Hay-on-Wye
We had known early on in our plans that we'd enjoy an extra
day in Hay-on-Wye. Hay is the "capital of the second-hand
book trade", with dozens of used book shops. 
We spent both nights at "Rest for
the Tired", a 16th century B&B, with a bookshop
downstairs and very friendly Mary Thomas as owner. (It's the
"black and white" in this photo.) I had had a sore toe
for several days and was worried that it would get infected. It
wasn't a blister, so I wasn't sure about using the wonderful
blister remedy "Compeed" on it. We asked Mary where the
surgery (health care center) was, and went there. They kindly
fitted in an appointment for me for an hour later, and we took
our clothes to the laundromat while we waited. The doctor, when
he saw the toe, didn't seem concerned. He just said that it was
clearly irritated by the all-day pressure and rubbing, and that I
should protect it with Compeed, after all. 
We were relieved. We went
back and got our clothes out of the dryer, and spent the rest of
the day wandering around in the book shops. One "shop"
is a set of bookshelves below the castle. It looks as if those
books are left out in all weather -- at least, it was raining
that day and the books were out. They cost very little, and you
were supposed to put the payment in a box. The castle itself is a
bookshop. It's not an old castle - Jacobean - though there had
been one there in the 12th century, probably built by Maude de
Braose. Mary Thomas commented to us that her house is older than
the present castle!
We liked the town and had a good time
just wandering around. There's a clock tower, which is typical of
the border towns; we saw clock towers in several towns, all
similar. We very much enjoyed our dinners both evenings in the
Mallard Restaurant, which is in the Swan Inn. I don't know which
of my two dinners was better, the "lentil and apricot loaf
with Provencal sauce" or the "savory pancake filled
with spinach and hazelnuts, with a capsicum and garlic
sauce".
That evening, not surprisingly, we saw Theo and Fred again!
We were relieved. We went
back and got our clothes out of the dryer, and spent the rest of
the day wandering around in the book shops. One "shop"
is a set of bookshelves below the castle. It looks as if those
books are left out in all weather -- at least, it was raining
that day and the books were out. They cost very little, and you
were supposed to put the payment in a box. The castle itself is a
bookshop. It's not an old castle - Jacobean - though there had
been one there in the 12th century, probably built by Maude de
Braose. Mary Thomas commented to us that her house is older than
the present castle!