We spent the morning exploring Dublin on foot. The tourist
part of the city is not big at all, so it’s easy to see on foot in very little
time. Our first stop was Trinity College, to see the famous Book of Kells—an
illuminated Gospel hand-written and –drawn in Ireland around 800—and the
Trinity College Library.
The Book of Kells has unbelievably intricate illustrations,
featuring the biblical figures and decorated letters typical of illuminated
religious texts, but with lots of Celtic touches like intricate knots. Some of
the images are so finely detailed that the academics in charge think they must
have had some kind of magnification device, but we don’t know what they would
have used since they didn’t have lenses back then. We think.
An illumnated page from the book. This is about 18 inches by 12 inches.
Same page, zoomed in. Look how complicated!! (Both museum pictures)
The Old Library, built in 1592, is the kind of beautiful
high-ceilinged wooden room that most bookworms see in their dreams. It
functions as the Library of Congress for Ireland, and also as a repository and
curating facility for old and valuable books. They had a number of very cool
displays about the importance and process of book preservation. I have to
admit, it made me want to change degrees…I think it’s a little too late.
Heaven.
We also went to the National Museum of Ireland, which was
full of the incredible treasures people have found buried or hidden in bushes
over the years. Ireland has been occupied by humans since about 8000 BC (more
than 10,000 years ago!), so a lot of this stuff redefines ancient.
Caches—collections of ancient objects found or dug up by normal people—range
from well-preserved tools, cauldrons, and even mummified people pulled from
peat bogs to enormous finds of prehistoric gold jewelry and coins.
I want to move there and just dig holes all the time (official museum picture).
Again, the museum featured Celtic knot-type artwork done by
monks, but this time it was metal- or enamelwork on religious artifacts or
jewelry. If the Book of Kells made scholars think they must have had
magnification, this stuff is even more intricate. Half the time, we didn’t even
realize the level of detail until we looked at the enormously magnified images
of the objects displayed next to them. Apparently, it was a work of devotion
and a monk would spend his entire life decorating one crucifix. The results are
unbelievable.
This doesn't do it justice. I need infinite zoom or something (official museum picture).
After checking out the rest of Dublin’s highlights and
grabbing some lunch, we got on the highway and drove all the way across Ireland
to the west coast city of Galway. Again our hostel was amazing, and again we
headed out to do some sightseeing before dark, when we had dinner at a pub and
explored the High Street area. Galway is more industrial than Dublin, and we
really enjoyed being right on the water.
Galway! (not my picture)
The next morning we finished our sightseeing and drove north
along the coast to the airport in Knock. We didn’t have time to drive the
outermost coastal road so we took the inland scenic route, which was probably
the most beautiful part of a very very beautiful country. We were all alone on
narrow roads driving through sheep fields (fun fact: in the spring, farmers tie
bags of colored chalk to the chests of the rams, and they can tell which ewes
should be pregnant over the winter by the chalk transferred onto their backs!
Lots of red-backed sheep out there…), mountains—including the one St. Patrick
delivered a famous sermon from—and really wonderful dark and windswept lakes.
If I ever decide that I have to go somewhere to be meditative or something,
this is where I’m going!
Seriously, this whole country is too beautiful to be real. Not my picture, thanks google!
We flew back to England, spent one night and flew back home
to Switzerland and California respectively. It was an awesome trip, and I’m so
glad I got to see my sister! When I got home, Martin and I spent the weekend
hiking near Liechtenstein and watching his brother be awesome at beach
volleyball.
This one actually is my picture! Alpine hut in Switzerland near Liechtenstein. 
All of Liechtenstein is in this picture. It's everything on the far side of the river, up to the ridge of the far mountain. On the right, it's until the river meets the mountain. On the left it's a little harder to see. The near side of the river is Switzerland, and the far left of the picture is Austria. 
Martin on the trail!
View down the other side (into Appenzellerland) from the summit! It's good to be home :)
Love Katie
No comments:
Post a Comment