Maggie's Birthday!

We woke up to an awesome message from Maggie's class on Facebook today! Thanks Jen Verbrugge for organizing! Maggie LOVED seeing all of her friends back home! She also loved all the messages from Instagram. What a great morning!

The kids were disappointed to go to school today (on this auspicious occasion of Maggie's birthday) but with all the vacation coming up, they just had to go! I laid out the next month and between Julia's visit, my spring break, their spring break and Grandma and Grandpa on their way they only have five days of school between March 8 and April 8.

Wow.

We are heading down to Bray tonight for a nice dinner and some music for Maggie's birthday.


Brey is a little seaside village south of Dublin. In the summer it will be like a little beach town (without the 85 degree weather, but the Irish will take what they can get). Here's a cheesy video about the town's seafront (to the tune of Pachabel's Canon).

In 2010, the Lonely Planet Guide ranked the Harbour Bar in Bray the Best Bar in the World and the Best Off the Beaten Track Bar in the world. We might have to stop for a pint there.

The city has a  mile-long promenade which stretches from the harbour, with its colony of Mute Swans, to Bray Head. Bray Head is a little hill that you can hike to the summit. /The summit is part of the Wicklow Mountains and is a 791 foot hill.

At the top of the head is a concrete cross. Every Good Friday hundreds of local people climb to the top of the head in a Good Friday procession marking the stations of the cross as they go. We might have to try it this year!