Today was Bloomsday!

As someone who has never actually read Ulysses (aside from the first chapter/episode that we read in class), I was worried that this day would not hold much for me in the educational department. However, I was pleasantly surprised as the train pulled up to our stop at Sandycove. The location was beautiful and thriving with live music, fresh food, and happy people. As we made our way towards the restaurant, we passed countless people who were out to celebrate the life and writing of James Joyce. After reading the first chapter of Ulysses, I could begin to picture it somewhat as we walked around the area and made our way towards the tower.

At the tower, I was definitely not expecting to climb up those incredibly narrow and suffocating steps. Miraculously I made it to the top and got to hear an incredible reading of Ulysses. The speaker had so much enthusiasm and theatric qualities that he truly brought the story to life at the top of the tower. On the middle floor, they room had been preserved the way it would have been in 1904. A guide showed us where each person would have slept and why things were where they were.

As I said before, my limited Ulysses knowledge did not hinder my experience of Bloomsday. If anything, I learned more about the book and its importance to the culture of Dublin and its people.