TRV_W22_DUBLIN

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www.metrotravel.comMONDAY, 30 MAY 2011

00 travel

What’s inside

The relaxingbaths ofHungary

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Enjoy yourpicnic in

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The ultimaterainforestvacation {page xx}

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we live where you’re going

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ADubliner’s

Dublin

TRAVELMETRO WORLD NEWSMonday, 30 May 2011www.metrotravel.com

The relaxing baths of Hungary {page xx} + Yummy Tunisian eats {page xx}

Enjoy yourPicnic

in style {page 06}

THE ULTIMATERAINFORESTVACATION {page xx}

we live where you’re going

THINKSTOCK.COM

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ADubliner’s

Dublin

www.metrotravel.comMONDAY, 30 MAY 2011

02 travelGET INTO MY CITY: DUBLIN

Been therebefore?Head south on the Dartline to Sandycove andwander along the coast.On a good day it feels likethe Mediterranean. Theview of Dublin bay is fan-tastic. If you really wantto experience it properlytake a dip in ‘the fortyfoot’ diving spot. There isa hardcore of Dublinerswho bathe here all the

year round, even onChristmas Day (and theywill always tell you thatit’s as warm as soup asthey come out). This is ut-terly unfathomable tomost visitors, but the ef-fect of a freezing cold dipis electric! Follow it witha nip of whisky. Whileyou’re out there checkout the Martello Tower,where the first scene ofUlysses is set. There isnow a James Joyce muse-um there.

The best thing aboutliving in Dublin is thepeople. It’s more likea village than a city –

if you head into town you’reliable to bump into half adozen acquaintances and ifyou want to meet up withsomeone you don’t haveschedule it days in advance.The sea breeze and the ever-

changing weather give it abustling, vigorous quality.And there is a robust cheer-fulness that remains despitethe much-vaunted woes ofthe economic downturn.

The Dubliner’s Dublin

Dublin’s main shopping street, Grafton Street

First time?Go to Merrion Square andsee the birthplace ofOscar Wilde in the heartof Georgian Dublin, thentake in our greatest land-scape painter Paul Henryin the National Galleryacross the road (www.na-tionalgallery.ie). Wanderround the corner to theNational Museum ofIreland to see Celtic goldtorcs and unsettling, per-fectly preserved 2000 yrold bogmen (www.muse-um.ie). Then have a pint

and a toasted sandwich inKehoe’s on South Anne St.(www.louisfitzgerald.com/kehoes)

National Gallery

NATIONAL GALLERY

Shopping!The shops aroundGrafton St are the best.Brown Thomas sells allthe top-of-the-range stuff(www.brownthomas.com), Genius around thecorner if you’re a youngand trendy male (or stilltrying to be young andtrendy!) (www.genius.ie).For food shopping thebest place is Fallon andByrne on Exchequer St.it’s a really stylishupmarket deli selling allsorts of delicious delica-cies from all over(www.fallonandbyrne.com)

Fallon and Byrne

EatL’Gueuleton on FadeStreet is my favouriteplace to eat. It doesn’ttake bookings so youhave to queue well in ad-vance. The atmosphereis lively and the food isgreat – try their onionsoup and steak(www.lgueuleton.com).

L’GueuletonSandycove

FÁILTE IRELAND

Stay inI’ve always wanted tostay at the ShelbourneHotel on Stephen’sGreen. This is a Dublinlandmark—featuredlike so much of the City—in Joyce’s “Dubliners.”It’s old-school grand andhouses another greatpub, the Horseshoe bar(www.marriott.co.uk).

Go outThe Stag’s Head is myfavourite pub in Dublin.It’s a great traditional pubwith a long marble barand excellent barmen. It’spacked most nights of theweek with people from allwalks of life, and the nar-row cobbled street outsideis a great place to strike upconversation, or throw an

impromptu street party(www.louisfitzgerald.com/stagshead). Directly acrossthe road is Sweeneys, an-other of my favouritehaunts. It has a DJ mostnights, live reggae andjazz downstairs and anoth-er band upstairs(www.sweeneysdublin.com). For a quieter pint,Neary’s on Chatham St iselegant and comfortable.

Our guide to Dublin is Liam Hourican, an Irish actor, writer and comedian Liam trained as aShakespearean actor and now writes for TV in the UK and Ireland His latest project, “The Last

Security Man,” a comedy about a Belgian security guard working in a Dublin shopping centre(Liam grew up in Brussels), is in the final of RTE Storyland, an online competition for Irish

national TV channel, RTE (www.rte.ie/storyland). LIAM HOURICAN [email protected]

For more informationcheck out www.touris-mireland.com

Shelbourne

www.metrotravel.comMONDAY, 30 MAY 2011

03travelTRAVEL WITH A TWIST: SPAS OF HUNGARY

The embrace of

healing watersIf you’re looking to recharge your batteries on holiday visit Hungary for some seriously restorative

spa action Hungary’s natural source springs are full of healing minerals The spas are historic and beautiful but very reasonably-priced

“Hungary is greatfor serious spaswithout the pricetag.”

Immersing yourself in na-ture on holiday rechargesyour body’s batteries. One ofthe best ways of harnessingnature’s restorative powersis to visit the healing miner-al waters of Hungary's spas.Water beneath Hungary’sCarpathian basin permeatesthe unique geological forma-tion of the rocks, carryingwith it an exceptionalamount of minerals andplenty of water, creatingmore than a thousandsprings in the country. It’swhy the country has a longthermal spa culture datingback to the 16th century.

Here, visiting a spa is nota luxurious indulgence thatinvolves manicures and fa-cials, it’s an essential activi-ty, with healing waters thatcures medical ailments – allat very reasonable prices.

First up, the ‘spring-capi-tal’ of Budapest offers youfive historical baths (and onemore is opening soon after arenovation) and eight otherspas. Two of them are fromthe Turkish era (Király,Rudas), intimate spas withbeautifully-preserved origi-nal interiors. Historic baths,Gellért or Széchenyi, are larg-er but equally elegant, and

offer multiple pools with dif-ferent restorative propertiesand large outdoor areas thatwill help you escape thestress of everyday life.Széchenyi offers a charmingenvironment to relax in, aswell as therapeutic treat-ments including mud bodymasks, massages, water gym-nastics and underwater jetsteams (www.szechenyi-bath.com). (www.budapest-gyogyfurdoi.hu)

Out of town is the hugelypopular resort of Hévíz. Thissmall town near to Lake Bal-aton is built next to a lakewhose waters have a cura-tive effect that was probablyknown by the ancient Ro-mans – it dates back to 16thcentury Turkish invasion.

Nowadays there is a new setof buildings on the lake,with rooms offering treat-ments. They even have abrand of special cosmeticsmade from the mud and wa-ter of the lake. Take a ro-mantic swim between thewater lilies in the healinglake (www.spaheviz.hu).

If you’re feeling adven-turous, visit the city of Ha-jdúszoboszló for thethermal baths and aquapark. Here you can find apool lined with its ownbeach, therapeutic waterpools and a wellness centreall with stunning views ofthe famous HungarianGreat Plain. For the youngand young at heart, there’sthe aqua park, a complex of

pools, themed baths, poolsfor children and the in-evitable waterslides. Thethermal hotel here offersdifferent massages, fromayurvedic to Thai. Most oth-er hotels in the city offer

their own spa and wellnesstreatments (www.hun-garospa.hu).

ZSUZSAPUSKÁSMETRO [email protected]

For more informationcheck out www.hun-gary.com

Széchenyi Bath

BUDAPEST

Walk in Városliget park forthe lake, trees, castle, andbistros including Vagon (aformer railway carriage).

3THINGS

TO DO FORCHEAP

HÉVÍZ

You can take nice bicycle-tours in this region amonggreen and yellow fields oreven to Balaton, the biggestand most popular Hungarianlake.

HAJDÚSZOBOSZLÓ

A spectacular sight, Horto-bágy National Park is thelargest continuous naturalgrassland in Europe, grazedby typical Hungariananimals. (www.hnp.hu).

Quick tipsEATTabáni Terasz is good for lo-cal food and wines. This250-year-old Inn has acharming terrace and a coolinterior to hide you from the

aggressive sunshine. Try ox-tail soup and honey glazedduck steak with pepperedsquash. (€3,6; 14 euro)(www.tabaniterasz.hu)

GO OUTDowntown ‘ruin pubs’ arethe latest trend with

Budapest’s hip crowd, styl-ish temporary bars in aban-doned buildings. Find themmostly in the 7th district inBudapest.(http://ruinpubs.com)

SHOPThe big spa towns have their

own spa-based beauty prod-ucts mostly sold locally. ForHévíz there is Kaviczky(www.kaviczky.hu), and oth-er waters are used in theproducts by Hungarian Ther-mal Cosmetics ltd.(www.thermal-kft.hu). InBudapest try Herbaház(www.herbahaz.hu)

STAYCentral Hotel 21*** offerselegantly-furnishedguestrooms and apartmentsin a small street indowntown Budapest. From€49, www.dominikhotels.hu

Hajdúszoboszló

Morocco isn’t the only North African country whereyou can eat a good couscous Too often eclipsed by thepopularity of its neighbour, Morocco, Tunisia’s cuisine issimple, refined and fragrant.

www.metrotravel.comMONDAY, 30 MAY 2011

04 travelGOURMET TRAVELLER: TUNISIA

“Enjoy the subtleflavours of disheslike couscousinfused with rosewater and pepperedwith sultanas.”

Blessed with a heady combi-nation of North Africanflavours and French and Ital-ian colonial influences,Tunisia offers some of NorthAfrica’s best cuisine. Markets still sell fresh ravioliand cheeses from creamy ri-cotta to the rubbery ‘sicile’cheese, and a ‘tagine’ here ismore like an Italian frittata,rather than the Moroccan-style stew of the same name. The French legacy comes inthe form of excellent bak-eries, walk into one here andthe shelves will be lined withbaguettes and almond crois-sants. Patisseries are often

equipped with a long count-er people lean against drink-ing lemon juice or almond‘orgeat’ syrup, in which theydunk ‘caks’, dried semolinabiscuits. Don’t let the delectableFrench bread stop you tryingthe Tunisian ones. A streetfood classic is the ‘casse-croute’ sandwich (literallymeaning break-crust). Thebread used is ‘hobbstabouna’, dense and flat andshaped like a frisbee. Harissa(chili paste) is spread on thedough as if it was butter andthe inside is filled with salad,pickled vegetables, tuna andtopped with fries. Meals revolve around season-al produce including fish (tu-na, squid, sea bream),vegetables, fruit and legumesused to make spicy stews,couscous and salads. Every meal begins with‘kemia’, a selection of tapas-style dishes including trian-gular filo pastry parcels filledwith potato, parsley, tuna orfried egg, roasted pepper sal-ad ‘slata mechouia’ andmeat, that are passed aroundthe table. No dish is more traditionalthan the couscous and thereis a recipe to fit every occa-sion. The classic version usesseasonal vegetables includ-ing courgettes, carrots, arti-choke and butternut squashwith fish, chicken, lamb or

beef. Spicy chickpea sauce isthe main seasoning. Cous-cous is a basic dish and youwill notice there is often verylittle meat as this is expen-sive to buy in large quanti-ties. The ‘masfouf’ is a richsweet and sour version usual-ly served at weddings; thegrain is been infused withrose water, orange blossomand the meat cooked withcinnamon, almonds and sul-tanas.Ending a meal on a sweetnote is a key part of the foodculture. Mint tea made withfresh leaves is for theTunisians what Earl Grey teais to the British or espresso isto the Italians. Whether forbreakfast alongside quincejam toast, in the afternoonserved with tasted pine nutsor in the evening with thechicha pipe, it’s always timefor tea. It’s usually servedalongside sweets and pastriesmade with semolina, al-monds, dates, pistachios andoozing with honey. Burping after a meal is notonly acceptable, it’s consid-ered a compliment. Yourhosts will often say ‘sahra’ (asort of ‘bless you’) as forthem, it’s a sign that youhave eaten well and are di-gesting all this great food.

MELOUKHIA

This thick dark green stew ismade by marinatingpowdered bush okra leaveswith olive oil then leaving itto simmer with beef and wa-ter for up to eight hours. Itlooks unappetizing but theend result is a deeply rich andfragrant dish. It’s an acquiredtaste but one you must try.

5DISHES TO TRY...WHENYOU’REDINING INTUNISIA

MAKROUD

These diamond-shapedsemolina cakes are stuffedwith chopped dates, deep-fried in honey and coated insesame seeds. Don’t eventhink about what this is do-ing to your blood sugar lev-els and your waistline. Trywith a glass of ‘Thibarine’, lo-cal liquor made from dates.

TUNISIAN SALAD

This simple salad of finely-chopped cucumber, tomatoand onions topped withboiled eggs, olives and tuna,is a side dish to every meal.Once you’re done there willalways be some tomato juiceleft on your plate that tastesamazing scooped up withfresh bread.

COUSCOUS

Classic vegetable couscous isthe national dish of choice. Ifcooked properly, the grainalone can takes hours to pre-pare and every ingredient iscooked separately (the meat,vegetables, grain and sauce)before it is all assembled in apyramid like cone andtopped with fried peppers.

FATIMA FINGERS

As the name suggests, theseare finger-sized filo pastryrolls stuffed with a mix ofegg and ricotta or mashedpotato, tuna and parsley. Asthey have been deep-friedthey taste best sprinkled withlemon juice as this gets rid ofexcess greasiness.

It’s couscous. It’sTunisia. It’s OK to burp.

Relaxed dining in Tunisia

CONTRIBUTED

For more informationcheck out www.bon-jour-tunisie.com

CREATIVECOMMONS-HALALMAMABONJOURTUNISIE

ROMINAMCGUINNESSMETRO WORLD [email protected]

www.metrotravel.comMONDAY, 30 MAY 2011

05travelTOP 5: RAINFOREST ADVENTURES

1COSTA RICA

What: Tiny Costa Rica isone of the most biodiversecountries in the world,home to half a millionspecies. La Amistad Inter-national Park is a UNESCOWorld Heritage Site. Who: Costa Rica is hometo a number of stunningtropical birds, includingthe Great Blue Heron andthe Scarlet Macaw. How: Go where the actionis - the treetops. Get aguided canopy tour by anaerial tram or zipline for amonkey’s eye view of theforest. Keeping visitors offthe ground offers them thebest views and significant-ly reduces their impact onthis fragile ecosystem. www.visitcostarica.com

Holiday in the canopiesDelving into a rainforest is an

insane adventure Spot beautifulbirds, wild animals and exotic flowers in the air—and everywhere

Spotting exotic flora and fauna in the rainforest

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4HAWAII

What: Due to its extremelyvaried climate, one side ofHawaii’s Big Island is almostdesert-like and home tosandy beaches, while the oth-er side contains a lushrainforest that receives morethan 200 inches of rain eachyear. Who: The Big Island boaststhe only zoo in the UnitedStates that is located within arainforest. The Pana’ewa

Rainforest Zoo is worth a visitto see the more than 60species of animals on display,including a very rare whiteBengal Tiger. How: Take a helicopter tourover the Big Island for aerialviews of the rainforest. Thisbird’s eye view will you offeryou a look at the lush greencanopy and the waterfallsand volcanoes dottedthroughout it. Some tour op-erators are beginning to usemore efficient and eco-friendly models ofhelicopters. www.gohawaii.com

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5ECUADOR

What: Just east of the An-des in Ecuador is one ofthe best places to visit theAmazon rainforest. TheAmazon region accountsfor half of the country’sland mass but only five percent of the population. Who: Spot river dolphins,monkeys, parrots, sloths,and macaws here, as wellas exotic plants, including4,500 species of orchid.How: Take a rafting tourdown the Napo River, oneof the Amazon River’slargest tributaries. This isone of the most accessibleways to see the UpperAmazon Basin. www.ecuador.travel

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3EASTERN

AUSTRALIAWhat: Along the GoldenCoast are rainforests asbiodiverse as the GreatBarrier Reef. Who: The DaintreeRainforest in Queenslandis home to birds, insects,reptiles and almost two-thirds of Australia’s butter-fly and bat species.How: Drive between themany World Heritage-list-ed rainforests dotting theEast Coast.www.australia.com

KIRK LEE AEDER

2THAILAND

What: Khao Sok NationalPark provides everything youcould hope for in a rainforest- majestic waterfalls, mysteri-ous caves, convenient walk-ing paths, and some very rareand exoitc flora and fauna. Who: The park is home tothe largest growth of the ex-tremely rare Rafflesia kerrii,the largest flower in theworld. The large red bloomsgive off the stench of rotting

meat to attract flies, buttourists are also drawn to themysterious flower, despitethe five-hour hike to reach it.Although there are almost200 species of birds in thepark, the most excitingwildlife can be found on theforest floor. Wild elephants,leopards, tigers and MalayanSun Bears are just a few ofthe creatures that call KhaoSok National Park home. How: Give an elephant trek atry. Saddle up and let thepachyderms take you acrossland and water right into theheart of their rainforest. www.tourismthailand.org

“Get wild in thejungle.”

If you're looking foradventure on your next holi-day, book time in a rainfor-est. They offer thrills fromwildlife-spotting to zip-liningand white water rafting, allset in some of the most beau-tiful scenery in the world.Each rainforest has uniqueflora and fauna, as well asonce-in-a-lifetimeexperiences to be had.

ELIZABETHWOLFEMETRO WORLD [email protected]

3 FOR SPONTANEOUSPICNICKING

Salt, pepper and spice areessential for flavouring pic-nic food, and this niftygizmo will allow you tobring all three with you inone tidy, waterproof, shock-resistant box. $7/€5, lightmyfire.com

2 LIGHTMYFIRE

SPICEBOX

Stash this colourful coveredknife in your suitcase, andyou’ll be able to peel andcut juicy fruits fresh fromthe farmer’s market of youridyllic holiday village. $12/€8.50, kuhnrikon.com

1 ERGO PARING

KNIVES COLORI

Set up your picnic in stylewith this retro-styled, cow-boy-themed blanket. Oneside is oilcloth, so you’ll staynice and dry even if thegrass is wet. €23/$33, cathkidston.co.uk

METRO WORLD NEWS

3 CATH KIDSTON

PICNIC RUG

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www.metro.xxxxxMONDAY, 30 MAY 2011

06 travelGADGETS: PICNIC ACCESSORIES

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