We traveled to Columbus, Ohio this past weekend for my niece’s wedding at the Darby House. In addition to the wedding, we spent time at the Easton shopping complex. But for us book lovers, our side trip to the Book Loft of German Village was memorable.
We cruised into German Village, and the book posse was living large in the rented Lincoln Navigator. We passed the bail bonds building with its half-dozen bike gang members clustered around the entrance. The roads were cobblestoned and narrow. The posse began to wonder about this excursion, and felt like they had stepped back in time – a time when independent bookstores reigned supreme. Soon we spotted the Book Loft and its thirty-two rooms of books. Although before we could start exploring for books, we had to find street parking that could accommodate the behemoth Navigator.
The Book Loft is not for the faint of heart; book lovers can enter this domain, and be lost forever. This is a converted house with many closets and nooks hiding special collections, and each room contains its own musical accompaniment. They sell new and used books. On this particular occasion we lost Bruce T., and had to send out a search party. Aunt Rita found him in the book labyrinth enchanted by a cookbook, but before she could rescue him, a wine book snared her. We could only lure them out with the enticement of actual food at Schmidt’s Restaurant and Sausage Haus.
We enjoyed our visit to Columbus, and our tour of the Book Loft. If you visit Columbus, and are in the German Village area, I recommend visiting the Book Loft. I also recommend a smaller car than the Navigator, because parking is at a premium.
