I Love Libraries

I love libraries, I really do. I love the soft papery smell and the dense organization and the anticipation of discovering a new favorite book. I love the decadent combination of quiet, solitary engrossment within a literary community.  

Libraries have always been part of my life. As a child, I was a voracious (and rather incorrigible) reader. I spent long hours at the Sweet Home Public Library, not just reading or borrowing books, but also participating in kid-focused activities hosted by the library, especially in the summer. I developed a strong friendship with the head librarian; she didn't even bat an eye when I asked if she wanted to see my newly-aquired handstand skills (I was an *active* reader). There was a great encouragement of literacy from both my parents and my community, and a request to be taken to the library was almost never turned down.

During my years at Miss Porter's School, when the old library on Main Street was still in use, I sought the quiet solitude of its aged nooks and crannies as a respite from the all-pervasive company that was part of boarding school life. I grew to know the floor of the Lewis and Clark library quite well, studying until my eyes fluttered and then curling up under a desk (oh, and there was a reasonable extensive collection of books at the college library as well).

We have discovered some incredible new libraries during the course of our world journey. Some new favorites include the Chester Beatty Library in Dublin, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Egypt, and the Trinity College Library in Dublin. Edinburgh has a series of fantastic libraries, including a Map Library. On our final day in Edinburgh we stopped by, hoping to find some original maps done by my cartographer ancestor, John Ogilby.

And I found them! The first was a brilliant "pocket atlas" that charted roads in and out of London using a new and unique strip map technique. I was stunned to realize that the excentric archivist was actually going to let these untrained and potentially grubby paws touch an old and original book, regardless of whether I was a direct descendent. But he did, even though I refused his proposed trade (old map for a dance in the middle of a library, sans music? It begs the question: from where do you glean your knowledge of American women, do you only watch Dancing with the Stars?).

And so I leafed through an incredibly old pocket atlas that contained original prints from copper plates by John Ogilby. And these maps were beautiful and exceptional and rather remarkable. The 'strip maps,' presented within a scroll design, consist of vertical panels that illustrate a road mile by mile. Intricately detailed images embedded in the map (rivers, mountains, mills, churchs, etc) give landmarks that direct the traveler along the correct course. A small compass is also included to indicate the cardinal direction of travel.

These maps were originally published in John Ogilby's "Britannia," in 1675, as the Kings Royal Cosmographer. While at the Edinburgh Map Library, I got my hands on an original printing of Britannia; the content was estentially the same, but with larger maps and accompanying text. I was able to get a fascimile of one of the maps, and will be able to order the rest via mail.

I don't want to say that I was disinterested in my family history before this journey to Scotland, but the connections I encountered have deepened my geneological interest. The Ogilbys are pretty cool.

Certain elements of Scottish culture and traditions resonated with me and recalled pieces of my family and my childhood. When we were children, my grandmother frequently gifted kilts to my sister and me (please note that these were the properly pleated and sufficiently scratchy versions). The song about "Loch Lomond" unburied itself from my memory and has since refused to depart; does everyone know this song?

Turns out that my Scottish blood is thicker than I realized.

Images of fantastic libraries (and many other themes) from around the world can be found at Curious Expeditions.

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Reflections: Honey Service Year Minus Day One and Still Counting

We are on the flight home.

When this blog is published we will begin Phase 1: 'Honey Service Year: Day Minus One and Counting.'

We are committed to service, exchange, responsibility and the types of footprint which tread softer on this planet. We have learned much and intend to keep this blog alive. We are just as committed, more.

Who knows though, what awaits us as we return to life as normal.

Here is what our last Day in Dublin looked like:

1.) Walks and riding the public bus
2.) Gallery walks and interactions with public art lovers
3) Buying consumable (ie food) local gifts as we could find them
4.) Free Guns and Roses concert on the River (surreal - cover act)
5.) Promoting forms of positive impact tourism
6.) Historic pub trail
7) Better understanding of Quantum Mechanics and Collective Interest Economics

If we take our own last day on this trip then trace it backwards as a lesson, as a tale of ourselves, at the end of the trail we find ourselves searching, accomplishing, finding; what we are; what we find in our humanity - what we find in others. That is, in the end, what we sought. A final reflection of what we sought and how we learned meant for us rekindling a message we continuously promoted this year - that we all seek the same things; and, how we are but reflections of our own best selves seen in the optics of others.

Until we meet again - goodbye dear Ireland!!

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Liberation, Theology, Democracy, and Abolitionism: Shared History US/Ireland

The Irish history is very rich. Ireland and the United States share hudreds of years of history together.

I am particularly impresed by learning here of the depth to which our histories are shared. Between Ireland and the Americas there are so many ways in which we nurtured democracy, decency, theology of humanism and liberation. We have literally grown up together.

Everywhere we go in Dublin, we find information about the struggle for human rights here. More often than not we can find ties between Ireland and the United States. Whether it is a history of our early great civil rights leaders (from Frederick Douglass's visit to Ireland or the importance of O'Connell to American abolitionists.

We are in Ireland. In this lovely city, Dublin, one is surrounded by rich histories of writers and revolution. Yet, somehow, it is a city of long-endearing oppression, repression, and human degradation.

What can be said about our mirror societies? What lessons can be learned about the benefits we have to give the world from our suffering? What can we do to prove a viable and gentler future is near? Both countries have important roles in development of our modern ideas on human liberation, theology, democracy, and abolitionism (equality). Yet, we suffer much injustice and inequity.

After a very short visit to Ireland, it is clear to me that our solutions are very close indeed.

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London, Edinburgh, and Dublin are FREE

Oh what a delight it is to realize one's worry and travel expectations rise to frenetic and paranoid levels only to be relieved to discover the opposite is true: London, Edinburgh, and Dublin are FREE!! We spent months worrying about our time in Europe. A friend, Andy H., had smartly told us that we had a great beginning to our itinerary, 'You are smart to begin with Tokyo, Shanghai, China and Hong Hong,' he said, because if you start with the more expensive countries it makes it much easier to enjoy your travel. Everything seems to always get cheaper.'

While it is true that after India, entering Africa, the prices started to tick up; the transition from Ethiopia, to Ghana/Togo, and then Egypt was acceptable, a mild expenditure curve. The curve got steeper traveling from Turkey through the Balkans into Europe (however, we had a brief but very scary insight in Greek southern Cyprus - and thus were prepared. Again, between Italy, France, Spain and Morocco the prices seemed to by consistently high and arbitrarily excessive at times. But, as our readers know from previous blogs, we found wonderfully inexpensive ways to thoroughly enjoy such exquisitely costly locales as Barcelona and Paris. Thus we had a sense of confidence crossing the channel.

London (the British Pound) is quite expensive. But, all of its National Museums are free. I cannot begin to cover all the other great aspects of London which are free but save it to say that between very reasonable theater tickets, the Oyster Card transfer option on buses (maximum £3.50 per day usage charge), the Globe Shakespeare Theater and the numerous local performing acts daily across the city; there is no reason to avoid London because of costs.

It is expensive to buy food, and even more expensive to eat out. If you make friends, use social networking (sites like couchsurfing.com or hospitality club are great for finding hosts really interested in meeting travelers - or if you find camping or cheap hostels), once you get past the daily costs of housing the rest can be very same, close to home. We will definitely consider house-swaps the next time we visit Europe so that we can both stay in one place a while and share our own empty place back home with someone who can enjoy it (and water the plants).

We have written numerous times about how our best experiences of nine months of world travel are those that are free (friendships, public space, sharing meals, and attending public museums, libraries, parks, graveyards and the like always bring us heightened joy). There is a corollary side effect to this philosophy - when people are not paying for activities they take them more lightly. People want to get there money's worth even if they are disinterested! Those who are paying for special exhibits in museums, for example, try and nurse every minute out of the painting and clog the view points (we saw a Turner exhibit at the Prado that was hard top enjoy - whereas the whole Turner wing at the Tate Britain in London was nearly looked over by passersby.

Dublin, like Edinburgh and London just before it, for us has been an utter delight because we wander in and out of public space, museums, libraries, graveyards and the like unencumbered. There is a nice flow. IT is not so crowded as London. Certainly not nearly as crowded as Edinburgh during its myriad of simultaneous festivals happening in August (Fringe, International, Literature, and Tattoo just to name a few). Some of our own favorite finds here have been the campus of Trinity College, the Pub near us in continuous service from 998, Glasnevin graveyard (a graveyard containing many dead including over 1 million plague victims, the museum is modern and disneyesque - to be skipped) and Chester Beatty Library next to Dublin Castle. The Beatty library is easily one of the best overviews for understanding the worlds major religions that we have come across in nine months.

Both of us felt that if our round-the-world adventure through lands of Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Dadaism, Maoism, Jainism, Confucianism and more had been informed early on the trip by this museum it would have been a lot easier to feel that we had some fundamental understanding both of the culture and the morays. Dadaism and Maoism I added. Just wanted to see if you were paying attention. In the graveyard there are much more simplistic examples of the world's religions including Scientology and humanism but I find Dadaism and Maoism just as poignant.

We entered Dublin knowing it's rated by travelers as Europe's most expensive city. Having passed through Monaco, Nice, Venice this seemed really scary. It's as expensive as you make it.

Enjoy Dublin, it is almost free.

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