Trinity College Dublin

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A number of years ago, I went to Ireland for 18 wonderful days. What a trip it was! Ireland is an amazing country, as are the people who live there.

One of the things that my awesome vacation planner did, was to schedule some time at Trinity College. In fact, one night we stayed in the dorm. Classes were not in session, so you can rent a room out. We got Room 28.

Here are some pictures that I took at the college.

Looking out the window from Room 28, it was dark. There were some bikes just outside, illuminated by the street light. I wanted that image. It reminded me of something out of a ‘Harry Potter’ movie. I set the shutter to remain open. I can’t recall for how long – 4 seconds maybe. However, during the time the shutter was open, three people walked by. In the final image, they appear as wispy ghosts, just in front of the bikes. If you enlarge the image, you can really see the ghosts. I don’t normally title many of my photos, but I had to title this one “Trinity Ghosts.”

Trinity College houses the “Book of Kells.” One of the most beautiful ‘illuminated manuscripts’ in European history.

Here is a student outside our dorm room. I couldn’t help but think how this light was illuminating his manuscript. Perhaps a best seller in progress?

If I had been a professor of Research Psychology at the college, this would have been my office window. Why? Of course, the wine bottles give it away.

This sculpture, resides just outside the entry into the library. A ‘Sphere Within Sphere or Sfera con Sefra,’ is an amazing bronze done by Italian artist Arnaldo Pomodoro. Another of the artist’s spherical sculptures resides on the Cal Berkeley campus. There are a number of these spheres, ranging in different sizes, at institutions around the world.

It is said that there are two kinds of people in this world, those who are Irish, and those who want to be Irish. Having spent time in Ireland, I understand that saying very well!

The Eye Of The Nasturtium

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I am not sure why I’ve always liked nasturtiums. Maybe it’s because while I was growing up my dad planted them around the house.

Here’s a good shot of a nasturtium patch.

I’ve never grown them, because where I live the climate is too dry.

Just recently however, I decided that I would try planting some in trays so that I could move them from place to place. That way, it would be easy to keep them in the shade.

To my surprise, they actually bloomed! A friend then told me that the flowers were edible and were often used in cooking. So of course, I had to give them a try.

I removed a single petal, and popped it in my mouth. As she said, the flower did have a ‘peppery’ taste, and was actually quite good. In addition, the leaves are also edible.

Having worked with eye care instrumentation for many years, the leaf of the nasturtium always reminded me of the retina of the eye. Hence the name of this post – ‘The Eye Of The Nasturtium.’

Okay, maybe a stretch, but here is a picture of the human retina (fundus image). The leaves do have a look of retinal vascularization and a point that is reminiscent of the optic disk.

Alright, perhaps you don’t agree – that’s okay. However, here’s the interesting part.

Nasturtium flowers contain “lutein.” Actually, more lutein than any other edible plant. So what’s lutein?

Lutein is a ‘carotenoid,’ which is converted to vitamin A and found in the human eye. Lutein in the eye works to improve and possibly prevent age-related macular degeneration, which is the primary cause of blindness and vision degradation.

Well, well, well – maybe my crazy curiosity with the nasturtium leaf/flower and the retina is not so crazy after all.

Taking lutein is good for your eyes! Read up on it, you will be surprised.

My mother always told me to eat my carrots, which also contain carotenoids.

“Did you ever see a rabbit wearing glasses,” she’d say. Maybe they ate nasturtium flowers as well?