TRAVEL

Home & Away with Robert WalsheLiving

United are now operate a new direct Washington service which complements a daily nonstop service be-tween dublin and its new York hub, newark Liberty in-ternational Airport, which has operated since 1998. Both the new York and Washington services are operated by Boeing 757-200 aircraft featuring 169 seats, 16 flat-bed seats in United Business First® and 153 in United economy®, including 45 economy Plus® seats with added legroom

Weekend HotspotGrand HotelRiga – Latvia

Riga is the capital of Latvia as well as the country’s larg-est city. Known for its art nouveau architecture and its well-preserved historic quar-ter, Riga is a popular tourist destination in northern eu-rope. the city is an easy city to navigate, comparatively small and with clearly defined districts. the daugava River bounds the medieval Old town, and the city spreads northeast from this historic core. A large park, where the Riga Congress Centre is lo-cated, divides the Old town from a late-19th-century neighborhood of outstanding buildings that earned Riga its UneSCO World Heritage hon-ours. Start at the town Hall S q u a r e

where you can see the his-toric town Hall, the House of Blackheads and a statue of St. Roland, the patron saint of Riga. Also at the square is the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia where you can learn about the So-viet Occupation of Latvia. the other ‘must-see’ attrac-tion of Old Riga is St. Peter’s Church, one of the most im-portant examples of Gothic architecture in all of the Bal-tic states. Built in 1209 with money from the magistrates’ offices, it was intended as a church for the people of Riga. Until World War ii, its tower, the current version of which was completed in the 20th century, made it the tallest wooden building in europe. today, while its ecclesiasti-cal functions continue, it is also used as a concert and exhibition hall. A lift installed in the 1970s is now available for speedy visits to an obser-vation gallery at the top of the spire from which there are unparalleled views of the city. the streets of the Old town are off limits to most vehicles so use only taxis with yellow license plates, and be sure the meter is en-gaged. it is better to phone for a taxi or to use those from the ranks at a major hotel. Buses, trolleys and trams (the fastest) are all covered by e-

tickets, which can be bought at newspaper stands and vending machines or on the vehicle itself. Originally built in 1877 as the Central Bank of Latvia, Riga’s Grand Palace Hotel lends a stately elegance to the architectural pastiche that makes up the city. Sur-rounded by UneSCO World Heritage buildings, it occu-pies Riga’s physical and spir-itual core - the cobble-stoned 15th century Old town, host to numerous restaurants, shops, and trendy bars, not to mention grand castles and domed churches. Grand Pal-ace Hotel offers 56 rooms, furnished in soothing shades of beige and blue. Bathroom floors are heated, and high-speed wireless is standard in each room. despite the hotel’s rich history, it is filled with all the latest ne-cessities: complimentary wireless internet, a business center, fully equipped meet-ing spaces and a health club with a sauna.

the Pils Bar, with its hunt-ing trophies, is a popular place for local businesspeo-ple to meet, and Seasons Restaurant is a good choice for entertaining clients. the Grand Palace “romantic & honeymoon” package offers a stay in one of their luxuri-ous rooms, luxury transfer from and to the airport, rail-way station, ferry port or bus station, flower arrangement

and bottle of champagne upon arrival. Also a one time 3-course candlelight dinner (excluding beverages), full breakfast served in the room or in the “Suite “restaurant along with daily use of sauna, Turkish steam bath and fit-ness room plus early check-in and late check-out free of charge upon availability. the rate for a 2-night stay is 220 eUR per night for 2 per-sons or for a 3-night stay from 195 eUR per night for 2 www.grandpalaceriga.com Holidaymakers and business travellers to Riga are being offered the opportunity to save money on airport park-ing to get their trip off to the best possible start with the Park and Fly offers at the Hilton dublin Airport. these tailor-made packages include one night’s accommodation plus parking starting from as little as €85*, helping to

take the stress out of the early-morning holiday rush to the airport. Guests may choose from five packages to suit their needs; 24 hours, 3 days, 5 days, 8 days or 15 days. the hotel offers a free shuttle to the airport when booked in advance www.hilton.com/dublinairport Both Air Baltic & Ryanair fly daily to Riga ex dublin.

Weekly Best BuyWaterford Castle Hotel is

ireland’s best kept secret for idyllic stay-at-home fam-ily vacations – offering great value Lodge accommodation, an exquisite castle, delicious meals and healthy activities, set on a stunning and unique private island. Waterford Castle 3 bedroom Lodges are luxurious holiday homes within the 320 acre Water-

ford Castle Hotel & Golf Re-sort. so much for the kids – an outdoor playground, exciting kids menus, babysit-ting service and a kids club for children between 4 and 9 which includes a charming teddy Bears Picnic with the children every Friday. And the lodges are pet friendly, which means you can bring your family’s best friend along too!You can enjoy 5 nights self-catering ac-commodation at Waterford Castle Garden Lodges from €680 or 7 nights from €849, subject to availability. www.waterfordcastle.com

Robert Walshe is a free-lance contributor / broad-caster and Travel Editor for River Media newspaper titles across the island of Ireland. www.robertw-alshe.com

Pet’s Corner... with Kathleen Murray

Home and Away ExtraOlder travellers account for over half of all

holiday spending, with the trend only set to increase, according to a report by escorted tours operator travelsphere.it found those aged 45-54 take more holidays abroad than any other age group, while 55-64 year-olds were the only age group to increase long-haul travel between 2008 and 2010, when the market shrank 9%.the “Frequent Fly-ing and Globe trekking Older travellers Report”, prepared in association with Min-

tel Research Consultancy, found that 40% of all long-haul trips in 2010 were taken by 45-64 year-olds. People over 65 are the most prolific of the 45+ market, with 28% taking at least two foreign holidays a year com-pared to just 19% of all British holidaymak-ers., the report also found that those over 55 are just as tech-savvy as the younger generation as two-thirds book their entire holiday online compared to 57% of under 45 year-olds.

n Junior Suite at Grand Hotel Riga.n Hilton Dublin airport exterior.

n Pils Bar at Grand Hotel Riga, Latvia.

Is your dog overweight?ARe overweight dogs a symptom of a human problem? Why do dogs be-come overweight?

they get fat by eating too much. Who is feeding them all this extra food that they don’t need? dogs are being indulged now to a level that is unhealthy.

Putting our emotions and thinking onto our dogs is causing trouble for the dogs. if we are eating and the dog is sitting looking at us, some people cannot ignore the dog. they have to give in to the demands of the dog… that is what the dog is doing… he is demanding your dinner. He doesn’t care if you have a dinner or not. He just wants what you are having and if you give it to him then you are tell-ing the dog that he is more important than you.

the dog won’t feel guilty. He won’t be thinking “My owner has no dinner, i’ll give them half of my dinner”. dogs think in a very simple and straight-forward way. if they want something they let you know. it doesn’t mean they have to get it. if they want to run across the road in front of a car would you say “Oh, go on then, enjoy.”

dogs need boundaries to ensure their safety. Giving in to all their de-mands does not ensure their safety. Feeding them too much is not ensur-ing their safety, it is putting them at risk. it will put too much strain on their joints and organs and shorten their life.

that is not being kind to your dog, that is killing your dog. if you are re-ally thinking about your dog then only give it what its body needs to function

properly and if you want to be kind to it then take it for a walk. if your dog is already overweight then start to help it by cutting out the in-between snacks and treats. Have the amount of food that it requires for a daily portion set aside and then you can feed it to the dog in one feed, or two smaller feeds.

Adult dogs only need one feed but if you are not able to stick to that then make the overall daily amount into two portions. A little in the morning and a little in the evening. if you don’t know how much your dog should be eating then read the portion sizes on the bags of dried dog food. that will give you a measurement to go by. if your dog is still looking for food after its had its dinner then this is normal. if it has been used to more food then it will need time to adjust. exercise can

help with this. Play a game or teach your dog

some new things to distract it.

if you are not sure if your dog is overweight then take it to your vet and they will tell you. 0863192247