Long Room of Old Library – Wandering Dawgs

This challenge from Ritva is a topic near and dear to my heart – Books. She asks us for “visual representations that highlight the beauty and allure of books, reflecting the passion of those who are truly bookworms amongst us.”

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” – Dr. Seuss

I’ve been a bookworm ever since I learned to read in elementary school. As I got older I never lost my love of reading or of libraries.

Long Room of the Old Library at Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland

When we visited Dublin, Ireland the first place we went was Trinity College to see the Book of Kells and the Long Room of the Old Library. Being surrounded by all of these beautiful, ancient books was a book lovers dream. I wanted to pick one up and look inside but of course that was not allowed.

My Bookshelves

Our home has a book case in almost every room. They are filled with collections of all kinds of books – novels, cookbooks, travel books, reference books, you name it. There is no rhyme or reason to the way the books are shelved. Even though I love the feel of a book in my hand I mostly read digital books these days.

Three of my favorite pastimes are photography, blogging and reading. When I’m in the middle of a good book everything else gets set aside. I’m in the middle of two books now and I’ve got several books I’m waiting on from the library. Thanks to Anne’s mention of “Travels with Charlie” I just added that one to my must read book list.

Last week I enjoyed seeing all of the creative responses to Anne’s Zooming challenge. I love learning new things and for some of us (like me) it was a new technique that was fun to do. I hope you will join us for Sofia’s challenge on Saturday, June 7 at noon Eastern Standard Time.

Many thanks to Ritva for this challenge Lens-Artists #351 – Books

For information on how to join the Len-Artists challenge please click here.

Like many other travelers to Ireland, our introduction to the country began in Dublin. As we approached the city center on our ride from the airport to the hotel there were pedestrians everywhere and they were not afraid to step out in front of traffic. Our driver told us “In Dublin, jaywalking is a hobby.”

After a good night’s sleep and a full Irish breakfast we were ready to to explore Dublin. Our first stop was Trinity College to see the Book of Kells and the Long Room of the Old Library.

20190502-Day-2-Book-of-Kells-Old-Library-(2) — Book of Kells, Trinity College, Dublin

The Book of Kells is a beautifully handwritten and elaborately decorated book of the four Gospels. The work was done by monks and it is estimated to have been done around the year 800. There are interesting displays describing how it was made and samples of the many illustrations. The book itself is kept under glass in a special room with no photography allowed.

20190502-Day-2-Dublin-Book-of-Kells-Old-Library-Guinness-(21) — Decorated words from the Book of Kells, Trinity College, Dublin

Upstairs from the Book of Kells is the most beautiful library I’ve ever seen. I could have spent all day in the Long Room of the Old Library surrounded by all the old books.

I heard one story that there was a scene in one of the Star Wars movies inspired by this room. I also heard it was the inspiration for the library in Harry Potter.

20190502-Day-2-Dublin-Book-of-Kells-Old-Library-Guinness-(27)-tall — Long Room of Old Library at Trinity College, Dublin

As we strolled through the Trinity College campus we stopped to listen to singers perform. Our wandering continued to the River Liffey where we walked across the Ha’Penny Bridge and back before strolling through the Temple Bar District. Later we toured the Guinness Brewery and enjoyed a pint at their Gravity Bar.

We stopped to listen to the talented singers as we strolled around Trinity College

Ha’Penny Bridge across the River Liffey, Dublin

These locks are placed on the Ha’Penny bridge by lovers. To profess their undying love after placing the lock they throw the key into the River Liffey

Beside the River Liffey, Dublin

Sláinte! My first taste of Guinness at the Gravity Bar at the Guinness Distillery

Dublin is the capital of the Republic of Ireland and Ireland’s largest city. We enjoyed our time there but were anxious to see other parts of Ireland.

After picking up our rental car on the outskirts of town we got lost (the first of several times) before finding the right road to Galway, our home for the next 3 nights. Galway is bigger than I thought it would be but much smaller than Dublin. Our hotel in Galway was located on Eyre Square in the center of town within walking distance of Quay Street and the Latin Quarter. There were many shops, pubs, restaurants, a waterfront, and the Spanish Arch to explore.