TRAVEL

Home & Away with Robert WalsheLiving

Home and Away with Rob-ert Walshe

Looking to get from A to B using local transport in the USA? Well this week I heard about a new US based app Wanderu, which, accord-ing to their website, makes it “effortless for you to find and book inter-city buses and trains between any two points in the country”. The mobile friendly application searches through thou-sands of routes, operators and timetables - clever stuff. With 12,000 users already signed up, it’s a healthy start for this new business www.wanderu.com

Holiday Hotspot – Fairmont Peace Hotel Shanghai,

China The Fairmont Peace Hotel

formerly the Cathay was once the most glamorous hotel of 1930s Shanghai, standing be-side the Huangpu River, at the corner of the Bund and Nanjing Lu, the most famous address in the city. Its jazz musicians were legendary, as were the costume par-ties and general hi-society soirees that happened here. Heritage hotel specialists at Fairmont worked close with designers, architects and historians and the result is a hotel which is an authentic as it can be in, given the de-mands of modern day guests. An abundance of period de-tails including copper balus-trades, art deco lamps, and a domed glass ceiling—recall the hotel’s swinging hey-day perfectly. It’s also here where Noel Coward wrote his play “Private Lives”, and guests like Charlie Chaplin and Bernard Shaw visited with creator Sir Victor Sas-soon. After the revolution, the communists requisi-tioned the property as of-fice space for several years, before renaming it the Peace Hotel in 1956 and using it to accommodate visiting party

apparatchiks from the Soviet bloc. After China’s economic liberalisation, it became a mid range tour-ist hotel, attracting foreign travelers interested in a slice of Shanghai’s past. In 2010 the property reopened with its Jazz Bar, Jasmine Lounge, Dragon Phoenix Restaurant, and original lobby and shop-ping arcade all returning to their former glory. Each suite has its own charm reflect-ing the international nature of the Peace Hotel and the spirit of 1930s.

The Chinese, Indian, Eng-lish and American suites have been preserved and the French, Italian, Spanish, Japanese and German suites all redesigned in keeping with the original concept of different national and his-torical styles. The hotel has six restaurants & numerous lounges, a historic peace hall and Fairmont’s award-winning Willow Stream Spa. The Presidents Club offers frequent guests an enhanced level of service, benefits and privileges all designed around individual travel preferences and passions. focusing on customised re-wards and benefits, allowing guests to tailor their stay. En-rolment in the programme is complimentary and guests can join at any Fairmont lo-cation www.fairmont.com/fpc. Wake up in your deluxe room at Shanghai’s most cherished luxury address, and start your day in style with a full breakfast at herit-age restaurant Dragon Phoe-nix overlooking the Huangpu River – or in bed if you pre-fer! The Peace Classic Bed & Breakfast offer includes one night’s accommodation in a Fairmont Room, breakfast for two at Dragon Phoenix or in-room dining. This offer is available year-round priced from £190 per room, per night. www.fairmont.com Etihad Airways operates 10 services per week between Dublin’s Terminal 2 and its

home base in Abu Dhabi with daily connections to Shanghai. The airline will increase capacity by 34% on its Dublin to Abu Dhabi route from this summer with the deployment of a Boeing 777-300ER, which will provide an extra 900 seats a week. .In business class expect award-winning fully flat beds in an innovative 1-2-1 layout – all seats have aisle access and are forward facing. Expect the services of a dedicated Food & Beverage Manager offering restaurant quality dining-on-demand, boutique wines, and a unique “kitchen anytime option “.Enjoy over 600 hours of on-demand en-tertainment on some of the largest personal screens in the sky – as well as MP3 player connectivity and universal power sockets. Etihads dedicated lounge within the new Terminal 2 fa-cility at Dublin airport, with features including show-ers and a business centre is world class. This oasis of calm is furnished with Ital-ian leather chairs and soft sofas with extra facilities including a family room, bar, and a la carte and buf-fet food choices. Flight time from Dublin to Abu Dhabi is

approx 8 hours. Flight time Abu Dhabi to Shanghai is approx 8 hours. Connection times from 1 hour 40 mins in Abu Dhabi. Prices for Coral Economy are from €685 and Pearl Business class from €2,828. Prices include taxes. www.etihad.com

Deal of the Week Escape this summer and in-

dulge in a self-catering holi-day at the five-star Lodge at Doonbeg, Co. Clare. Each self-catering links cottage can sleep between two and eight people with prices starting at €430 for two peo-ple for three nights (June - September). All bedrooms are en-suite with walk in rain showers and boast a fully-equipped kitchen, large din-ing and lounge area which are ideal for families and groups looking for a relaxing break. What’s more, Doon-

beg has a wide range of ac-tivities for all the family to enjoy. For the golfer, visitors can play on the acclaimed Greg Norman Championship Links at a special rate of €140 There are also a host of other things to do in the surround-ing area such as abseiling and caving; or simply enjoy taking in the stunning scen-ery at the Cliffs of Moher or the world renowned Burren. reservations@doonbeglodge.com

Welsh operatic star Kath-erine Jenkins is set to per-form on two new short break cruises on board the P&O Oriana later this year. Tho-mas Cook Cruises are the exclusive agents for P&O in Ireland and this is the first time they have offered this type of opera-themed cruise. The cruise offers an unfor-gettable experience with the Welsh Mezzo Soprano who has sold over seven million albums and performed with

many stars including Andrea Bocelli and Jose Carreras.The P&O Oriana provides an idyllic setting for Kather-ine Jenkins debut on board performance. The adult-only cruise offers many superb features to avail of during the voyage, from dining at Marco Pierre White’s Ocean Grill restaurant, to relaxing in the Oasis Spa and salon. There are two sailings scheduled, one on Thursday 31 October and the second on Wednes-day 27 November, both from Southampton with ports of call at Amsterdam and Zee-brugge. Price for the four night cruise is from €520 per person*. www.thomascook-cruise.ie

Robert Walshe is a travel broadcaster with Q Radio Network & Travel Editor for numerous print & on-line publications on the island of Ireland. www.robertwalshe.com

Pet’s Corner... with Kathleen Murray

Home and Away ExtraCouples Resorts has launched a naming

contest for its Caribbean restaurant at the brand new Couples Barbados Resort, the latest edition of the Couples Resorts fam-ily. The winner of the month-long online contest will receive return flights and a seven-night stay at Couples Barbados, the

island’s first and only all-inclusive resort exclusively for adult couples. Participants can submit their restaurant name ideas on the Couples Resorts at www.facebook.com/CouplesResortsUK or at http://couples.com/contest Submissions will be accepted throughout the month of May 2013.

n Shanghai Skyline.

n Fairmont Peace Hotel Shanghai Lobby.

Thinking about getting a cat?AT some stage in their lives people think about getting a cat. The reasons are many, sometimes a child wants a kit-ten, or memories of a cat in our childhood sparks the thought or someone offers us a kitten.

There are, of course, peo-ple who would never get a cat because they hate cats or are afraid of them but they are the minority. Having a cat nowadays is very different from having a cat years ago.

Years ago cats had kittens and homes were found for them or they just ran around with the other cats and no-body batted and eyelid. Right now in our county the cat

population has gotten out of all control. Homes are not as easily found and the need to neuter cats is very high on the priority list. Bringing home a kitten or an adult cat is a big responsibility. Cats and kittens are very easily toilet trained and make very good pets. They are easy to look after because they love routines and show up at the same time for feeding every day if they get used to a cer-tain lifestyle.

You can get them to return home every night at about 9pm so that you can take them indoors and not have every dog in your neighbourhood

barking all night, or to save your cat from being blinded by headlights and killed on the road. Cats eat anywhere so if your cat doesn’t come back at the normal feeding time then someone else is feeding it also.

Cats like to wander so if you live in a built up area your cat will be visiting the neigh-bours... and the neighbours may not appreciate that.

Cats tend to go in bathroom or bedroom windows and make themselves comfort-able on a bed or sofa. Cats like to nap and they always look for a quiet place, usually somewhere soft and warm.

Anyone that has a new baby, or a young infant sleeping needs to make sure that the door and window to their room is closed so that a cat can’t venture into the room and curl up on top of their chest. Cats like lying on chests because of the heartbeat, warmth and breathing. It is very relaxing and soothing for a cat, not good though for a baby that can’t get the weight of the cat off it’s chest while it is sleeping. Cats can be vacci-nated and wormed to keep them healthy. Cat poo needs to be lifted and disposed of in a proper way especially

where children are playing, and if you are pregnant then wear rubber gloves.

If you have a dog also then keep the cat litter tray clean... as the dog will if you don’t.

You can also have your cat micro chipped, so that if it goes missing and is found by someone else, then your name and address will show up on the scanner.

In the interest of neigh-

bourly goodwill it would be good to have no more than two cats (both neutered) so that neighbours are not pulling their hair out in frustration and complaining about a load of cats going to the toilet in their garden or going in their windows. Think about the people around you when you get an animal. Your neighbours will appreciate it.