Flyday Friday
In defence of cabin crew as Twitter is abuzz with the baby breastfeeding story. On the Travel blog that remembers we’re all flying on the same plane. By YOUR Travel Editor of the Year
Tag: www.ryanair.com
Flyday Friday
Mariaclaudia is not una donna to mess with.
She protects the town of Padova like one of her bambini and she is right to… she is beautiful and precious.
Which is why she smelt un ratto when the bould one on her press trip asked for himself and his colleagues, let’s call them Constance and Kieran (for that’s their names) off at the train station when we were given the afternoon off from our itinerary.
Sheepishly I had to admit that I was leading a recce to Venice but swore that I’d have them back in four hours for that evening’s grand reception in the Botanical Gardens.
I’d figured of course without the particular idiosyncrasies of the local rail network.
And so six hours later our motley crew arrived back with one of our number, Kieran, still in his T-shirt and Hawaiian boardies. At least Myself and Constance had taken a change of clothes.
At the risk of offending Mariaclaudia again, and I wrote a glowing letter to her bosses on my return, Aer Lingus has up to 20% off Venice and other hot destinations which makes it €81.99 one-way.
Travel between 21 July and October 16. Book by 22 July. Visit http://www.aerlingus.com.
And I’ll dig out that article on Padova… Padova, Mariaclaudia, do you hear?
Border country
Hard border, soft border… is any other island split like us and faced with this interminable headache.
We don’t have to look too far for the answer in Europe.
Cyprus which even has a buffer zone.
If you’re fascinated by borders check it out. The taxi driver father of a soldier who was stationed out there told me that if either flag was higher and bigger than the other it would cause a diplomatic incident.
Ryanair has 20% off its seat sale for Autumn to Paphos and other destinations. In all it is offering these discount prices on 50,000 seats.
A tip on babies on board
It’s an old wife’s tale but it works. Damp teabags over a baby’s ears to ease the pressure on flights.
And just one of the tips that are passed on down the line by more experienced air stewards to their younger companions.
So as the KLM stewardess gets earache for asking a customer to cover up when breastfeeding, (and I’m not going to slaughter an airline who I’ve flown with and enjoyed,) it’s worth remembering how often families and other passengers are helped out by cabin crew when a baby makes its needs known.
Check with your airline before you travel on all aspects of childcare.
And while I’m on the subject I should flag up Etihad’s Flying Nanny Service. Visit http://www.etihad.com.
Holiday Snaps La Sagrada Familia
Some things were never meant to be finished… take The Scary One (please). She is always finding things that still need to be done to the house.
Word reaches me that Antoni Gaudi’s magnus opus, the Sagrada Família, first begun in 1882 but only a quarter completed by the time of his death in 1926, has hit another snag.
And just when they looked like getting over the line after Barcelona’s city authority granted La Sagrada Familia’s first building permit. I’m not even asking under what terms they built what’s already up.
Seventy per cent is done (so they had chipped away at it at some point since the Great Man died).
Eight of its proposed 18 spires have been completed and the plan is to have it all finished by 2026, the centenary of Gaudi’s death.
But I guess nobody counted on the 3,000 residents living in the nearby apartments and their objections.
Watching the cranes above the psychedelic spires while draining a jug of sangria recently I couldn’t help wondering whether Antoni had been on something.
And whether they shouldn’t just tear it down and start all over again.
Make up your own mind. Barcelona is a great city for a ramble… or rambla. Visit http://www.barcelonatourisme.com. Aer Lingus http://www.aerlingus.com and Ryanair http://www.ryanair.com both fly to Barcelona.
La Fete National
I hope you’re having a good one. I won’t wish you Joyeux Quatorze Juillet, or Bonne Bastille, as the French don’t really do that in the way the Americans wish you Happy Fourth of July.
If you want to find out more French nuances then pop by the French Corner in Dublin where Alliance Francaise Dublin and the French Library with the French Embassy will be putting on free workshops and games and face painting for l’enfants.
From 11-5pm today. City Spectacular, Merrion Square, Dublin.
If that gets you in the mood for a bon vacance… remember that Aer Lingus has a range of offers to French cities from €45.99. Visit http://www.aerlingus.com. http://www.atout.france.fr.
Wu Wu… savings
My old friend Wendy Wu is tempting us with discounts on her 2019 and 2020 Asian tours.
She’s giving us an Early Bird saving of €200pp if booked before August 5.
So you love the Cherry Blossoms and the Autumn Leaves. As a sample of the many Asian offers, how about Discover Japan, 13 days from €7,090pp. Twin share.
Visit http://www.wendywutours.ie.
Every day is the 11th July
As I revealed in one of my random Did You Knows yesterday, the Battle of the Boyne was on July 1 and when converted to the Gregorian Calendar became the 12th of July when it should have been the 11th of July.
Of course we were more interested in commemorating another royal victory this week on the 11th.
The final piece of the Game of Thrones tapestry has been woven in at the Ulster Museum in Belfast to mark the end of the saga.
Before it gets taken to Bayeux where it will be exhibited from September to December.
The Ulster Museum is one of the best cultural and historical museums on this island. And it’s free. Visit it. http://www.nmni.com.
I’m heading up to Royal Portrush on Sunday for the final day of The Open Golf Championship.
I’m thinking they should start a tapestry to Northern Irish golf royalty… McDowell, Clarke, McIlroy. Visit http://www.nimadeforgolf.com, http://www.theopen.com.
Windsor Lego Castle
Back in the day when I first started this scribbling lark, I found myself in the Royal County of Berkshire… where I found myself a wife.
Then where Legoland now is was Windsor Safari Park. Nothing to read into that, just saying.
Berkshire, to the west of London is a great location in its own right for its royal history and quaint villages and is also ideally situated for the Big Smoke.
And that makes it great for families. Cassidy Travel knows it and has put together a great Legoland and football package to keep everyone happy.
If Mum doesn’t fancy the footie, and these days it’s more likely it would be Dad, the shopping in London is unparalleled.
Stay in the 3* Travelodge Windsor Central and choose between Arsenal v Burnley or Chelsea v Leicester City. Package from €379pps based on four sharing. Includes a day pass to Windsor Legoland Resort.
Flight departs Friday, 16 August. Call Cassidy Travel (01) 8395000. Visit http://www.cassidytravel.ie.
For a few levs more
They were low-maintenance for two teenage girls.
All they wore for the whole fortnight we were in Bulgaria was their football tops and trackie bottoms.
I think they had a few changes of the same outfits. It was the wrong team they supported but they were sweet girls and their grandparents were nice too.
Bulgaria is still remarkably good value as evidenced by a Sunway survey in conjunction with the UK Post Office.
They compared the cost of holiday essentials including a bottle of beer, a coffee and a three-course meal for two with a bottle of wine in 20 European beach holiday resorts.
Sunny Beach on Bulgaria’s Black Sea comes in at €44.44 for nine items. The most expensive is Sorrento at €159.40.
Sunway offers seven nights B&B at the 3* Hotel Kudadasi for €399. Visit http://www.sunway.ie. for this and other great holiday offfers.
And Holiday Snaps is just about to get snappier with an extra day of the snappiest snaps in Snaptown, Snapetonia.
Watch this space… and…
MEET YOU ON THE ROAD
Flyday Friday… Norwegian would!
It’s a challenging market but it’s good to see that Norwegian is pushing forward and has posted strong Q2 results.
Despite the reduced production growth and grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, the underlying operating result before ownership costs more than doubled from the same quarter in 2018.
Our friends at Norwegian have been inventive in the way it has pushed its Transatlantic route, partially because it has got to know us so well.
Take its 24-hour Christmas shopping trip in and out of Stewart, NY State. Stewart is about a 90-minute bus away from Port Authority in the city and costs $20 (€16).
I had a very grateful work colleague and more importantly his toddlers after I sent him on that trip.
Visit http://www.norwegian.com. From €334.09.
Je Suis Un Rock Star
Is it just me or do you see fewer selfie sticks now? People have become so adept at taking their photos around the world’s most iconic sites like this.
And just like this gent I do find gorgeous women photobombing me.
Get yourself some brownie points and take your loved one over to Paris.
Our national airline carrier has a number of magnifique French deals from €45.99. And naturellement France is more than just Paris. So check out Nice, Lyon, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Perpignan, Marseille Rennes, Nantes, Montpellier.
And you know the rules. Let me know how you got on. Visit http://www.aerlingus.com. Fares are one way including taxes and charges. Valid for travel from 1 August until 30 September. Book by 15 July.
Ryan with a view
Ryanair is all about getting you there at a low fare. But it will also set you up with well-priced accommodation too.
What about this room from €29 at the 3* Be Smart Florida in Tenerife.
Ryanair is right across Spain and has many other great offers here.
Visit http://www.yanair.com.
Broomstick Airlines
The mother-in-law flew in… late.
I think there was a splinter on the stick or some moisture on the wood.
MEET YOU IN THE SKIES
Flyday Friday
Hat’s the way to travel. Myself and Edwina exchanged compliments on our headgear on board Etihad as the airline showpieces its 787 Dreamliner at Dublin Airport yesterday.
Etihad flies to Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, 11 times a week and is operating four additional Boeing 787s through the summer season. They even come with flying nannies!
Etihad features 28 Business Class flat-bed seats and as you can see I was the first in our party to try them out.
And a selection of salmon and spinach hors d’oeuvres and fancy cakes. Etihad serves 90,000 meals a day, and it’s all about the choice. You want steak for breakfast, no problem.
And with Abu Dhabi a hub for flights on to Australia and your body clock being out of whack then that’s not such a big leap.
And the 271 Economy Class seats are not too shabby either, the most appealing feature for me the remote controls on the console and not in the armrest while it is on point with points for your mobile devices.
Abu Dhabi is the jewel of the UAE with its spectacular mosque, the second biggest tourist attraction in the world, and Yas Island.
Etihad Airways is offering a free two-night stopover in the Emirati capital to all travellers flying to international destinations via Abu Dhabi. The free Abu Dhabi stopover promotion is available for bookings online through etihad.com, or via a travel agent, made by 1 December, for travel until 31 December 2019.
Guests can choose from a range of 15 hotels located across the city and experience all that Abu Dhabi has to offer, from cultural masterpieces to architectural highlights and natural landscapes to theme park attractions and sports activities.
And we say Yes to Yas, the entertainment centre which boasts Ferrari World and Formula Rossa, the world’s fastest rollercoaster which hits a speed of 240kph.
And Warner Bros with its six themed lands, Gotham City, Metropolis, Cartoon Junction, Bedrock, Dynamite Gulch and Warner Bros Plaza. And next year SeaWorld Abu Dhabi, the first SeaWorld without orcas.
Etihad offers a range of prices and flight experiences. Visit http://www.etihad.com. http://www.visitabudhabi.ae.
For a few dollars less
Our national airline carrier is carrying on its American Independence celebrations with €50 off Aer Lingus flights to North America ending Monday.
And it has 15% car hire on a US road trip with Aer Lingus Cars. Visit http://www.aerlingus.com and http://www.cars.aerlingus.com.
Queue? What queue?
It wasn’t one of my proudest moments… or the Son and Heir’s. On our way to the Vatican Museums He decided he wanted to stop for refuelling… a three-course lunch.
I threatened to throw him in the Tiber so we might have been sans son if his mum hadn’t stepped in.
Ryanair is offering a Skip the Line: Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and St Peter’s Basilica Tour from €55.27. Visit http://www.ryanair.com. Follow too for deals to Rome and all Ryanair destinations.
The writing is on the wall in Prague
Prague is pretty much the centre of Europe and it has been central to changes in Europe for centuries.
And again these proud people who have been occupied and reoccupied by invaders and hostile political forces on countless occasions have risen up against their rulers to claim back their country for themselves.
About 250,000 people gathered in Prague over the weekend to direct anger at prime minister Andrej Babiš, who has been labelled a threat to democracy.
In Communist times they gathered at the Lennon Wall where their graffiti sent out a message to the outside world that they are central to Europe and they should be central to our thoughts.
I visited the Czech Republic at the time of a special anniversary which celebrated a beloved king and father figure to all Czechs. Read it at https://jimmurtytraveltraveltravel.com/prague-springs/(opens in a new tab)
SPORTUGAL
It’s the footwork dahling… turn your toes in.
And keep the hands open, and dahling, trust your partner.
I half expect to see Craig Revel Horwood, sitting opposite and holding up a 2.
Thankfully I’m being judged on my tennis and not my dancing by my Mixed Doubles partner Judy Murray.
Yes, that Judy Murray, tennis supercoach, mum of two Wimbledon champions.
And just as importantly in our house a Strictly Come Dancing champion.
Judy has had half an eye on Ashley, Faye, Lauren, Stacey, Joe, Charles, et al this series.
Only half an eye though as her main focus is making tennis players out of the flotsam collection of wannabe racquet tyros I’m assembled here with.
in the new Campus development in Quinta do Lago in the Algarve.
Just Judy
Judy is running a series of coaching classes for young and old, good and bad, studious and messers, which, er, would be me.
In my defence her starter hooter was too inviting not to play keepie up with.
Judy, though, as well as being very good at sport, is also a very good sport.
And even allowed me to give her a waltz at the end.
Another good sport and one you won’t have heard much about is padel which is more popular in the Iberian Peninsula than tennis.
Former rugby international Max Evans who with soccer great John Terry took to the game on a trip to the Algarve describes it…
As the child that tennis and squash would have spawned.
Max factor
Played to the same scoring system as tennis, the big difference is the non-string bats, the underhand serve, the fact that you can play off the glass walls, and dare I say it that it is more fun.
Judy’s work done, she gets a deserved breather. Me, I’m off to bother some golf pros.
For four days I will have a team of experts tasked with trying to make an athlete of me, just as they can too.
The professional at the Paul McGinley Golf Academy shows off the latest golf technology, tracking machines, sensory guides et al.
it can turn the most ordinary club member into a Rory or a Tiger, or on the odd shot at least. If you concentrate that is.
But there’s always one messer who gets distracted, in this case drawn to Paul McGinley’s buggy from when he captained Europe to victory at Gleneagles.
There’s a good reason why the big boys and girls get to play the South Course, one of three Championship courses here at Quinta.
While yours truly is kept to the driving range.
Magic buggy
Magic buggy
I do get to drive me a buggy, though not Paul McGinley’s golf cart which sensibly is kept where it is.
And I get to see the course, safely for me and the golfers, or at least that’s the plan.
Until the boy racer in me kicks in and I cut up a buggy in front and almost drive into the lake that skirts one of the greens.
I dare say I would have come up with dozens of stray golf balls in my pockets.
Maybe I’ll fare better on two wheels.
Quinta do Lago means Farm by the Lake and Quinta is at great pains to keep human athletic exertions and the natural world in perfect harmony.
The Rio Formosa Reserve which runs parallel to the course is more geared to Shiny Ibises and Spoonbill birdies.
And yes, get off your bikes and get your binos out and you really will see these fascinating birds scoop up their prey with spoonlike beaks.
Hunger is the best sauce
I’d like to say I planned my disembarkation.
But he truth is I took one sandy corner too many and too sharply in my obsession to lead the party.
Eyebrows may be raised as my suitability to go back with the sensible ones on the roads, but hunger called.
That hunger was sated as it invariably is in these parts by the harvest of the seas.
The world literally is your piscine pleasure in these parts no fish is safe.
So I felt not a pang of guilt in devouring Dory’s pals, the lobster, clams, prawns, seabass here at the island restaurant Casa do Lago, and more of that later.
There is a green in the water for diner/golfers to shoot at but it was wisely out of bounds for us on the day.
The appeal of The Campus is its infrastructure and expertise.
On Campus
Why else would Premier League side Burnley, former Champions League winners Olympique Marseille and Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand who runs a soccer camp come here.
Or Irish Paralympian road race great Brian Rohan who runs The Bike Shed which is more, much more, than that.
Ask him politely and he might just allow you to hold one of his Olympic gold medals.
Of course, when it comes to sport we’re all of us experts and so I spend my last night at a sports bar,
Dano the Mano
Dano’s, where I watch three matches simultaneously on the big screen (and who said that men could not multi-task?)
I’d like to say that all the games were thrillers but I was in my element all the same.
I was tackling, cleanly, a chicken casserole, to soak up the beer you understand while exchanging sporting trivia with my Portuguese hosts.
I was less good at the Halloween quiz but back myself against any Dancing Dad when the House band appears.
There’s always a price to pay though for revelry and that is invariably a sore head in the morning.
Art Deco
Yes, the art deco style Magnolia where we are staying specialises in fixing that too…
The Mag Burger, beef, bacon, cheese and lettuce burger and fries with a special peppery sauce the Chef, naturally, wasn’t sharing, and a pineapple, OJ, coconut and spinach smoothie!
I was feeling invincible and dived straight for the pool (yes, strictly against the rules).
And there by the poolside who was watching but Judy Murray.
Keeeep praaaaactising!
This article was first published in the Irish Daily Mail.
TRAVEL FACTS
How to get there: Ryanair (€70 return) and Aer Lingus (€78 return) fly to Faro. Visit www.ryanair.com and www.aerlingus.com.
Where to stay: Hotel Magnolia. Quinta do Lago, Portugal. Visit www.thehotelmagnoliaqdl.com. Book early to get 15% off on its Hot Summer Offer. A standard room €168 per night.
Important website: www.quintadolago.com