Thursday, March 26, 2009

Postcard Friendship Friday

Since Marie's PFF entry today is featuring a look at mailboxes of Dublin, I think I will follow her lead and write about another unforgettable Dublin sight.

In 1998 the stars aligned and I was blessed to take a trip to Ireland with a fun group of people who became lasting friends. As part of our stay in Dublin we went on a tour of the city with a guide. The tour ended at Trinity College Dublin which was founded in 1592 by Elizabeth I. Only Protestants were allowed to attend school here for nearly three centuries. Catholics were barred.


Trinity College is home to the Book of Kells, which is an illustrated manuscript dating to 800 AD. Irish monks copied and decorated the text which is the four Christian gospels. They wrote on calfskin using black, red, yellow and purple ink.

I admit I was completely ignorant of all we would see that day. We left the room containing the Book of Kells by entering the Treasury, walking up a creaky set of steep stairs into a small hallway type anteroom and then we stepped through a door into the most magnificent library I've ever been in. It honesty took my breath away.

This two story room with an immense barrel vaulted ceiling is known as the Old Library. It contains 200,000 of the Library's oldest books.

Imagine being a life-long bibliophile and finding this scene before you.

This is the back of the 1st postcard showing Trinity College. I can't remember, but I imagine it has postage on it because I meant to send it to either Rachel or TJ, whom I had left at home with their older brother and their dad. I tried to mail them each a postcard every day detailing some aspect of the trip that I thought would interest them.

On this 1st trip of mine, I was given good advice by a more seasoned traveler. She said I should buy postcards of everything I enjoyed seeing....because you never know if your pictures will turn out good or not. Of course this trip was before the use of digital cameras with instant picture viewing became widespread. I have her advice to thank for these postcards I share with you today.

Happy PFF!

27 comments:

  1. Those are all wonderful postcards of Dublin, Stevie.
    Trinity College and the Old Library took my breath away when I first saw it! So much more in Ireland did the same thing too. I felt so at home there.
    Even with a digital camera I still buy postcards for myself to save on every trip I take.

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  2. Oh to be locked inside that library for a month or two!! I would need nothing but pots of tea and shortbread. Heaven.

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  3. Merci merci for these beautiful pcards carissima. Dublin is in my wish list, hope one day soon. And library? Since the discovery of hyper connected world, I nearly forgot going to library. I'm member for a few book clubs here.
    TGIF. Have a blessed Friday~

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  4. This is truly spellbinding! I feel like I'm walking through the hallowed halls with you! That is so touching that you sent a daily postcard recounting you adventures. Is the accent there as utterly hunky as I imagine?

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  5. This post is special to me as anything about/from Ireland is.;) I believe that there is an animated film opening, or has opened in cinemas, that is about the Book of Kells.
    That Irish stamp reminds me of the fact that there should a little something in my mailbox today.;)
    Happy Friday to you.;))

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  6. Oh My, that library is magnificent. I bet you felt like you were in a sacred place with all those precious old books.

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  7. As I was born in Dublin, I'm finding the Irish theme quite nostalgic. Time I went back for another visit I think.

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  8. Good morning! Happy PFF! When I scrolled down and saw the library books, my computer started singing like angels! ha ha I lurve me some books, oh I could just have a vacation in there! What a wonderful memory you made too. Postcards are even better when they have the personal memories to go with them. Love it! Have a great day my friend! :)

    BTW, I sent you an email this morning, I hope you've gotten it. If not let me know.

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  9. This was a very nice post, Stevie. I sighed and thought, "Some day...some day..."

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  10. What a lovely post. I went to Dublin in '96 and fell in love.

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  11. Wonderful post! The library took my breath away too - and I've only just seen it on your postcard. A trip to Ireland! How lovely that must have been!

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  12. Ooh! I was there on my honeymoon in '94. I can still feel the cobbles of the courtyard under my feet!

    Kat

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  13. P.S. It was just around the corner pretty much, where we got our wedding bands.

    Kat

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  15. The library is gorgeous and grand. I love the wood and the arches and the long vista.

    Why can't our modern libraries be beautiful (I am thinking of the one at my university). It is as if beauty has stopped being a consideration in constructing buildings.

    As a fellow bibliophile, I can empathize with the way seeing this this must have made you feel.

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  16. I love that bird stamp on the back of the postcard! :)

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  17. It would be nice if the cards you mailed were saved too.

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  18. Have a great weekend....and keep on doodling! Strider

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  19. Beautiful images... I'm especially fond of that Enchanting~looking Library... I was amazed... Thanks very much for sharing...
    ~blessings~
    Pearl

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  20. I've spent alot of time in Ireland but all on the west coast. Missed Dublin completely and now I regret it - these pictures are wonderful.

    I'm going to pick up that book about the Bennett sister, sounds so interesting. Love stories of the ones left behind...

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  21. Thanks for sharing this info about Dublin. The Irish made a priceless contribution to mankind by maintaining much of Western culture throughout the Dark Ages.
    Evelyn in Montreal

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  22. Absolutely beautiful cards! I've always wanted to go to Ireland, being genealogy obsessed, of course! I've enjoyed your blog. Come by and visit me at Genealogy Traces sometime.
    Have a wonderful weekend.

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  23. oh i love that library! and the postcards are great as well!

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  24. The photographs of the Old Library are particularly beautiful. I love the second library photo with the wooden ceilings and the railings in silhoette.

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  25. The library is so beautiful.
    I willing to spend 1 week in there if I have chance to do so.

    I love to buy postcard (is a must) whenever i travel.

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