Right now it is pouring with rain but we are safely back at Matt and Kat’s and about to cook dinner with the help of Mark’s and Spencer’s fancy pre-prepared meals – very impressive and easy. Matt and Kat are out partying tonight – a Google function.
Kat’s learning-through-experience and sage advice “always take an umbrella” proved wise and timely for us today as we wandered about and managed to keep dry!
We have been to Trinity College (university with history from 1592!) where the main event was viewing the Book of Kells – a lavishly decorated illuminated manuscript of the 4 gospels probably from the 9th century – it was great to have a fairly detailed self guided tour which explained some of the finer intricate points! I especially enjoyed this visit from the calligraphy p.o.v. Also walked through the 65m arched long room – a huge library with medieval texts (about 200,000) stacked literally 2 stories high. The long room also contains Ireland’s oldest harp – the “Brian Boru Harp” made of oak and willow with 29 strings – quite a beautiful instrument. The Trinity College Library is a copyright library and has the right, since 1851, to a free copy of every British and Irish publication – now nearly 3 million volumes are housed in 8 buildings.
Matt organised a visit to Google for us – we had lunch with him in their very impressive and free cafeteria! There is no way he will starve at lunchtime – the greater challenge will be continued restraint! It was good to also have a tour of the buildings and to see that he does have a desk at which he can do some work despite all the “toys” that are provided to keep employees happy. He has a great view from his desk of the mountains in the distance – on a nice day of course, and just to the left he can look down on Lansdowne Road Stadium! (currently closed and under going major renovation/reconstruction).
This afternoon we had a quick visit to the National Gallery of Ireland (Irish Art) and then took the DART train south along the coast as far as Greystones. Quite a pretty piece of coastline. We got off at Dun Laoghaire – one of the ports where the ferries leave for England – and enjoyed coffee and a short walk on the breakwater.
Comments
Comment by G&M on 2007-06-22 20:02:54 -0700
Hi – just catching up with your travels again – sounds super. Merv’s Dad was admitted to Whang. hospital on Thursday with pneumonia. Playing the waiting game at present – very unsettling – may have to go back to NZ briefly if he dies. Continue to ‘enjoy’
