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Going on the first of feb for the weekend. The way the flights work out i've effectively 2 whole days to see as much as possible. Looking forward to it all the same. Wonder how bad the crowds would be this time of the year at the Vatican, don't want to waste any time queueing for anything.

http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30100-1300308,00.html

Champ, with a raw egg cracked over the top and bate into it.

Hi Lads,

The well travelled among ye might be able to help me out. I'm doing a bit of preliminary research into the family holiday this summer. Basically the travelling party is going to be (hopefully) my wife and 18 month old son, myself, her two sisters and their husbands. So 6 adults and 1 baby. We all get along very well, and have had holidays before, so the whole fighting like cats and dogs shouldn't be an issue

We are looking at hiring out a nice villa somewhere warm, but not roasting hot, in early June (one sister in law is a teacher). The thinking behind a villa is that it would be private, and give us a bit of comfort with the little fella, while at the same time giving the women pool time, and maybe a bit of golf for the lads. Also with the six of us, we should be able to stretch to something nice, but not crazy expensive. We are thinking somewhere along the Algarve in Portugal, or similar to that.

We will probably hire a car as well, but don't want to be driving for hours either.

Requirements:
Nice weather
Nice Villa (very important)
Close enough to restaurants/bars
Things to do in the area (within driving distance) like Golf/Markets/Beach/Parks
Close enough to airport
Direct flights from (ideally) Shannon.
Short enough Flight < 4 hours, so that we don't annoy any pintsofguinnesses in the airplane if the little fella gets narky after 7 hours in a plane or something.


So, have any of ye rented a Villa in Portugal, Spain, South of France, Italy etc etc that would do the job, or have ye heard of friends who did this?

Have used www.jamesvillas.co.uk on a couple of occasions and found them to be fantastic. If you find somewhere you like book the villa, knock off all the other crap like insurance and car hire, and book your own flights and car. Villas were great quality. Most places along the algarve have golf courses but Villamoura is expensive for golf and often you will be asked for a handicap certificate. If you get in round the Alvor area there is a lovely course about 4 miles from there which is excellent but no handicap required. Alvor Lagos area is excellent, olhos g'agua pretty good. Albuferia i didnt think much of, too touristy and plenty of beered up Englanders, out past Lagos heading for Sagres is beautiful but quieter.

All 1/4 finals are on the 20th on the masterplan.Mitchel's wanted to play it this year but I dont think Armoy did.Mitchel's have heard nothing of the 27th and we have tried to find out so we are assuming the 20th at an Antrim venue.

confirmed as Casement Park 2pm 20th Jan.

ballbags that take up 2 or 3 places when getting a fill or petrol/diesel & people who would drive around for a half hour looking a free parking space instead of paying 10 bob for a pay space, is it really worth it lads & ladies???

O Kanes 

Arrving back at the train station car park to find some bastard parked (not in a designated space) with their drivers door 6 inches from my drivers door and having to climb across the passenger seat to get in.

If they are not able to take on the responsibility themselves at this lower level of competition then how the hell do you expect them to play at the higher grade.

Exactly, and better to find out in the middle of January than in the first round of the championship.

I think Bonus will win in Kempton tonight.

I think if Manilou runs in Navan he will win in Lep'town but he won't win his very next race. That yoke Big Zeb is supposed to be a cert but then again....

Manilou for cork 3.05 tomorrow?

I see Iktitaf had to be put down yesterday

Is that the one was a bit like Harchibald (ungenuine has to win on the bit type)

A Board meeting on the night before the All Ireland would be a good idea,

A logical idea alright. Should be a good few about Dublin that weekend.

Only Kerry Mike and Mikey Sheehy can confirm their attendance at this point. The rest of us will have to wait

BIG ZEB (IRE)   6-y-o (1 Jan 2001) b g 
    NOTEPAD 
Trainer: C A Murphy             Owner: Patrick Joseph Redmond 
Breeder: Lyle Buttimer
Oscar(IRE) (16.0f) - Our Siveen (Deep Run(13.4f)) 

     My Notes        Form        Statistics        Entries        Wins        Sales        Charts        Relatives        Quotes       
 
RACE TYPE STARTS WINS 2nds 3rds WIN PRIZE TOTAL PRIZE  BEST TS BEST RPR BHB RATING†

Lifetime Flat Turf  0 0 0 0 £0 £0     
Lifetime All Weather  0 0 0 0 £0 £0   
Lifetime Hurdle  6 1 4 1 £5,603 £15,953 123 135 
Lifetime Chase  0 0 0 0 £0 £0   
Lifetime Stakes  0 0 0 0 £0 £0   
Lifetime All  6 1 4 1 £5,603 £15,953   
                     
VIDEO  DATE  RACE CONDITIONS  WGT  RACE OUTCOME  JOCKEY  OR  TS  RPR

                 
— — 01Dec07 Fai 18Y/Sft  H,11K 11-6 2/12 13L, Catch Me[2/1] 11-9  B J Geraghty —  79  135
— — 27Apr07 Pun 16Gd  NvH,13K 11-12 2/24 3½L, Sizing Europe[4/1J] 11-11  B J Geraghty —  108  126
— — 10Mar07 Fai 16Sft/Hy  MdH,5K 11-12 1/16 12L, Best Malt[3/1] 11-5  B J Geraghty —  123  129
— — 21Oct06 Fai 16Sft/Hy  4-7yNHF,4K 11-7 3/13 7½L, Judge Deed[4/5F] 12-0  D P Fahy —  43  105
— — 18Apr06 Fai 16Gd/Y  5-6yNHF,6K 11-6 2/23 2L, Captain Cee Bee[9/4F] 11-13  D P Fahy —  —  109
— — 05Feb06 Lim 16Sft  5-7yNHF,4K 11-4 2/14 2½L, Clopf[9/4F] 11-8  D P Fahy —  112  112
Videos: "FULL" show full race, "FIN" shows closing stages.



Not entered in anything in the next few days anyway

We had an on-line employee survey done a couple of months ago. I'm sure some of you will be familiar with these. Anyway there are a few questions at the start that determine age range, department, and length of service.
We were brow beaten into doing this confidential survey, no one was interested. Everyone did it after management harping on that we had to do it, and lo and behold the results came back which portray our local management in a very poor light. Now the inquisition has started into who stitched them up. So we gave an honest opinion to HR in a confidential manner and now the shit has started to fly.

bump

cheers gerry

Any advise lads/lassies, never been but have never heard anything but good things. Will be there for 3 nights early feb if i book it but effectively only 2 days to do the sites. Any hotel / restaurant recommendations ?The airport is the Fiumicino which i think is further out than the other one.