Galway Advertiser 2007/2007_08_30/GA_3008_E1_030.pdf 

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30 F E A T U R E S

www.galwayadvertiser.ie

August 30 2007

BREAK-AWAY
TRAVEL WITH UNA SINNOTT

Book a late summer break
Summer may be drawing to a close, but there is still time to book a week in the sun. Indeed September is an ideal holiday month for people who do not have children returning to school, as there are many bargains to be had. September deals From Ireland West Airport Knock with Falcon/JWT include: September 5: Festival Village Apartments, Cap Salou, Costa Dorada, two Falcons, seven nights from 384pp. September 5: Allocated on arrival, Costa Dorada, from 334pp, flight only from 274pp. September 9: Holiday Village Costa del Sol, Benalmadena, Costa del Sol, four Falcons, seven nights, from 474pp. September 9: Allocated on arrival, Costa del Sol, from 454pp, flight only from 274pp. September 11: Allocated on arrival, Majorca, seven nights, from 354pp, flight only from 299pp. September 12: Allocated on arrival, Costa Dorada, seven nights, from 279pp, flight only from 229pp. September 16: Allocated on arrival, Costa Dorada, seven nights, from 429pp. September 16: Allocated on arrival, Costa del Sol, from 429pp, flight only from 269pp. September 18: Allocated on arrival, Majorca, from 339pp. If an autumn week in the sun is out of the question, a weekend break could be the perfect family getaway. selfcatering.ie offers weekend breaks in a number of locations around Ireland, including: Willow Wood, Faithlegg, Waterford: weekends from 350 in a three-bedroom house. Situated on the Faithlegg Estate, with leisure facilities available in the Faithlegg Hotel plus beauty treatments can be prearranged at the hotel. Fifteen per cent off green fees. Good location to enjoy all that Waterford city and county has to offer. Clarion Suites, Limerick: weekends from 240 in a onebedroom apartment. Ideally situated about 10 minutes stroll into Limerick city centre. Residents have use of the fully equipped gym on site and also have complimentary use of the Clarion Hotel Steamboat Quays leisure facilities including SanoVitae Health & Fitness with sauna, steam room, Jacuzzi, gym, and 12metre indoor pool. Fota Island Resort, Fota Island, Cork: weekends from 420 in a two-bedroom courtyard property. Set in the heart of the unspoilt east Cork countryside and only a 15 minute drive from the city itself, Fota Island Resort is an ideal getaway location, and just around the corner from Fota Wildlife Park. Access to pool and fitness suite is free of charge; reduced green fees available. Castlemartyr Resort, Capella, Castlemartyr, Cork: weekends from 318 in a twobedroom lodge. Located in the village of Castlymartyr on a 220 acre estate surrounded by Mitchell's Wood, allowing a perfect location for walks and exploring the grounds. Cork city is 30 minutes by car from the luxury resort. A fixed charge of 25pp per visit applies to guests of the holiday homes wishing to use the spa and leisure centre facility. Clients availing of a spa treatment in the Auriga spa will have use of the leisure centre included in the price of their treatment. Avon Ri, Blessington, Co Wicklow: weekends from 350 in a three-bedroom house. Avon Ri offers glorious views of the lakes and the surrounding mountains and glens and offers a wide range of leisure activities. Complimentary use of the swimming pool and Jacuzzi with beautiful views out over Blessington Lake, a sauna and steam room, and a comprehensively equipped gym.

Galway to Sydney -- by bus!
A new bus service from Galway to Sydney -- yes, that's right, Sydney -- due to be launched in spring 2008 will offer travellers the chance to visit some of the most famous places in the world in a marathon 12-week intercontinental trip. OzBus, which currently operates a bus service from London to the Australian east coast, offers an itinerary which takes in 20 countries with highlights of the journey including Prague, Istanbul, tiger reserves and the Taj Mahal in India, Everest Base Camp, Bali, and Ayers Rock. On the way, backpackers will visit the ancient cities of Vienna and Budapest, travel to Transylvania, tour Turkey and Iran, see Bangkok and the futuristic Kuala Lumpur, explore Sumatra, Komodo, and East Timor, before travelling across Australia to Sydney. From the starting point travellers will visit the UK, France, Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, India, Nepal, China, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, East Timor, and Australia. This is a no frills journey and travellers will camp at several locations along the way. Meals while camping and travelling are included in the price, and travellers are expected to help with the preparation of meals for the group. Hotel and B&B accommodation is used in some of the city stops on the journey. The trip is currently a one-way journey, and participants can make their own arrangements for the journey home. The company has decided to introduce the Galway service following huge demand for its London-Sydney service from Irish travellers. The first bus will depart from Galway on February 8 2008, and demand for seats is expected to be high. "Since operations began earlier this year the overall response has been fantastic, with booking coming from all over the world, however, it is the Irish market that has surprised us most with a disproportionate amount of interest coming from Ireland," said company founder Mark Creasey. "Due to this we have decided to start some of the trips from Ireland, so you will soon be able to travel from Dublin and Galway to Sydney by bus. The trip is more than just an alternative way to get to Australia, it is an adventure in itself." For more information about OzBus visit their website www.oz-bus.com

WEATHER
Thursday
A rather cloudy day. There will be some patchy light rain at times, mainly over the hills and coasts. There will be a moderate northwesterly wind. Max temp 16-19C (61-66F).

Friday
It will be a cloudy day across the region. There will be a few spots of light rain or drizzle but most parts will stay dry. Moderate northwesterly winds. Max temp 16-18C (6164F).
19 17 17

High Tide in Galway
Thursday August 30 Friday August 31
17

Clifden
16

14

Tuam
18

07.08 07.46 08.26 09.09 09.55 10.53 ** ** 01.11

19.20 20.01 20.45 21.31 22.26 23.34 12.10 13.51

GALWAY
15
18

Saturday September 1 Sunday September 2 Monday September 3 Tuesday September 4 Wednesday September 5

Ballinasloe

Noon Thursday
Information supplied by PA Weather Centre

17

18

Thursday September 6

Saturday
Cloudy with spells of light rain.

Sunday
Mainly cloudy with scattered showers.

Monday
Cloudy again but mainly dry.

Tuesday
Cloudy with outbreaks of rain.

Wednesday
Sunny spells and a few light showers.

Phases of the Moon
Tuesday September 4 -- last quarter.