Galway - A City Steeped in History and Culture

The city of Galway is internationally celebrated as a centre of entertainment; with an all-embracing mix of tin whistles, bodhráns (hand-held drums made from goatskin), harps, bagpipes, banjos, guitars, fiddles, jugglers, magicians in colourful masks poets, painters, and puppeteers to entertain visitors. Actors in traditional Irish costume can often be sighted around town. An assortment of curious cafes can be found on narrow cobblestone streets, and live music is hosted throughout the week by a wide range of public houses.
      
The streets of Galway are steeped in history. Nevertheless, there remains a contemporary feel. Students account for a quarter of the city's population. The medieval town walls sit adjacent to businesses selling handcrafted Claddagh rings, a collection of secondhand and new books and Aran sweaters. The city is connected to the coastal suburb of Salthill by a long promenade. The region's famous oysters can be found in the neighbouring Galway Bay.
  
A wide variety of food and drink options can be discovered here. They range from the market stands, where farmers sell vegetables unearthed that same day, to daring fusion restaurants which continue to redefine Irish cuisine. Guinness, Galway Hooker ale and Irish coffees can all be sampled by the city's down to earth pubs.
  
It cannot be denied that it rains an awful lot in Galway, yet even this fails to dampen Galway's joie de vivre. When the sun shines, the city is full of life, and it is lively all year round. It is often referred to as the most 'Irish' of Ireland's cities, with Irish still spoken in the stores, pubs and streets.

Visitors to the city and county can find suitable accommodation at Galway Hotels or Galway B&B

Carriglen - An Excellent Choice of Wicklow Bed and Breakfast

Mount Usher Gardens  in the village of Ashford, County Wicklow is open to the public and is well worth a visit at any time. Because there is such awide range of trees and shrubs you are likely to see a different view every  time you visit.

Mount Usher also has some excellent  tearooms and a quality restaurant with an extensive lunch menu.

After you have left Mount Usher you may decide to take a walk in the nearby Devil’s Glen. The Devil’s Glen Wood is managed by the Irish state forestry company and is fully accessible to the public with car parking, picnic facilities and a variety of forest walks  and   is open every day from 9am – 9pm. It has free parking and picnic facilities. The Devil’s Glen consists of both native woodlands and introduced species.  In recent years broadleaf planting in the Glen has increased and today, almost 15% of the Glen is planted with broadleaves.

Sculpture in Woodland is situated in the Devil’s Glen and features a fascinating collection of contemporary sculpture by Irish and sculptors. The project was started in 1994 with the aim of creating a greater awareness of wood as an artistic medium. Artists are commissioned on an annual basis and to date thirteen sculptures, by both Irish and international artists, have been permanently sited in the Devil’s Glen.

Visitors to Mount Usher and The Devil’s Glen can stay at the charming Carriglen, a Wicklow Bed and Breakfast ideally located in the village of Ashford. Carriglen is just a few minutes walk from Mount Usher and the local pubs, restaurants and shops and is located in a quiet peaceful setting. Guests are provided with large comfortable rooms and a hearty home-cooked breakfast.

Visitors to Ireland Significant Increase in 2011

Visits to Ireland are up by more than 8% in the first quarter of 2011 in comparison to the same period last year, according to the latest figures published by The Central Statistics Office.
92,800 more overseas visitors came to Ireland than in the first quarter of 2010.
However, Irish people are not going abroad as much as last year; Irish trips abroad are down by nearly 12%.
Tourism Minister Leo Varadkar is encouraged by these figures.
“These figures show the first early signs of recovery in Ireland’s vital tourism industry,” he said.
Referring to the visits of Queen Elizabeth and President Obama he said:
“I don’t think anything could compare with the positive images of Ireland broadcast around the world in recent days. I’m confident that growth will continue for the rest of the year.”
Britain, Canada and the US make up the bulk of the increase in visitors. Already in 2011 almost 718,000 visitors from these countries came to Ireland, up 54,000 on last year.
Fáilte Ireland chief executive Sean Quinn was upbeat about the figures: “Today’s news will give the tourism sector a great boost as it heads into the high season. Fáilte Ireland will be working closely with tourism businesses around the country and playing its part to ensure that we maximise the benefits from any upswing in numbers.”
Niall Gibbons, head of Tourism Ireland, thinks that there is even better to come. “This is a very positive development and we’re well ahead of our expectations. We’ve been doing a lot of promotional work in the market place and now heading into the second quarter, demand appears to be strong,” he said.
It is estimated that the amount spent by visitors to Ireland in 2010 was over €3 billion.
The news is good for Ireland’s economy which has experienced sever recession over the past 3 years and reverses the decline in visitor numbers which has been happening since 2008.

Dublin city is a particularly popular following The Queen and President Obama’s visit. Find Hotels in Dublin at Dublin Overnight.

Good Value in Dublin Hotels

Staying Dublin hotels is becoming more affordable according to a survey carried out by hotels.com recently.
It was found that in 2010 the average price for a hotel room in Dublin city  was €73. This was down by 6% from the 2009 price. The average price  for a four star hotel room was €81.00 and the price of a five star hotel room it was €152.00
Out of 44 countries which hotels.com surveyed it was discovered that Ireland had the sixth cheapest hotel accommodation overall  and Dublin city was 11th cheapest for five-star accommodation.

One of the benefits of the global economic difficulties (from the point of view of the visitor) is the reduction in hotel prices worldwide. Accommodation costs in Dublin have become quite competitive making it a more attractive destination  than heretofore.

There is also a downward trend in restaurant prices and there is some evidence that eating out has become cheaper and there is some hope of further reductions if rent legislation is amended as expected. Rental costs have been quite high in Dublin and because of quirky legislation, competition has not been able to force rents down as would be expected.

Many restaurants are no offering special prices, early bird menus etc. in a n effort to ttract more customers.

Many good accommodation deals can be got on hotel booking websites including Dublin Overnight. If you check for your selected dates you will find many hotels in Dublin offering midweek specials, price reductions, 2 nights B&B plus evening meal and other offers.

Book a hotel in Cork early for The Jazz Festival

Every year The Cork Jazz Festival is held in Cork City, Ireland over the October Bank Holiday weekend.  It is the biggest jazz event in Ireland and numerous world famous musicians and bands and thousands of music fans from all over the world visit every year. In 2010 about 50,000 music fans visited the city for the event and listened to jazz played by over 1,000 musicians from over 30 countries.

This jazz festival has a great reputation all over the world and many of the leading musicians have played there during its 35 years. Some of the big stars that have played there include Ella Fitzgerald, Cleo Laine, Dave Brubeck, Chick Corea, Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Rollins and many more. Most of Irelands great jazz players including great guitarist Louis Stewart have appeared from time to time. Every year brings its new stars and in 2010 it was the turn of the Esbjorn Svenson Trio, Mose Allison Quartet, Gary Burton – Richard Galliano Quartet and The Blin Boys of Alabama among others to wow the crowds.

There are over 80 venues throughout the city including concert halls, theatres, lounge bars and hotels as  well as street music. The biggest venues are The Cork Opera house, The Everyman Palace Theatre,  The Half Moon Theatre, The Granary, The Firkin Crane Theatre and The Metropole Hotel. These are the venues where the main events are held but many people prefer the smaller venues where the fringe events take place.

Although Jazz was considered mainstream in the mid twentieth century, especially in America and Europe, it is really a minority musical genre nowadays although there was something of a revival in the 60s and 70s with experimentation and various mixtures of Jazz and Rock Fusion.

Cork is looking forward to another great Jazz Festival in 2011. The dates for this years festival are October 28th – 31st. Festival goers are advised to book accommodation early as hotels and bed and breakfasts in the city tend to be booked out for that weekend. Book Cork Hotels and Cork B&B at Stay in Cork.

Family Holidays With A Twist

By Arnold Spicke

Make family holidays more fun by adding a twist to each trip. Try planning the vacation with a special theme in mind. Depending on the age range of your family members, there is usually one that everyone can enjoy.

If you have a son who likes Cowboys and Indians, opt for a drive through the West and visit its many tourist sites. See how cowboys live in Dodge City, as well as the Pueblo Indians who once lived in the cliffs of Southern Colorado.

For families with kids that love Disney characters, a trip down to Florida's Disney World is the obvious choice. Loved by both the young and the young once, everyone will surely enjoy the many attractions and activities found here. Plan a visit to the Magic Kingdom and the Epcot Center. Movie lovers will be amazed at Universal and MGM Studios. Disney World also offers hotel accommodation with a monorail to transport you to the different locations. They also offer a cruise that has all its famous characters on board.

Space enthusiasts and marina animal lovers will also find Florida's Kennedy Space Center and Sea World an interesting place to see. Special tours and shows are scheduled several times a day so that visitors can schedule their trips accordingly.

When you travel with family, it is crucial to ensure that each member can enjoy the holiday. If you are up for some adrenaline pumping action, you may want to head on down to Southern California's theme parks. Here you will find some of the most thrilling rides in the world. Choose from Six Flags Magic Mountain, Disneyland, Universal Studio and California Adventure Theme Park. Take the kids to the San Diego Zoo and Legoland. For a more historical trip, drive to San Simeon and the picturesque city of Carmel.

On the other side, the East Coast offers just as much places to see. Hershey Town in Pennsylvania will awe visitors of all ages. Their candy kisses shaped light poles are a sight to behold. Visit George Washington's home in Virginia and proceed to Washington D.C. to see the nation's capital and breathe in some history. Check out the Smithsonian as well as the Arlington Cemetery. For the female history buff, don't forget the Hall Of First Ladies. Excursions like these not only enhance your family's knowledge, but foster patriotism and love for country.

Those who love nature and the outdoors will appreciate traveling to National Parks and Monuments. See the Old Faithful geyser go off at Yellowstone National Park. Take a hike in Arizona's Petrified Forest National Park. Gaze in amazement at the majestic Grand Canyon.

Whatever theme you choose, fun holidays await you and your family.

About the Author:

Arnold Spicke often edits detailed articles on problems relating to rental villas in spain. His abstracts on rental villas in spain and costa blanca holiday villas are found on his website .

How are Best Holidays Planned?

By Atila Suck

Going on holidays is something that everyone has dreamed about. Doing what you have been waiting to do and being in a place where you wanted to be is what makes it special. Although many would agree that anytime you can go on vacations but the thing that separates it from other forms of recreational activities are the memories that are involved. These memories will last for a lifetime and will forever be cherished by those involved.

Choosing where to go is probably the first thing on everybody's mind. Who can blame them when you very well know that it is true? A trip is not complete without having to visit that one place that you all would love to be in. When it comes to selecting your destination you have to keep in mind the different interests of all those in your group like what their likes are. Also take note of the different activities that you can participate in while you are there.

Spain is one of the most popular destinations around the world. Not only are the people hospitable but they are also very accommodating to tourist. They are willing to help in anyway that they can. Their historic past and colorful culture are enough reasons for you to visit the place. The best way to immerse your self in another's culture is through socialization and interaction with the communities there.

Tasting the local delicacies is another thing you can do aside from sightseeing. The world famous Paella recipe is best tried there. Restaurants are found everywhere. Spanish people love to eat and cook so it should not come as a surprise that food is something that is easy to find. If you want to chill after a day of touring the best place to hit are the bars. Drinks of any kind are served. There you can interact with other tourists and the locals.

Tour guides are available. If you are going there by yourself or with your friends you can actually get around by just using a detailed map of the city. Before your trip, a research of the different tourist attractions will definitely help a lot. Write down the different places that take your fancy. This way you will not run out of things to do and you will be able to maximize your stay there. Some travel agencies' services include having a guide.

The budget is another thing that you have to take into consideration. You will not only pay for the expenses of your travel but you also need to save some for emergencies. You can never tell what can happen while you are touring and having fun. Most of the time accommodations and airfares can be paid using your credit card.

About the Author:

Atila Suck works largely for http://www.alicante-spain.com , a web publication with information about languages spoken in andalucia and various other important cities in spain. One can have a look at his work on many different important cities in spain and map of spain here.