Friday Field Trip: My Deep Dark Secret

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"A black-cloaked monk unlocked the library's door. Ginger steeped with cloves. Shelley caught its scent in the spiciness of the weathered leather-bound pages that surrounded her. The smell reminded her of her father's evening ritual up until the time he needed to use a feeding tube. Her mother continued to brew it for him just the same. And when he had gone, she still set a cup on his bedside table. Shelley remembered watching and breathing in the fragrant and frail wisps of steam rising from it. That was the only time she allowed herself to miss her dad. Her mother mourned him enough for the two of them. She didn't think their house could hold any more grief. She was glad to get away. She scanned the library, desperate to remind herself of how far she was from home." p. 126, Before Ever After
If you promise not to laugh, I'll let you in on my deepest and darkest secret. Pinky swear? Great!
Okay…here it goes.
*whispers*  In sixth grade,  I…um…was president of….*takes a deep breath* …the Library Club.
There. I said it. Phew.

SourceI certainly did not earn any cool points by joining the club. (You wouldn't be wrong if you likened it to Glee, but without the impromptu Lady Gaga song and dance numbers in the hallway.)  But I loved it.  I loved being surrounded by the smell of paper and ink. I loved the cool and quiet sanctuary of its little nooks.  I loved the little clicking sound the date stamp made when I pressed it against the book card.  *Looks around furtively for incoming Slushies*
No Slushie grenade? I love you guys. Thank you for not judging me. Now I don't have to run home and change my shirt before our field trip.

To celebrate my coming clean, today we're taking our little van to some of the most beautiful libraries in the world. Are you ready, Campers?  Follow the red umbrella and remember to keep your voices down, okay?


Strahov Philosophical Hall, Prague

Abbey Library St. Gallen, Switzerland Real Gabinete Portugues De Leitura, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
The Library of the University of Delft, The Netherlands
The Central Public Library in Vancouver, Canada
George Peabody Library, Baltimore, Maryland, USA  Main reading hall of the City Library of Stockholm
Our final stop isn't a actually a library, but I thought it deserved a place on the tour.  Can you guess what it is?
No, it isn't a theater...



....or a museum. It's the Ateneo Grand Splendid
And it's a BOOK STORE.