Trinity College Dublin

It was wonderful to be back at Trinity College - they finally reopened their doors to the public on the 22nd of October. And we had to make the most of it, while we can. I get the feeling we will be back to 5km before we know it, if things keep escalating.

It was a grey afternoon, with a few light showers, and people stopped by to say hello or look at my sketch. So I never really got in the zone. But hey, I showed up. I sketched. Good enough for me!

What I really wanted to capture were the tents set up behind the Campanile, in front of the old Library. A space for students to meet outdoors, in a safe-r environment. Another Pandemic legacy. But I didn't observe the negative space very well, and I added too much detail to the Campanile, which I had to squash to fit on the page by the way. 

On the other page, I focused on the beautiful tree at the end of the square, and the scaffolding. I assume it's all going to be restoration work. I finished by adding the light and bollards, plus the cobblestones, so typical of Trinity. When I was there, female students never wore high heels, as you would be sure to twist an ankle. Nowadays, there is flat pavement connecting all the buildings, with the cobblestones left in between. Probably all much wheelchair-friendlier. And high-heels-friendlier too!

I wasn't too happy with my two sketches, so I decided to retreat to the peace and quiet of Botany Bay for a quick sketch in my smaller sketchbook. Memories of parties and catching up with friends. Yes, I was in Trinity as a foreign student for a year. A year packed with memories of debates at the Hist and the Phil, meeting for coffee at the Kilkenny across the way, giant parties in our flat on Leeson Street (What did I do with that mixed tape??), flings with a few Irishmen, lots of drinking, not much studying. My three flatmates, Lorna, Kelly and Orla, were popular and it was wonderful to be part of that whirlwind, even when I didn't go to all the balls they attended. I did go to the Trinity Ball, though! With, oh I can't remember his name. There was no romance, but we had a great time, dancing the night away. We ended up in McDonalds on Grafton Street for breakfast, as the queue for Bewleys was too long! What a wonderful way to end an amazing year! I must dig out the photos!!

And here is my urban sketcher photo.