"Problems" of a Bibliophile

The other day (I cannot for the life of me remember exactly what day), we had the opportunity to go see the Trinity College Reading Room and go through the Book of Kells exhibit. For a bibliophile with a love of all things medieval, this was exactly what I had been waiting for since we arrived in Dublin. I've been reading about the Reading Room and seeing beautiful photos for years, but getting to experience it myself was something special. I desperately wish that we'd had more time to meander, but alas it was horrendously crowded (The absolute worst. You can't push little old ladies out of your way to see your favorite medieval book and feel good about yourself), and we had a time crunch. Given the choice, I would have stayed there for hours and read every single informational placard, but instead I have a few photos I quickly snapped as I dodged families and tried to learn something at the same time (not an easy task, I assure you).

“In a good bookroom you feel in some mysterious way that you are absorbing the wisdom contained in all the books through your skin, without even opening them.” 

-Mark Twain

“People can lose their lives in libraries. They ought to be warned.” 
―Saul Bellow

“A library is a good place to go when you feel unhappy, for there, in a book, you may find encouragement and comfort. A library is a good place to go when you feel bewildered or undecided, for there, in a book, you may have your question answered. Books are good company, in sad times and happy times, for books are people - people who have managed to stay alive by hiding between the covers of a book.” 

-E.B. White

“Without libraries what have we? We have no past and no future.” 
― Ray Bradbury

“Libraries are reservoirs of strength, grace and wit, reminders of order, calm and continuity, lakes of mental energy, neither warm nor cold, light nor dark.... In any library in the world, I am at home, unselfconscious, still and absorbed. ” 

― Germaine Greer

“Libraries store the energy that fuels the imagination. They open up windows to the world and inspire us to explore and achieve, and contribute to improving our quality of life. Libraries change lives for the better.” 

―Sidney Sheldon

“To build up a library is to create a life. It's never just a random collection of books.”

― Carlos María Domínguez

“This place is a mystery. A sanctuary. Every book, every volume you see, has a soul. The soul of the person who wrote it and the soul of those who read it and lived it and dreamed with it. Every time a book changes hands, every time someone runs his eyes down its pages, its spirit grows and strengthens. In this place, books no longer remembered by anyone, books that are lost in time, live forever, waiting for the day when they will reach a new reader's hands, a new spirit...” 
― Carlos Ruiz Zafón

“Libraries, whether my own or shared with a greater reading public, have always seemed to me pleasantly mad places, and for as long as I can remember I've been seduced by their labyrinthine logic, which suggests that reason (if not art) rules over a cacophonous arrangement of books.” 

―Alberto Manguel

“A library, to modify the famous metaphor of Socrates, should be the delivery room for the birth of ideas - a place where history comes to life.” 

―Norman Cousins

Hopeful Wanderer

What do I have to say about Dublin at the moment? Walking, walking, walking, and more walking. My leg was actually cramping at the play tonight (A Streetcar Named Desire). But I will not lose heart, dear friends, because there is still much to see!

So when your hope's on fire

But you know your desire

Don't hold a glass over the flame

Don't let your heart grow cold

I will call you by name

I will share your road

But hold me fast, hold me fast

'Cause I'm a [hopeful] wanderer

-Mumford & Sons

Dublin: Part 1

Dublin, to say the least, has been a whirlwind. Miles upon miles of walking (I come back to the dorm every night and try to rub the demons out of my feet, but to no avail), and lots of time simply wandering and exploring the city. What could be better? Not much, in my opinion. We have had lots of time to meander on our own, but on the first day, we visited sites all together, which focused on the famine. These few photos include first stop, which was the famine memorial, located on the River Liffey. The last photo is on board the ship, a replica of the Jeanie Johnston, the only ship to never lose a passenger ever during its sixteen voyages, an amazing feat when one considers the conditions and records of other ships during that time period.

I know this is a short post, but there is more to come!

Llandudno, Wales

The journey has officially begun, ladies and gents! We started by heading from Manchester to Llandudno, Wales, which was, of course, beautiful. We got to visit our first medieval castle (Conwy), which was fantastic. We also found a beautiful church when we were wandering around the next morning (pictures to be found at the bottom of the post). And so the adventure begins! More will definitely follow.

"And now, Harry, let us step out into the night and pursue that flighty temptress, adventure."

The End.

Well, folks, it has officially arrived. The end. That's right, ladies and gents. This is probably my last blog post about camp (cue sobbing) for a while. Here's the finale to an incredible summer filled with laughter, joy, and a whole lot of craziness, and a small glimpse into a thoroughly JAM-packed week. 

T H E   E N D .