A bookish break
15 March 2015 
This weekend I’ve been out and about with the lovely hubby. We went to visit Hay on Wye in Wales. Known as the town of books and a general must visit place for all bibliophiles it hosts a yearly Festival which people travel all over to visit, details here.
We weren’t going for the festival but just a general visit to check out the town and more importantly the upward of 20 bookshops that reside in this beautiful village.
I bought a few books:
- Gormenghast by Mervyn Peake
- The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
- The Enchanted Castle by E Nesbit
- Sparkling Cyanide by Agatha Christie
- London’s Hidden Walks by Stephen Millar – we’re visiting London shortly and this looks like a great way to explore. Thirteen planned walks with all sorts of random odds and sods of information that you would likely miss otherwise. I’ve already had a good look through this and it has the feel of a guided tour. I don’t think we’ll manage all 13 walks but we’ll choose a few of these and definitely give them a try.
So, HoW was great with lots of books for me to obsess over plus cafes, antiques, art and other lovely things that you would expect. On the way out we spotted an old castle and we then paid a flying visit to Ludlow. We even saw a dragon – although it was a wooden carving and I’m afraid my picture didn’t work out!
Books and travelling with Lynn 
HoW looks and sounds like such a great place to explore. Not sure what I would’ve done with myself if I had 20 bookshops to check out. Also, “Murder and Mayhem” is an awesome name for a bookstore.
Hope you had a good trip!
I had a great weekend – firstly just mooching around and secondly being away for a night away. Then we had a bit of adventuring the following day. I felt like I was Bilbo!
Lynn 😀
OMG jealous, this looks like straight out of a fairy tale (well, my kinda fairy tale 😉 ) so quaint and cozy. And nice score on that Hidden Walks book, those are the best. Love the tour books that take you off the beaten path 🙂
Honestly, I felt like I was in a fantasy book – two castles, I spotted this amazing little cottage, all run down, on the edge of the woods which was straight out of Dreamer’s Pool – I’m not even kidding. Should have stopped to get a pick of that. I also took a picture of a large carved wooden dragon but it didn’t turn out. And, on top of all that – loads of bookshops.
The walks book is so good – really excited to try some of those out.
Lynn 😀
You are so LUCKY! I’ve always wanted to go there, ever since I read a book about a couple who decided to move there and buy a house. (non-fiction). I wish I could remember the name of the book, you would love it! One of these days…
Really? Wow, what a small world it is! We actually saw this village on an antiques show and that’s how we came to hear of it. It’s only a small village – but 20 plus bookshops! There’s an old toll bridge, castles – just everything!
Lynn 😀
Looks like a great place to visit. I hope you enjoy your new books as well 🙂
I’m looking forward to them. And, yes, it was lovely. I felt like Bilbo – on an adventure.
Lynn 😀
I want to go there. Ive heard so much about it. Glad you had a lovely time and bought some good bookish goodness.
Apparently the book festival is really good – you have to book accommodation two years in advance – unfortunately I’m not quite that organised. It was a lovely adventure.
Lynn 😀
What a lovely weekend, thanks for sharing your buys too. The stained glass windows at Murder & Mayhem are gorgeous in your picture.
Murder and Mayhem was great – couldn’t help thinking of Sarah Pinborough – she wrote Mayhem and then Murder!
It was a lovely weekend thanks.
Lynn 😀
Have 1-3. Me and hubby will be in Wales in September, however I think if I DO NOT visit Hay on Wye it would be better, since we are going to be staying for 10 days in Wales and my luggage cannot weigh more than 20kgs 😦 I guess I ll just continue living off bookdepository and ebay…
Yes, may be better if you stay away! Or you’ll have to leave all your other luggage behind.
Did you enjoy No.s 1-3??
Lynn 😀
Ooooh yes! Read E. Nesbitt when I was a young teen and really loved her books. The Phantom of the Opera has always been a favorite – watched the musical in London four times and know all the soundtrack by heart. I was lent the Gormenghast trilogy by a cousin in my teens and been a fan ever since. Have you watched the BBC adaptation? Jonathan Rhys Meyers’ interpretation of Steerpike is just PERFECT!
I’ve not seen the BBC adaptation but I might try and find it – once I read the book!
Nice to hear you enjoyed Nesbit and Leroux – makes me excited to pick them up.
Thanks
Lynn 😀
Good lord, these photos look like the set of a movie! Walking tours are so much fun, aren’t they? I live in one of the oldest cities in Canada, and during October the city does a “Haunted Walk” where tour guides show people all the old jails and prisons etc. where ghosts are rumoured to hang about! I hope you had a lovely time! 🙂
Oohhh, I’d love a haunted walk. I think they do those in some cities here – they also do a vampire tour in Scarborough – because of the links with Stoker.
I had a lovely time and you’re right – some of the places we spotted did look straight out of a film set. Plus, picture postcard type of villages with quaint thatched cottages. Could have been straight out of a Marillier novel.
Lynn 😀
Looks gorgeous, would love to go on a ‘bookish break’ of my own soon!
It was a great weekend to be honest – although – you could just go on a break and take your own books = equally as good 😀
Good idea- i have a two week holiday in July booked, so I am definitely going to be taking a lot books with me, and probably buying more!