Summer in Dublin

Had a brilliant weekend, particularly today. I took the children to see the tall ships which had anchored on the quays for the Docklands Festival. We set out very early and managed to visit the biggest of the tall ships, the Prince William, before the long queues started. It was a bit chilly in the morning, but then it really brightened up. Cillian and Tess were really good because the Prince William was moored on Sir John Rogersons Quay (I think) which is on the Southside. But all of the other ships and activities were on the North side of the river. And since the new footbridge isn't open yet, we had to walk all the way down to Talbot Bridge, cross there and walk up all the way again. There were foodstalls, jewellery and other stalls, a climbing wall for children and free face painting. Cillian got himself painted as a Sea Captain and Tess got a glittery butterfly... And then we had to trek all the way back to Fitzwilliam Square, so that was a bit of a walk at the end of which we literally collapsed in our garden in the shade.
Vasco was busy re-cementing the wall, so the children helped with that for a while. And then we set out to Blackrock to visit Sean again. The children had great fun in the garden, splashing in the paddling pool. And I got sunburnt on my arms. Yeesssssssss, such is the summer weather in Dublin at the moment that you get sunburnt. We had tea and cake and I had the pleasure of holding my new little niece, Iseult, who is very sweet and nice ;-)
The day ended with a bag of chips eaten on the canal bank beside Paddy Kavanagh in the shade...