Visit Trim this Easter

My dear fellow expats,

Easter is here at last! For me Easter has always been the entrance door to spring time - I don't really feel that winter is over until I eat a couple of Easter eggs and a couple of  hot cross buns....

This winter has been quite mild weatherwise, but my kids are really looking forward to going on a couple of one day trips outside Dublin and enjoying the fresh (and still very cold) air, the longer days and the wild beauty of Ireland in spring/summer time.

We've decided that we're staying in Dublin these days, but we will for sure move around so we can have that fantastic feeling of being on holidays... in order to achieve that, our first stop will be the town of TRIM.




Trim is a town located in county Meath, on the bank of river Boyne. It's best known because it's home to Western Europe's largest Norman Castle, King John's castle, which was built in the late 12th century following the Norman invasion of ireland's eastern seaboard.

The castle is fantastic. It was here where famous film Braveheart, directed by and starring Mel Gibson, was filmed back in 1995.

At any time of the year, the town is perfect for a morning walk (after a fantastic breakfast in the coffee shop of the Trim Castle Hotel - I strongly recommend the home made scones!). But since 2010, Trim is specially attractive during Easter weekend, because of the celebration of the HOT AIR BALLOON FIESTA:

From From April 7-9, in the Porchfield beside Trim Castle, we will all be able to enjoy the magic of  quite a number Hot Air Ballons from all around the world!

But not only we'll be able to see the magnificent balloons: there are a number of activities that have been scheduled for people of all ages during the three days that this fiesta will last.

I've been going through the event web and here are the different time tables:

A) Activities for kids:

B) Adventure activities:

c) Night Glow - the event starts at 21:45h on Sat 7th. I know it may be a bit too late for some of your kids, but it really is promising. See the video that the organisation has uploaded to Youtube:

and this is the time schedule for this activity:

D) Last, but not least, the artisan market:

I considered this is a festival not to be missed (weather permitting, of course). We will be there! And hope to make lots of pictures and share them with you all soon.

In the meantime, enjoy the pictures that were taken during the 2010 festival: amaaaaaazing :-)