TUESDAY 26 MAY 2009 wicklow news44

THE prospect of a long and hot sum-mer is a bigger threat to the travel trade than swine flu or the recession, according to leading industry figures Last week predictions suggested “a barbecue summer”, prompting fears overseas bookings would be hit as the good weather was likely to trig-ger a “wait and see” attitude among consum-ers. Meanwhile, the UK domestic tourism sector could be set for a bumper sum-mer, according to Visit Britain. The organisation predicted a 20 per cent rise in the number of holidays taken on the British Isles, while Visit Scot-land forecast a 25 per cent increase.

Holiday Hotspot A Taste Of Rome is for lovers of

Italy and Italian food to experience the real Italy through small groups and hands-on cooking while staying in the restored palazzo La Toratto on the medieval hilltop village of Caspe-ria, Sabina. A Taste of Rome offers the choice of seven day or four day cooking holidays. Included in the week-long holiday are three cooking lessons, wine and extra virgin olive oil tastings with Slow Food expert Johnny Madge and a guided visit to Rome. With each lesson there will be two to three hours in the kitchen where the emphasis will be on cre-ating the traditional dishes of the Cucina Romana - simple dishes using only the finest local organic ingredi-

ents. The cooking highlights for me included the lesson with Paola at the Borgo Al Gusto country house fol-lowed by lunch and the most won-derful local wine. Sabina is magical in every way with unspoilt landscapes of rolling hills, olive trees and wine groves, fields of wild garlic, rich col-

ours and Italian aromas. The location, Casperia, is a hilltop village of cobbled alleyways set in a rural corner of Lazio, just south of Tuscany and North of Rome. Towns like Orvieto , As-sisi, Perugia, Viterbo and Rome are all within driving distance. or you can take the direct train up to local station Fara

Sabina for Casperia directly from Fiumincino/Leonardo da Davinci Air-port. While not the best cook in the world, my biggest challenge is telling the world about this magical place in the real heart of Italy. I highly recom-mend it www.atasteofrome.com.

Weekend HotspotLiverpool has something for eve-

ryone; pop music, classical music, fine architecture, good beer, inter-national history, museums and art galleries of the highest standard. For the pop music lover there is the Liv-erpool Beat Route and for lovers of classical music there is the Philhar-monic Hall. Personally, I like to visit the Bluecoat Chambers, the oldest building in the centre of Liverpool. It contains an art gallery, a craft shop with excellent pottery, a cut-price book shop and a café. Liverpool has two modern cathedrals. The Angli-can is the largest and The Roman

Catholic Cathedral is very modern. It is affectionately known as “Paddy’s Wigwam” and seems somewhat utili-tarian from the outside but inside it is spectacularly beautiful. Now when it comes to retail therapy, Liverpool excels. Offering a wide range of fash-ionable, chic, individual and eclectic shops as well as all the major names. Liverpool One is amazing. The best place to stay is the Radisson Hotel overlooking the famous docks.

Weekly Best Buy Family quality time is being offered

by the five-star Hotel Dunloe Castle, near Killarney, in Co Kerry, until Octo-ber. A family three-night BB package costs €785 for two parents and up to three children, including dinner for two on one evening, a family ticket to Muckross House and traditional farms, and a host of complimentary activities, including horse riding, tennis and fishing – plus there’s an outdoor playground and leisure centre. For this and other deals, see www.discoverireland.ie. Ebookers

are offer-ing excep-tional deals to the USA from only €318 www.ebookers.ie Travel bag is offering a bargain five-star Dubai break from £459. Price i n c l u d e s four nights

bed and breakfast at the five-star Habtoor Grand Resort, and direct flights from London Heathrow with Royal Brunei Airlines. www.travel-bag.co.uk. Canvas Holidays is offer-ing a seven-night stay during July at Sologne Parc des Alicourts, in the Loire, in France, from €424 per fam-ily. www.canvasholidays.ie .

Home & Away with Robert WalshLivingTRAVEL

Home and Away Extra

The Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority will treble efforts for its “Summer in Abu Dhabi” initiative in a bid to attract 150,000 visitors to the festi-val. and runs from July 31 to August 31.The Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will be the largest event ever held in the emirate during November .The Grand Hotel Kem-pinski High Tatras, Slovakia’s first five star luxury hotel is now open .In May and June guests can take advantage of a special opening rate of €160 for single and €180 for dou-ble occupancy per night including taxes, the sumptuous buffet break-fast and access to the wellness and spa area. www.kempinski-hightat-ras.com. Monart Spa, near Ennis-corthy, is offering overnight rates are from €190 for two people for a night’s bed and breakfast, with use of the thermal spa. www.monart.ie. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company is introducing two enticing vaca-tion packages with a selection of offerings not just about spending less but experiencing more. The range of value added options are designed to encourage travel up to September. www.ritzcarlton.com/powerscourt.

Robert Walshe is a freelance contributor / broadcaster to travel publications and radio pro-grammes across Ireland and the UK.

n Penny Lane Liverpool.

n Steps of Casperia village.

n Taste of Rome.