Weiss Report Blog

With high transportation costs these days many people are joking that they are considering walking to the airport instead of driving. You can take the tube when flying out of Heathrow, so that’s a bit like walking, but for Gatwick you are out of luck so you’ll have to drive and then worry about Gatwick Airport parking. The good news is the situation isn’t really all that bad. Since the airport is located in a remote part of the London suburbs the lots there are not as expensive as they are at places like Heathrow or London City. But sometimes these lots get very full so you want to do a bit of research before you head down there.

Have you ever had a flight and then you were running behind schedule when you were trying to get out of the house? Yes, that happens to all of us, and for some people this happens every time we fly. If you are already running late and you pull up to one of the main lots and there is a long line or a sign out front that says they are full, then what do you do? Some people panic and then cancel their trip altogether, but the smart ones don’t let that happen to them since they’d already reserved a spot not long after they bought their plane ticket in the first place. Do yourself a favor and get in this habit.

The cost of skiing isn’t coming down, and more and more people are opting for a do-it-yourself ski holiday in self catered chalets and skiing apartments. There are of course large tour operators offering discount ski apartments with flights at some crazy prices too; these are usually at the lower end of the market, and can be really useful where budgeting is imperative. If it’s a last minute decision where the resort and quality are not important, these cut price ski holidays can be an attractive option.

France is currently the most popular ski destination for UK skiers, followed closely by Canada and the US. British skiers find that the flexibility of self service ski accommodation in apartments and chalets has a lot to offer because it gives the independence not available from tour operators. With carriers selling cheap ski flights like EasyJet and Bmibaby and fast internet access, it is now possible to organise, book and pay for travel and ski accommodation in a matter of minutes all on your own.

There are two types of ski accommodation - the apartment and the chalet. In France the apartments are often referred to as ‘boxes’. For the most part that’s what they are - piled one on top of the other into vast brutal concrete apartment blocks. Some may have had some wood slapped on the side as a minimal concession. They may be ugly, but they have their advantages.

At the budget end this type of ski accommodation can be cheap! The blocks are usually on the piste and right next to the skiing so there is no walking, and the facilities such as restaurants, supermarkets, bars and shops are close by. They are purely functional with little or no aesthetic considerations. The minimum they provide could just be a bed, a tv, a bathroom, a small kitchenette, a sofa and a table and chairs.

The quality end is comparative luxury. Companies such as MGM now have a reputation for building ski accommodation in more attractive buildings and converting town houses into flats where you can at least swing a cat. Chamonix is a perfect example; because the town has historic and architectural importance attached to it, there are some wonderful buildings that have been converted with taste and flair.

You can also choose from a vast selection of private chalets throughout the Alps as self catered chalet options. These will vary in quality but as they may be people’s second homes they can be more roomy and comfortable, and built attractively in the traditional style. As a rule expect them to lie in outlying villages, although sometimes they will be centrally located next to the piste.

Ski apartments and chalets will have any number of beds from two bed ’studios’ to twelve bed ‘duplexes’ and more. For medium quality expect to pay between £100 and £250 per person depending on season and location. Because competition is strong, you nearly always get value for money.

You will also have to pay a returnable deposit for breakages. Bed linen and towels will not usually be supplied in ski accommodation but can be rented by the agent for a reasonable fee. There will be an inventory before you leave and you’ll be expected to leave the place clean and tidy!

Simon Dewhurst has has been involved in many aspects of the ski business for 35 years, including teaching downhill and cross country skiing, club racing, speed skiing and running chalet holidays in the French Alps. He has also written a book “Secrets of Better Skiing”. His website can be found at http://www.ski-jungle.com

We all desire relaxation and stress-relief. We long for the indulgence of pampering spa treatments. Spa treatments really do make a difference in the health and appearance of the skin and some of the emphasis seems to have shifted from pampering to results. But, today more than ever, we all need some serious relaxation. There is no need to sacrifice relaxation for results.

If there is just an hour to get maximum results and relaxation, the “spa experience” must begin the minute you enter a spa. At Blue Water Spa in Raleigh, North Carolina, part of the experience is the sight and sound of water. Two large waterwalls create a peaceful serene environment from both the sites and sounds of water. At the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, an underground wonderland with water features greets clients. Kohler Water Spas create an environment of relaxation with their magnificent water features. By visiting a spas website and taking a virtual tour, you can experience the environment.

Most spas will include soothing music and aromatherapy as part of the environment to provide relaxation. And, of course, being personally greeted by someone who knows your name and wants to take care of you will help you leave your trouble at the door.

The newest trend in spa treatments, are services that include more than one provider. A favorite or many spa goers is a facial treatment, whether it be a traditional facial, microdermabrasion, chemical peel or an oxygenating skin treatment combined with a foot treatment.

A Foot Fantasy involves a therapist massaging the feet with warm aromatherapy oils using both their hands and hot stones followed by a warm paraffin dip to melt away tension and deeply hydrate the feet.

For many, a one hour treatment with two therapists is the ideal spa visit. For a busy parent or professional who requires results and relaxation, but cannot afford to spend several hours in the spa, a foot fantasy with a facial treatment is the ideal way to get maximum relaxation in minimum time.

http://www.bluewaterspa.com can provide information on spa treatments that offer both relaxation and results. Blue Water Spa has been voted best spa in Raleigh and was recognized as one of the best spas in America 2005 by American Spa Magazine.

With the rapid economic growth of Dublin came both increases in the population of Dublin an increases in the amount of money Irish people had in their pockets. As the Celtic Tiger roared on, much of the areas around Dublin were developed into residential areas. With large amounts of people living in the suburbs of Dublin, it made sense to build shopping centres in these same suburbs. 15 years ago people shopped in the centre of Dublin, but today this new generation of shopping centres draw visitors not just from the suburbs in which they are located, but from all over the city and the Counties around. In this article I am going to have a quick look at the shopping centres located in the suburbs around Dublin.

The Square Shopping Centre

Located in Tallaght, (pronounced Tallah) The Square was the first of new generation of shopping centres to spring up around Dublin City. The Square or ‘Square’ as it is known is so named because it is built in the shape of a Square. The ‘Square’ is 3 floors high and is home to Roches Stores, Argus, Dunnes Stores, Champion Sports and Lifestyle Sports. There is also a multi-screen cinema.

Blanchardstown Shopping Centre

The Blanchardstown Shopping Centre was the biggest shopping centre in the country. Known locally as the ‘Blanch Centre,’ the centre has four wings and massive car parking areas which struggle to cope with the traffic at weekends and holiday periods. Among the major multiples in the centre are Argus, Penney’s, Dunnes Stores and Marks & Spencer. If you only have time to visit one shopping centre during your visit to Dublin, this should be the one.

Liffey Valley Shopping Centre

The Liffey Valley Shopping Centre was a controversial development and the rezoning of the land is now a matter being investigated due to suspicion that the politicians who rezoned the land were bribed. The shopping centre is bright and airy and is meant to resemble South Beach in Miami. There is the usual collection of multiples here, but what really stands out is the location, just off the M50.

Dundrum Town Centre

Dundrum Town Centre is the newest shopping centre in Dublin. The Centre only opened in March 2005 and is now the largest shopping centre in not just Ireland but all of Europe. The anchor tenants in Dundrum are Tesco, Marks and Spencer and House of Fraser. The centre is also home to the first Starbucks to open in Ireland. The Dundrum Town Centre has one major advantage as it is situated next to the Luas Green Line which makes access from Dublin City Centre very easy.

The Pavilion Swords

Situated in Swords in North County Dublin, the Pavilion is another of the new breed of shopping centres. The shopping centre is spacious, bright and spread over two floors. There are currently new extensions being added to the Pavilion which include a cinema and more shops. Parking in the Pavilion is free for the first 3 hours.

Ronan Menton is the webmaster for a number of travel related websites and has been for some time in Ireland, associated with search engine optimisation in the Irish travel industry. He spends two months a year in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and now sees it as his second home. Among the many sites he is currently working on are the following: hotels in Bath and hotels in Boston.

I first read Washington Irving’s stories, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and “Rip Van Winkle” in the eighth grade, and ever since have loved Irving’s description of the “sequestered glen of Sleepy Hollow, whose dreamy influence seems to hang over the land.” I’d heard that Sleepy Hollow and the historic Hudson Valley have much to offer, especially during the holidays, and since I’d never been there, I decided to visit one weekend last December.

Where Irving Slept

Washington Irving, a prolific author of fiction, history and biography, also held diplomatic posts in Great Britain and Spain. He bought Tarrytown’s Sunnyside in 1835, then enlarged and renovated this beautiful cottage that overlooks the Hudson River.

Nicknamed “The Snuggery,” Sunnyside felt warm and inviting to me. Its cheerful English style decorations consisted of decorative green garlands on the mantle but no Christmas tree.
Sadly, Irving never got over the death of his fiancée, Matilde, and mourned her until he died in 1859 at the age of 76. His burial place, the Old Dutch Church Cemetery of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” fame, thrilled his readers as a favorite haunt of troubled spirits and the hangout of the Headless Horseman, thought to be a Hessian trooper whose head had been carried away by a cannon-ball during the Revolutionary War.

Fortunately, no mysterious specters marred my day, but I inquired about the name “Tarrytown.” In his story, our guide told us, Irving wrote that the name had been given to the small market town of Greensburg by the good housewives from the “propensity of their husbands to linger about the village tavern on market days.” While Irving doesn’t vouch for that fact, it’s a pleasant tale.

Hungry from the scent of Wassail, a drink made from wine, allspice, berries, nutmeg, cinnamon, sugar, ginger root, apples and lemons, I left Sunnyside and drove through the decorative iron gates of nearby Dolce Tarrytown House where I had a sumptuous buffet lunch.

A Lyndhurst Fairytale Christmas

Well fed, I drove next to Lyndhurst, a Gothic Revival mansion that is the architectural representation of the American Romanticism movement born in the Hudson River Valley. Set on 67 acres and decorated in a “Fairytale Holiday” theme, Lyndhurst filled me with holiday cheer.

Our guide, Ira Stein, showed us rooms decorated with clues to different fairytales for children of all ages. Cinderella transformed the Drawing Room, Alice visited Wonderland in the Library amid authentic furniture and books, and the elegant Dining Room had a lavish table set for Beauty and the Beast.

As I left Lyndhurst, clouds obscured the sun, and for a moment, I thought I saw a roadside apparition in this setting perfect for galloping ghosts. I pushed thoughts of eerie visions aside, though, and drove to Philipsburg Manor.

An Educational Manor Museum

Philipsburg Manor, a Dutch Colonial site and one of the largest and best documented slave sites in the North, offers costumed performers who act out parts in vignettes that reflect life as it was lived at the Manor during the midpoint of the 18th century.

Working in conjunction with the African American Advisory Board and the Historic Hudson Valley, the Manor educates visitors by drawing them into the lives of Philipsburg slaves.

Crossing the bridge over the frozen millpond, I imagined another ice-covered bridge, upon which gangly Ichabod Crane raced his horse, Gunpowder, at breakneck speed, the Headless Horseman close on his tail. But this 18th century milling/trading/farming complex exuded serenity. Touring the Mill, I scratched Moses the Mill cat’s back while we learned about Caesar and Diamond, important enslaved Africans. Caesar worked the mill, Diamond the boatman transported flour.

We saw the Lower Kitchen, where children were born, and then the Upper Kitchen, where a table set for the holidays displayed intricate marzipan pastries next to the “Martha Washington Book of Cookery.”

Finally, we toured the grounds and barn, where children patted cows named Clover and Daisy, then watched the antics of Pumpkin the barn cat.

Twelfth Night Tavern Games

Darkness approached as I arrived at my last stop, Van Cortlandt Manor, and joined the tour. Cheryl Bernstein, our guide, explained that the property was the primary residence of the Van Cortlandt family for two hundred years; it showcased their possessions, symbolized their status, and served as the center of their social and economic world. During the revolutionary war, Pierre Van Cortlandt, a staunch patriot, moved his family north for a time, along with much of their furniture.

As Cheryl took us down a spiral staircase to see the milk room, once used as a fridge, I avoided dark shadows and tried not to think about headless Hessian troopers. Climbing back up, I felt sorry for the slaves who had to ascend the dark stairs lugging heavy pots.

In the property’s restored Ferry House, once the location of a Tavern, Christmas merriment included Twelfth Night. On this occasion the guest who found a bean in his slice of cake became “King of Twelfth Night”, and head of the festivities. Guests chose cards then had to act as the person described on the card and follow the instructions. I took one from Cheryl and read it: “Jenny Jigabout, dance a step.” Far better than the one chosen by a tour mate: “Sergeant Humdrum, bore them to tears.” I preferred the dance step, and needing dinner and a good night’s sleep, I waltzed over to the Thayer Hotel. Located on the grounds of the United States Military Academy at West Point, this stylish hotel welcomed me with a roaring fire and the scent of hot apple cider.

Unfortunately, it’s not possible to see all the Hudson Valley mansions in such a short time; I saved the Franklin D. Roosevelt Home, Vanderbilt estate and the Rockefeller’s Kykuit estate for another trip.

The mansions I did see enchanted me, but Washington Irving’s Sunnyside did more - it brought back fond memories of books I loved as a child. What more could one ask for during the holidays?

For more information:
To obtain a free regional travel guide visit
http://www.hvnet.com/
for a comprehensive online guide to the Valley with a calendar of holiday events, including info about Christmas traditions in the region.

Travel writer Melody Moser’s articles and photos have appeared in publications such as The Orlando Sentinel, The AAA Touch, Arabella Romances Magazine, Connecting Solo Travel News, The Globe (UK), and GoNomad.com; she also writes regularly for The Tourist News, a supplement to The Miami Herald. She can be reached through her travel blog at http://www.traveldreamsite.blogs.com/.