First of all, I signed up for a tour to the Wren Library in Trinity College. Trinity College is one of the richest colleges in Cambridge and it's beautiful. We got a little tour of the college before we got to the library.
The Wren library has some great exhibits--my favorite? An original manuscript by A.A. Milne (he attended Trinity College) of Winnie the Pooh!
It was lying open in a display case, right next to the open published copy. So amazing. I read the manuscript in Milne's scrawling cursive. It was open to where Owl is writing "A Very Happy Birthday with love from Pooh": HIPY PAPY BTHUTHDTH THUTHDA BTHUTHDY.
Talk about childhood nostalgia.
There was also an exhibit on Isaac Newton (a fellow of Trinity College) that included his famous letter with a picture showing the apple dropping, his walking stick, and a lock of his hair. Also, a first edition copy of his book Principia. It was very cool. As was the 8th century copy of the Pauline epistles, one of Shakespeare's first folios--and the many other books/manuscripts.
Another highlight of the day--I went to an old used books shop in Cambridge. I bought three books, all by British authors: an 1966 edition of The Hobbit, a 1946 edition of The Screwtape Letters (first published in 1942), and a [beautiful] 1964 edition of Wuthering Heights. They will be fun to read and reread...and I can already see them looking just great on my bookshelf. There were so many books there that I wanted to buy. Like...that great set of Charles Dickens. Or Jane Austin. That first edition copy of A Christmas Carol. Someday.
(i also splurged and bought two dresses. european dresses are a 100x classier than american dresses. really. they're not indecent and they still manage to look attractive, flattering, and trendy [or vintage]. yeah. at least that's what i keep telling myself)
It's simultaneously creepy and awesome that they have Newton's hair on display. I'm going tomorrow. Your post pumped me up!
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