special rail fares for London 2012 Olympic spectators have gone on sale. Available from a dedicated website, the tickets cover every rail station and every Games venue. The website – www.nationalrail- gamestravel.co.uk – includes a low- est fare finder tool that will search for the cheapest ticket available for spectators’ chosen journeys. The 2012 Games train tickets are de- signed to be flexible and will allow spectators to change the time they return should an event be unexpect- edly rescheduled, or if they simply wish to remain longer. They can be used by event ticket holders to travel to and from London and all cit- ies hosting Games events: Coventry, Newcastle, Glasgow, Manchester, Cardiff and Weymouth. Weekend Hotspot Amsterdam is a city to satisfy al- most every agenda. Those in search of cobblestones, serious culture and canal views will be in heaven. It has to be said that Amsterdam has something for everyone. The city is an incredibly beautiful collection of old world European architecture ele- gantly partitioned by canals. In truth, the city is built on roughly 90 small islands and transportation is best undertaken on foot or by bicycle. Most of the main attractions are lo- cated within the historical core, usually within walking distance of each other, although the ef- ficient tram and bus networks are close at hand for attractions fur- ther afield. The Rijksmuseum Vincent van Gogh houses the world’s largest collection of the work of Vincent van Gogh. From his early work, the museum contains 700 ar- tistic works and 850 letters. For anyone the least bit interested in history, the Anne Frank House is an obvious attraction. Read her diary and then experience ex- actly how cramped the space was that she and her family lived in for a couple years. Less cerebral pur- suits are on offer among elegant mu- seums, with cafés and prostitutes adorning windows all day and night in the red light districts.When visit- ing Amsterdam and the surrounding areas, there are many hotels and ac- commodations for rest ranging from the inexpensive to the higher-end cost. There are over 400 registered hotels and advanced bookings are suggested, especially in cases where you are visiting on the weekends or during the holiday season. Grand Hotel Amrâth Amsterdam, the latest five star deluxe hotel is situated right in the heart of the city. The 165 spa- cious rooms and suites feature the latest in comfort, style and facilities, decorated in the art deco style of the building. The hotel was established in the monumental Shipping House and has splendid views over the Am- sterdam canals and the river IJ. Am- sterdam is a very friendly city that will help you find your way around when you ask people, however just as in other cities, be aware of your surroundings and remember that no matter where you are, there is always a chance of being pick-pocketed or taken advantage of. Amsterdam is a city like no other. Depending on your interests, visitors can choose to sleep all day and party all night. or take in the cul- ture vulture offerings! Aer Lingus service Amsterdam ex Dublin Easyjet ex Belfast International. or BMI Babys new Belfast City service. Weekly Best Buy This summer be sure to visit the luxurious 4-star Burlington Hotel in Dub- lin and take advantage of fabulous summer offers to make your stay in Dublin as memorable and entertaining as possible. Stay in one of the hotel’s stunning and spacious rooms start- ing from only €50 per person sharing with a delicious full Irish breakfast in the morning to get you ready for a day exploring Dublin city! The Burl- ington Hotel is only a short distance from the must see Grafton Street, St. Stephen’s Green Shopping Cen- tre and Dublin City Centre making it the perfect location for your trip to Dublin. www.burlingtonhotel. ie Children stay free and there is a family pass to nearby Arundel Cas- tle, plus a £60 voucher towards spa treatments for mum, if families book two nights at Bailiffscourt Hotel at Climping on the West Sussex coast. The enchanting mock-medieval hotel has a private path leading to an un- spoilt beach, and there are outdoor and indoor swimming pools, two ten- nis courts, games room, 30 acres of lovely grounds and a fabulous spa. Adults pay £150 each per night with dinner and breakfast, while children sharing the room enjoy free bed and breakfast. Calcot Manor in the Cots- wold’s is perennially popular with children who adore its outstanding Play zone equipped with all the lat- est books, toys, computer games and films, while the adults appreci- ate its yummy food, award-winning spa and friendly, unflappable staff. Free summer activities for children include cricket and tennis coach- ing, art classes and nature quizzes. Spacious family rooms cost £405 per night with breakfast and dinner for the adults plus £30 per child to cover breakfast, high tea and unlimited use of The Playzone. www.prideofbrit- ainhotels.com Robert Walshe is a freelance contributor / broadcaster and guest travel writer for River Media newspaper titles across the island of Ireland British Midland International is to launch new routes from Heathrow to Nice in the south of France and Agadir in south- west Morocco. Daily flights to Nice will start on August 25, increasing to twice daily from October 30, and twice weekly flights flights to Agadir will start on October 29. Bmi’s services to Marrakech and Casablanca, launched earlier this year, will increase from three to five flights a week from October 1. Bmi has also recently announced a new route to Amritsar in northwest- ern India, starting on October 13th www.flybmi.com . Mean- while commercial airlines have been given the go-ahead to use fuel made from algae, wood chips and plants with obscure names, whilst all over the world used cooking oil is also being trialled. n Amsterdam n London Olympic Stadium n Ann Franks House Amsterdam Pet’s Corner... with Kathleen Murray: Animal Behavioural Therapist with Kathleen Murray Is your dog overweight? ARE overweight dogs a symptom of a human problem? Why do dogs be- come overweight? They get fat by eating too much. Who is feeding them all this extra food that they don’t need? Dogs are being indulged now to a level that is unhealthy. Putting our emotions and thinking onto our dogs is causing trouble for the dogs. If we are eating and the dog is sitting looking at us, some people cannot ignore the dog. They have to give in to the demands of the dog… that is what the dog is doing… he is demanding your dinner. He doesn’t care if you have a dinner or not. He just wants what you are having and if you give it to him then you are tell- ing the dog that he is more important than you. The dog won’t feel guilty. He won’t be thinking “My owner has no dinner, I’ll give them half of my dinner”. Dogs think in a very simple and straight- forward way. If they want something they let you know. It doesn’t mean they have to get it. If they want to run across the road in front of a car would you say “Oh, go on then, enjoy.” Dogs need boundaries to ensure their safety. Giving in to all their de- mands does not ensure their safety. Feeding them too much is not ensur- ing their safety, it is putting them at risk. It will put too much strain on their joints and organs and shorten their life. That is not being kind to your dog, that is killing your dog. If you are re- ally thinking about your dog then only give it what its body needs to function properly and if you want to be kind to it then take it for a walk. If your dog is already overweight then start to help it by cutting out the in-between snacks and treats. Have the amount of food that it requires for a daily portion set aside and then you can feed it to the dog in one feed, or two smaller feeds. Adult dogs only need one feed but if you are not able to stick to that then make the overall daily amount into two portions. A little in the morning and a little in the evening. If you don’t know how much your dog should be eating then read the portion sizes on the bags of dried dog food. That will give you a measurement to go by. If your dog is still looking for food after its had its dinner then this is normal. If it has been used to more food then it will need time to adjust. Exercise can help with this. Play a game or teach your dog some new things to distract it. If you are not sure if your dog is overweight then take it to your vet and they will tell you. 0863192247
