snapshot of the day

Yesterday I had to go pick up my new train pass for my commute (back to work on Monday!) and since it was sunny (but COLD!) and I hadn't been out of the house much I grabbed my camera and decided to practice taking some pictures.

It's my first SLR (digital or otherwise) so I'm still learning, Mystery Guest's brother taught me a few things over break - ISO, light sources etc but I've still got a lot left to learn. The main thing that bothers me is that when its really sunny I can't figure out not to have my pics overexposed... hummm will have to ask him that.

Anyway this is one that turned out well, its the local library! How cool is that building? I got my library card a few weeks ago - 8e for the year (funny how in socialist France you have to pay for libraries, in the States people would throw a fit if they had to pay for the library yet don't think its strange to pay for health insurance? right, rant over.)

I still haven't been in to browse but I just looooove the outside! Isn't it cool? All the stone arches etc, the inside looks the same. It's the kind of library that makes you want to curl up with a good book on a rainy afternoon :-)

Here's some history I found off a website:

Fondée en 1719 par l'abbé Julien de Laillier, la bibliothèque s'est enrichie, à la Révolution, des ouvrages confisqués des bibliothèques des couvents des Cordeliers, des Capucins, des Augustins de Barfleur et du séminaire de V-town. Maintenue dans la chapelle du séminaire jusqu'en 1853, la bibliothèque a été transférée dans le bâtiment actuel, construit vers 1830 pour y faire une salle des fêtes.
Les salles publiques de la bibliothèque occupent un bâtiment à arcades (XIXe siècle) relié à d'anciennes halles au blé du XVIIIe siècle.