Galway Advertiser 2006/2006_06_01/GA_0106_E1_038.pdf 

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38 F E A T U R E S

www.galwayadvertiser.ie

June 1 2006

HOLIDAY SPECIALS
Family villages holiday
Why not enjoy a different kind of holiday with five unique holiday villages in four different locations. Holiday villages are four star family-friendly accommodation and excellent family facilities. They boast lagoon style pools and they feature holiday soccer schools and swim kids. These holidays are exclusive in Galway to Falcon Travel in the Eyre Square Centre. Falcon Travel is an amalgamation of First Choice and Aran Travel (part of the Fist Choice Group, and formerly located on Domnick Street). It is located on the lower level of the Eyre Square Shopping Centre, at the main entrance ramp. For more information contact (091) 563755

BREAK-AWAY
TRAVEL WITH SINEAD MCGOVERN

Morocco - an exotic mix
A blend of African and European culture, Morocco is a great budget destination that offers travellers a lot more than the more expensive, and neighbouring, Costas. It offers great sun, exotic food, plenty of opportunities for watersports, and accommodation that won't cost you the earth. Not to mention the handcrafts and leather goods that will leave you wishing you had left more room in your bag for souvenirs. As the late King Hassan put it, Morocco is a country with its tree rooted in Africa whose leaves breathe European air. And that's not to mention the Arab texture of its trunk! With a population of 31,000,000 that is 98 per cent Muslim, it is certainly is a world apart from Ireland. There are plenty of ways to approach a holiday in Morocco, depending on your budget, taste, and time to travel. main options available to them when travelling to Morocco; to fly directly, or take a ferry from neighbouring Spain. Direct flights to Morocco from Dublin will cost anything from 400 to 460 in peak season. Making your own way to the south of Spain and taking a ferry from there may work out cheaper in the long run, but will eat into your holiday time slightly. The most popular ferry crossing from Spain to Morocco is from Algeciras in Spain to Tangier in Morocco. There are plenty of options available and a regular ferry or high speed ferry go almost every hour, year round. Another popular route is from Algeciras in Spain to Ceuta in Morocco. But public transport links to the rest of Morocco are said to be better from Tangier.
Take a camel ride through the Sahara Desert.

Culture
Situated at the bottom of the Atlas mountains is the city of Marrakech. It is an imperial city that today is a real melting pot of cultures. It is a polluted, and sometimes smelly place, but it is said to be a welcome shock for the senses for curious visitors. The old city is surrounded by ochre - coloured ramparts, within which you will find ancient souks/marketplaces and the most famous square in Morocco - the DJemma El Fna - where daily, at dusk, storytellers, musicians, dancers, fortune tellers, and food vendors gather. A good time to visit is July when the Marrakech Popular Arts Festival is held. Fez, meanwhile, is said to be Morocco's religious, cultural, and culinary capital. It has a frenzied pace, and is most famous for its tanneries, which use centuries' old methods. Reams of cow hide are treated in huge vats of dyes whose main active ingredients happens to be pigeon droppings. The smell nearby can be bad, but the stalls and stalls of leather goods make the trip worthwhile.

Getting there

Beach
Agadir is Morocco's most popular beach resort, and is located on 10km of sandy beach on the Atlantic coast. It is quite a journey from the Spanish ferry crossing, so if it is your destination of choice, it may be best to fly there directly. Essaouira, 175km north of Agadir, is known as the artist hangout of the country. Singers such as Bob Marley and Jimi Hendrix used to hang out there in the sixties. It is popular for its great sea food, and if you are interested in all things marine, it is the Moroccan destination for you. Boatbuilding is a big craft in the area, and its pristine beaches, great windsurfing and surfing, laid back nightspots, and restaurants make it an all round winner. Narrow streets keep traffic to a minimum, and you may even run into a pirate or two. It was a Phoenician trading post for nearly 3,000 years and is justifiably proud of its ancient port and reputation as a pirate's cove.

Mediterranean cruise specials

Travellers from Ireland have two

Think ahead. You could enjoy a seven night Rivieras Fly Cruise for from 839 this October. With ports of call to include Majorca, Florence, Pisa, Nice, Toulon, and Sete, the cost of the package includes return flights from Dublin to Majorca, seven nights full board, port taxes, and gratuities and transfers. Tax and insurance are extra. For more information contact Martina Forde Travel at (091) 535338 or e m a i l elaine@fordetravel.com Visit the tanneries in Fez, where cow hide is dyed in by hand to make a variety of
leather goods.

WEATHER
THURSDAY
A fine day, as it will be dry with patches of fair weather cloud and decent sunny intervals. Moderate westerly winds. Clear during the evening. Max temp 1417C (57-63F).

SATURDAY
Dry with sunny spells and cloud.

High Tide in Galway
16 16

SUNDAY
A rather cloudy, but dry day.

Clifden

Tuam

MONDAY
Overcast with drizzle or light rain.

FRIDAY
Another fine summer day, as it will be dry with a good deal of sunshine and only light cloud. Moderate westerly winds. Clear during the evening. Max temp 14-17C (5763F).
Information supplied by PA Weather Centre

GALWAY
14

17

Ballinasloe

TUESDAY
Mainly cloudy with light showers.

8
15

Thursday June 1 Friday June 2 Saturday June 3 Sunday June 4 Monday June 5 Tuesday June 6 Wednesday June 7 Thursday June 8

09.34 10.25 11.19 **** 00.35 01.43 02.42 03.30

21.44 22.34 23.31 12.21 13.29 14.28 15.16 15.56

Phases of the Moon
First Quarter

WEDNESDAY
Overcast with drizzle or light rain.

Noon Thursday

Galway ship movements
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