82 November 4 2010LIFE STYLE

THURSDAY FRIDAY

SATURDAY SUNDAY

11°

MONDAY

13

TUESDAY

12°

WEDNESDAY

11°

WEATHER

HIGH TIDE IN GALWAYThursday November 4 02.59 15.16Friday November 5 03.44 16.03Saturday November 6 04.26 16.46Sunday November 7 05.09 17.31Monday November 8 05.51 18.16Tuesday November 9 06.34 19.03Wednesday November 10 07.19 19.50Thursday November 11 08.07 20.42

PHASES OF THE MOONSaturday November 6 — new moon.

10° 11°

BREAK-AWAYTRAVEL WITH UNA SINNOTT

11°

Galway

Tuam

Gort

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BY MARTINA NEE

With the perfect blend ofculture, historic cobbledstreets, friendlyhospitality, greatgastronomic experiences,and of course high-endshopping, the city of Leedsin Yorkshire is a real gemand certainly one thatshould be considered foryour next weekend breakaway.

When planning a shortcity break it is importantto be able to get there andback without any hassle orprecious time wasted, soflying out of Ireland WestAirport Knock, Co Mayo, isthe obvious choice, withRyanair flights getting youto Leeds BradfordInternational Airport injust over an hour. It doesnot get more convenientthan that.

I stayed at the City Innwhich is situated in therevitalised Granary Wharfarea. Clean, contemporary,and courteous, are wordswhich instantly spring tomind as soon as you walkinto the hotel’s lobby. Thestaff here are extremelyfriendly and helpful andthe rooms are quitespacious with a verymodern feeling while stillbeing relaxing. There is noproblem with comfort hereas the beds are wonderful,the walls sound-proofed,and the power showers arefantastic. The stay getseven better with thescrumptious and variedbreakfasts that are served.You would nearly not wantto leave but there is far toomuch to discover in thecity.

One of the main featuresof Leeds is the amazingshopping. There are ofcourse plenty of the high-street stores you willrecognise in an areaknown as Briggate but a

closer look will reveal ahuge number of treasuretroves located in beautifulVictorian style arcadeswhere you can get lost inshopping heaven forhours. However I tried notto take too long as theVictoria Quarter wascalling my name. If youwant to splash some cashon threads then here is theplace to do it where storessuch as Harvey Nichols,All Saints, VivienneWestwood, Mulberry,Jigsaw, Diesel, Firetrap,and Molton Brown can befound. The structure ofthis shopping centre,

known as the‘Knightsbridge of thenorth’, is extremelyimpressive where anumber of buildings, morethan 100 years ago, havebeen cleverly connected byan expansive glass roof.When the feet eventuallydo get tired there areplenty of little cafes tohave a coffee and do somepeople watching.Alternatively, just minutes

down the road you willfind the Cosmopolitanwhere you can delight in awonderful two courselunch which will not breakthe bank.

Of course if you fancy anevening meal then CasaMia Millennium atMillennium Square comeshighly recommended. Thisis a lovely Italianrestaurant where I had thebest bruschetta andcarbonara pasta - I’mreally picky about these.The pizzas and other pastadishes ordered by myfellow diners lookeddelicious too. You willundoubtedly find the finestIndian food at the awardwinning Bird by Vineetrestaurant located in theAlea Casino at ClarenceDock. Now I know you arethinking, ‘casino?’ butseriously this is aglamorous hang out whereyou can have a flutter, eat adelicious tikka masala (thebest I have ever had), anddrink a cocktail or two.

But there is more to thiscity than just shopping anddining. A trip down toLeeds University will bringyou to the Marks in TimeExhibition. Surprisingly Ifound this exhibition,about the role Marks &Spencer has played in

peoples’ lives for 125 years,to be very interesting andit really makes you realisehow the store has affectedthe fabric of modern livingfrom the clothes we wearto the food we eat. Cravinga bit of culture and history,well, there is loads to keepyou occupied. If time isshort and money is tightthen a great way to see thecity’s heritage is the LeedsOwl Trail. This guides youon a hunt for the LeedsOwl which features onmany buildings andlocations of historicinterest. Many hours ofdiscovery can be spent atthe Leeds Art Gallerywhich features anintroduction of the last twocenturies of Britishmodern and contemporary

art, and it is free to enter.Also adhering with theLeeds ethos of keeping artfree is the Henry MooreInstitute which is the UK’sonly library devoted to thestudy of sculpture. Othermust sees include theYorkshire Sculpture Park,a fine blend of art and lushgreenery, and HarewoodHouse, an 18th centurycountryhouse set in aglorious landscape.

Finally after all that it isimportant to take a weebreather and unwind witha good auld pint or glass ofwine. There are plenty ofgreat pubs and nightlifevenues to choose from inLeeds.

If you fancy a trip toLeeds then moreinformation can be foundby logging ontowww.leedsliveitloveit.com,www.marketingleeds.com,o rwww.leedslovesshopping.com. City Innaccommodation can befound on www.cityinn.comand for direct, convenient,and low-priced flights go towww.irelandwestairport.com

A city that Leeds the way in weekend breaks

City Inn.

Alea Casino at Clarence Dock.

Leeds Art Gallery.ww

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