Wednesday, November 21, 2018

BLACK FRIDAY SPECIAL



*** BLACK FRIDAY SPECIAL ***
30% Off Private Barge Charters


Black Friday Special Offers

Valid on the vessels and dates below: Book between Thursday November 22nd and Tuesday November 27th November 2018 to receive 30% OFF listed charter rates. (Not to be combined with other special offers).



L'Art de Vivre


Departing April 14th 2019
Region - Burgundy
Capacity - 8 Passengers

Panache


Departing March 31st 2019
Region - Holland
Capacity - 12 Passengers




La Belle Epoque
 
 
Departing March 31st 2019
Region - Northern Burgundy
Capacity - 12 Passengers

Scottish Highlander
 
 
Departing April 14th 2019
Region - Scottish Highlands
Capacity - 8 Passengers




Anjodi
 
 
Departing April 28th 2019
Region - Canal du Midi
Capacity - 8 Passengers





Paradise Connections represents luxury hotel barges along various European waterways where attentive crew will pamper you with personalized service to ensure your enjoyment of this unique vacation.





Contact Paradise Connections to book your barge trip
Visit our website for more info on our barges and barging: www.BargeCharters.com
 



Sunday, November 18, 2018

Happy Thanksgiving from Irish Barge Shannon Princess

Happy Thanksgiving

The Irish Hotel Barge Shannon Princess (and Paradise Connections, too) would like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.

We would like to thank Ruairi and Olivia for this interesting and informative article on harvest time in Ireland.


from the Irish Hotel Barge Shannon Princess...

Irish Hotel Barge Shannon Princess - Barging cruises in Ireland

With Thanksgiving being this week, it got us thinking about the origins of harvest festivals and how the celebrations included ceremonies, family get togethers, games and food, a lot like today. In Ireland, the pre-Christian traditional harvest festival was known as Lughnasadh (pronounced loo-na-suh), named after the god of craftsmanship, Lugh. Of pagan origin, it marked the start of the harvest season, some time in August.

One of the few harvest celebrations to have remained to date, with links to Lughnasadh, is the Puck Fair in Co. Kerry. A tradition stretching back 400 years, it is a 3-day festival of storytelling, traditional music, horse fairs, street traders and a mountain goat is crowned King.  The itinerary includes lots of family fun such as puppet shows and face painting.


Harvest festivals – it's all about the food

From late Summer into Autumn, berries are in abundance and can be picked to make home made jams and preserves, a practice that is done less and less nowadays. Before the advent of the industrial era, humans relied on what nature provided and a bountiful harvest meant survival for families, unlike today where items are easily found in supermarkets.


Wild garlic, apples & nuts – the sight of nature’s provisions, with all their glorious colours, smells and tastes would have been a time for joy and celebration.

Of course, the most well-known harvest celebration is Thanksgiving in the US. Dating back to the early 17th century, it was originally only celebrated in New England by the pilgrims as a thanks for their first harvest.

Beginning in 1846, Sarah Josepha Hale wrote to five American presidents over 17 years, to advocate Thanksgiving as a national holiday in the American South. President Lincoln established a national holiday in 1863.

Traditional autumnal vegetables such as butternut squash & pumpkin are served with the main star of the show being the humble turkey.  One of the nicest elements to the tradition of Thanksgiving is that it brings families and friends together.


Celebrating food with Shannon Princess

All of the harvest festivals throughout history have their own origins but the one thing they have in common is being thankful for nature’s harvest and commemorating this with a celebration of food.

Here on the Shannon Princess, we like to celebrate the joy of food with our guests, every day of their vacation. Our chef Olivia, brings healthy, organic, homegrown produce to life in a multitude of scrumptious dishes from breakfast time right through to dinner. If you would like to know more, visit our menu pages.

Our classic cruise brings guests to some of Ireland’s most traditional locations. From castles and christian settlements to historical cities such as Galway, there are lots of places to explore when we moor up. Once back on the water, the Irish scenery is beautiful and ever changing as we cruise along the River Shannon – a real feast for the eyes!

Enjoy the mouth-watering food aboard the Shannon Princess

Happy Thanksgiving from all on board the Shannon Princess.

Thank you and Happy Holidays, Olivia & Ruairi...



About The Irish Hotel Barge Shannon Princess

The Irish Hotel Barge Shannon Princess - Cruising the waterways of Ireland


The Irish Hotel Barge Shannon Princess is a very popular barge and they book up quickly. They are almost sold out for the 2019 season. 


Current availability for 2019:
  • July 21-27 : 2 cabins open
  • July 28-August 3 : 5 cabins open - available for either a private charter or a cabin cruise week
  • Aug 4-10 : 4 cabins open
  • Sept 1-7 : 4 cabins open
We are now accepting bookings for the 2020 season.


Shannon Princess

The Shannon Princess has been thoughtfully designed throughout. The barge's inviting interior makes a charming floating living space – a perfect "Home away from home" for guests to enjoy. The welcoming atmosphere is enhanced by Ruairi and Olivia’s love of antiquities, crafts, pottery and art with many works by established and local Irish artists.  On board the barge a friendly & relaxed mood has been created by carefully mixing casual informality with quality service.

The Shannon Princess provides accommodation for up to 10 guests in 5 cabins which can be configured as double or twins, each with ensuite facilities. This barge is owner-operated with a total of five professional crew in attendance.You will be charmed with excellent but friendly service, gorgeous food & wines, and share in a slice of local life and knowledge.







Contact Paradise Connections Yacht Charters to book SHANNON PRINCESS
View Shannon Princess's's online brochure
Visit our website for more info on our barges and barging: www.BargeCharters.com
 


Monday, November 05, 2018

Irish Barge Shannon Princess Shares Brownie Recipe

The Irish Hotel Barge Shannon Princess, turns our attention to a recipe on IrishCentral.com...


Bailey’s Irish Cream Swirl Brownie

A delicious Irish-ified recipe for delectable, boozy brownies.


Ingredients

For the Brownies:
  • 6 ounces sweet baking chocolate (I used semisweet), chopped
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
  • ½  cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½  cup all-purpose flour
  • ½  tsp baking powder
  • ¼  tsp salt
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

For the Swirl:
  • 3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
  • ¼  cup sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tbsp all purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp Bailey’s Irish cream  

For the Glaze:
  • 4 ounces sifted powdered sugar
  • 1 tbsp Bailey’s Irish cream
  • Milk to thin out (amount will vary) 

Method

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter an 8-inch square nonstick baking pan.

Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter in medium bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar and beat until well blended. Beat in egg. Mix in flour, Irish Cream, and vanilla. Set mixture aside.

Stir baking chocolate and butter in a heavy small saucepan over low heat until smooth. Cool slightly. Using an electric mixer, beat sugar and eggs in large bowl until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Mix in flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix in chocolate mixture and extracts. Stir in chocolate chips.

Spread half of chocolate batter (about 1 1/4 cups) in prepared pan. Using a rubber spatula, spread cream cheese mixture over chocolate batter. Spoon remaining chocolate batter over top of cream cheese mixture. Using the tip of a knife, gently swirl through the batter, forming marble design. Bake brownies until tester inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 30 minutes.

Make glaze. Combine powdered sugar and Irish cream. If too thick thin out with milk.

While still warm brush (using a pastry brush) glaze over brownies. Let sit for 15 minutes. Cut into squares.

Enjoy.

There's still a few dates open for 2019.


About The Irish Hotel Barge Shannon Princess


Shannon Princess entering a lock


Shannon Princess

The Shannon Princess has been thoughtfully designed throughout. The barge's inviting interior makes a charming floating living space – a perfect "Home away from home" for guests to enjoy. The welcoming atmosphere is enhanced by Ruairi and Olivia’s love of antiquities, crafts, pottery and art with many works by established and local Irish artists.  On board the barge a friendly & relaxed mood has been created by carefully mixing casual informality with quality service.

The Shannon Princess provides accommodation for up to 10 guests in 5 cabins which can be configured as double or twins, each with ensuite facilities. This barge is owner-operated with a total of five professional crew in attendance.You will be charmed with excellent but friendly service, gorgeous food & wines, and share in a slice of local life and knowledge.






Contact Paradise Connections Yacht Charters to book SHANNON PRINCESS
View Shannon Princess' online brochure
Visit our website for more info on our barges and barging: www.BargeCharters.com