Two years ago, I wrote about Montaigne’s library tower, which he describes in one of my favorite essays, Of Three Kinds of Association. I keep a vision of that room in mind anytime I think about knocking down our house and rebuilding, although I’m pretty sure local zoning laws won’t permit a tower like the one in Bordeaux. The place has been a sort of Library of Babel to me, the non-existent room that holds everything I can’t wait to read.
Imagine my surprise when I found out the tower is still standing and open to tours! Looks like I know where my next overseas vacation will be! (It’ll likely be a better trip than the one I wanted to take to the isle of Jura to see Orwell’s last home.)