Souvenirs are different for everyone. The New York Times did a piece back in August on what types of souvenirs people collect on their travels. What someone brings home from the Philippines might be quite different than what someone brings home from Italy. The more people travel, the more unique and personal their collections become. I’ve bought all sorts of things around the globe - kilims, textiles, ceramics, etc. But I also always try to buy books from the local independents, as I feel it supports a community enterprise, and I like discovering something in person, versus on the internet. A copy of Simone de Bouvior’s memoir can be found anywhere, but it means a little more when it comes from Shakespeare & Co. in Paris (and they stamp the inside).
Pictured, is the charming upper floor of the small indie bookstore near Trinity College, Books Upstairs, at 36 College Green. They don’t have a website, but they do have a lot of markdown prices, and a cozy, yet slim store layout.
There are a number of fine independent and historic bookshops around Dublin, including of course, The Winding Stair at 40 Lower Ormond Quay, one of the oldest surviving bookshops in the city. But don’t omit the treasures to be found in the Oxfam charity shops as well. I found a Wordsworth copy of The Selected Stories by O.Henry, and a hardcover of Julian’s Barnes’ Sense of an Ending. The added benefit to shopping for books in the British Oxfam chain is you’re supporting their outreach as well as hunting for literary treasure.
