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Ireland is an amazingly picturesque country with rugged coastline, smooth pastureland, towering mountains and gloomy peat bog. Check out these beautiful natural attractions:
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Insider's ViewIn London with Paull TicknerOur On Location partners around the globe are local specialists who can customize arrangements to suit your needs. Paull Tickner and his team specialize in custom tours of the UK and Ireland, on and off the beaten track. Contact us so we can work with Paull to arrange the ground side of your vacation to let you discover what makes these countries really special.   Paul Tickner Photo: Paull Tickner Bubble, Fizz and Pleasant Surprises"If you've never been to the UK before, begin what may well become a long standing love affair, by first visiting the capital cities of London, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Belfast and Dublin. Then, to discover the real England, Scotland, Ireland or Wales get out into the countryside as fast as possible because that's where you'll enjoy close encounters with centuries of living history and world class cultural events. It is also where your hard earned dollar will go a great deal further and where you'll be able to rub shoulders with the locals, using the same common language." "Keep an eye on the exchange rate which continues to hold at an attractive level below US$1.60 to the pound." "The best time for travel is between March and early July and then from Labor Day through to just before Thanksgiving. If you can avoid the crowded period from mid July to the end of August, you'll have a much more enjoyable experience." "As to the best way of travelling, try our trains. They cover most of the must see corners of the country and take the strain out of driving on the wrong side of the road."  Meet Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple on literary tours in Torquay. Photo: Paull Tickner Special Interest Britain"From all the media coverage, you could be forgiven for thinking that the main shows in town this year are Her Majesty the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and for sports fans, the Olympic Games. If you look a little closer you'll discover a wealth of unusual ANNUAL events and happenings ranging from Viking, Roman, Chocolate, Ghost and Early Music festivals in York, the 400th anniversary of Robert Dover's Olimpick Games (famous for its shin kicking and other rural sports) in the picturesque market town of Chipping Campden to Alice's Day and a touch of Harry Potter in Oxford in early July. Theatre lovers will be interested in the World Shakespeare Festival which kicks off on the Bard's Birthday (23rd April) and runs through to November in various venues throughout the UK." "With the great maritime city of Liverpool celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Beatles this year, you are invited to come and sing Strawberry Fields Forever, Yesterday, Penny Lane and other songs with which you are word perfect in the city that gave rise to the music revolution of the Swinging Sixties."  Alice in Wonderland tours are fun for the entire family. Photo: Paull Tickner Small Group Travel & Customized Tours"The advantage of travelling in a small group is that you get to see and do things that others will not gain access to. By staying in one location for 3-4 nights at a time, you'll have much more time to meet and take private tours led by owners of stately homes, head gardeners, curators and world authorities on a wide range of fascinating subjects. These out of hours, behind the scenes, value added specials lift an ordinary tour onto a much higher plane and give you bragging rights with which to impress your friends." "Quite a number of examples of small group tours can be found by travelling less and seeing more in places like the Cotswolds where visiting archetypal Tea Rooms is the main focus. While tea lovers are enjoying their cuppas and cakes, beer enthusiasts can be enjoying a pub tour with visits to breweries that are making some of our finest beers, all served at the correct room temperature!" "If Literary Britain is of interest, customized tours of your bookshelf can include Charles Dickens (250th anniversary of his birth in 2012) and Jane Austen with a touch of Downton Abbey thrown in for good measure. If Murder Mystery is more your thing, use four detectives as the basis for this experience with Hercule Poirot on the English Riviera (aka Torquay and for many years the home of Agatha Christie, the Queen of Crime Writers), Inspector Morse in the university city of Oxford, Inspector Barnaby in Midsomer Murders Country in neighboring Buckinghamshire and back in London, who else but Sherlock Holmes."  Shin kicking at Robert Dover's Olimpick Games. Photo: Paull Tickner "Stately homes, castles and gardens may top your must see list and in addition to the Chelsea Flower Show (late May), spare a thought for the amazing gardens in Cornwall, arguably at their best in March to early May. If you're busy in your own garden during the spring, make the Hampton Court Flower Show in early July the star attraction and gather ye rosebuds while ye may." "The UK and Ireland are habit forming destinations. Once bitten, you'll be forever smitten which explains why so many of you travel time after time to our very welcoming, green and pleasant land." Many thanks to Paull for providing this fascinating and helpful account of unique travel opportunities in the UK and Ireland. |
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IMPORTANT: When booking, ask us for the appropriate supplier brochure for complete details and terms and conditions for your vacations and as well inquire about any possible past guest savings. Offers are space available and may be withdrawn at anytime without prior notice and are not combinable with other offers (unless stated otherwise). All prices, details and offers are subject to change. We are not responsible for errors or omissions. Articles by Susan Milne |
 Volume 5, Issue 3 |