Hay-on-Wye

If you love books, especially used books this should be in your top 10. I forced myself to leave, so I wouldn’t buy anymore.

If you like reading books, buying books, looking for rare or difficult to find books or just being in the presence books, then you should go to Hay. It’s also a very peaceful part of the Welsh border country with a river running through it.

So many books, and so cheap!

After reading “Sixpence House” by Paul Collins, I find that I - as a Biblioholic - absolutely MUST visit Hay-on-Wye, Wales! I cannot fathom a town with more than 40 bookstores, and with fields of discarded books! But, I can sure drool over the idea of such things!

Just can’t get there fast enough! ;P

I spent a wonderful August bank holiday camping weekend here a couple of years ago with one of my best friends… wandering around the bookstores on a search for Mary Stewart (and other) books, meandering through the little print galleries, eating fabulously healthy food, dining at the bottom of the garden of one of the town’s lovely restaurants, kayaking down the Wye River (and falling in!), and walking walking walking through the gorgeous fields. Well worth the visit, whether or not the festival is on. There are a tonne of things to do if you love books, nature and good food!

For the book festival.

books books and more books

http://www.hay-on-wye.co.uk/bookshops/frameset.htm

This was my local town for the first six years of my life, I’ve onyl been back once but have fond memories of Hay Bluff and the surrounding country. I suspect the town has become a bit touristic though.