The Cliffs of Moher & The Long Library

I recently got the opportunity to travel to Ireland with a long time friend. The whole experience was quite moving,  visiting places made famous by films, authors, and poets.  One such place was the Cliffs of Moher along the Wild Atlantic Way. This western coast of Ireland was stunning and, if I visited again, would be the place I would spend most of my time. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince filmed "the cave" scene here and Princess Bride filmed the "cliffs of insanity" at this location. It was so windy and cold. I am smiling in the picture but I was shivering all over.  If you ever have a chance to visit any part of Ireland I highly recommend traveling along the Wild Atlantic Way. My buddy and I spent 8 hours on a bus that day but it was well worth it. 

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The Long Library at Trinity College may have been the highlight of my trip. It was mesmerizing. The rich woods, low lighting and classic tomes gave an aura of mystique and reverence to the visit. The cool part: It's still a working library. You can get a library card and check out books that will be delivered to you in the reading room at the far end. Some of Harry Potter was also filmed here. Besides a number of original manuscripts located in the Long Library, there was an original Shakespeare collection from the 17th century. Amazing!  If I had more time I would have applied for a library card and spent my whole trip here. :-) The books are only ordered as they came in. Largest books on the bottom, smallest on the top. It was fascinating. I was in such awe for this library that I felt a bit protective and  scolded some tourists for using their flash. Ooops. :-)  I just didn't want the books to be damaged. If you can definitely check out the Long Library.  Cheers!