From Wales to Cumbria and Dumfries ....and Wigtown!

Lately I was rather busy so it's just now that I have the time to write about our trip going from Hay-on-Wye to Wales and on and on to Dumfries where I found the most amazing book store of all those that I visited on this trip.
But, well, let's start in Wales where we went after our visit to Hay-on-Wye!

After having spent some time in Llandovery 

in South Wales, where the statue 

Llewelyn ap Gruffydd can be found whose gruesome fate represents a stark contrast to this wonderful place, we went on to North Wales.

In North Wales we made the first try to exchange our wind screen that, well, let's say a rendezvous with something on the road left us with a lasting memory... Unfortunately the wrong screen was delivered, so still a wind screen with a "spider app" but apart from that we met many nice people and saying good bye wasn't easy.

In North Wales we stayed at one of the most beautiful camp sites of our tour, Aberafon, next to Caernarfon. Aberafon is not only very cozy and friendly but also located with direct access to the beach, some of the pitches are actually almost situated on the beach. North Wales was even mor beautiful that South Wales, I think, it is a bit wilder, the hills, well, mountains, are steeper - oh, that was something, right? Going up in first gear at a snail's pace is an experience in itself but at least we got to the top, no matter how long it took. In North Wales we went to Snowdonia with its amazing landscape and its cows that were roaming there right in the mountains.

From North Wales we went to Cumbria by way of Gretna Green. Okay, everybody who knows my blog, knows that I love historical romances and Gretna Green being the first village on the scottish side and known as the go-to for all those who wanted to marry without the consens of their parents and eloped in those times was a must. I thought. I mean, almost every other book sees a more or less happy couple on its way to Gretna, right? So I had to see this place where people went to get married "over the anvil".

I leraned my lesson. Some places shouldn't be visited if you want them to keep their charm. Gretna Green was a nightmare. One store next to the other, their products ranging from the cheapest, chinese, "real scottish" souvenirs sporting to the somewhat more sophisticated articles with very sophisticated prices. A piper could be found as well as some photowalls where you could take a phot of your loved ones looking out of the carriage taking them to Gretna and such things. Oh and don't forget all those bis signs for those firms that turned the "myth gretna green" into a big and profitable All-Inclusive-Business.

From Gretna Green we went on to Dumfries the same day, more precisely to Kirkcowan near Newton Stewart to the without doubt most remarkable camping site of our tour. At least Balloch O'Dee was definitely the only camping site where not only chicken could be found running between the tents but also dogs and horses. First I thought that it was rather chaotic and a bit strange. The next day it felt cozy, personal and nice and just, well, different - in the end it wasn't easy to leave. It was also the only camping site where tea candles and incense could be found in the washing rooms and the kitchens which were lit every evening. You can't expect much comfort, though all that is necessary, I think, but you'll find nice and helpful people there and a wonderful place to relax. Even better than this camping site is the fact that it is not far from Wigtown, the scottish book town with its second hand book shops!
 
Of course I found some books here as well (Surprise, surprise!) and I loved to browse all those shops that are definitely worth visiting! One of them was the most amazing and most beautiful book shop and the one we loved most on this whole trip.
Mostly the shop offers old and very old (and very very old) books but also some that are more recently published and also (I think) some new ones.

I don't think that any book lover can resist this wonderful, very lovingly decorated shop, at least I couldn't resist. It started rather innocently with the shop just being called "The Book Shop", but behind this name you'll find a book lover's paradise!

This shop is so cozy and welcoming, inviting the reader to enter and browse through its vast collection of books on a grat variety of subjects. You jsut walk on and on from one room to the next and it's not just the books but also the many loving details that make this shop special. Inscriptions, small etails like candelabers or bigger ones like skeletons (yes, even a skeleton may be inviting...) - and well, all the little touches.

The entry area of this wonderful shop:


 “Start every day off with a smile and get it over with.”

 

W.C. Fields

"A mind amongst books, like fire in the heather"

 

Who doesn't dream of such a cozy corner right in the middle of his books?

Give a man a fire and he's warm for the day. But set fire to him and he's warm for the rest of his life.

Terry Pratchett

A cozy place at the fireplace for the diligent author 

Don't stand on
     this if you
                   think it
                       might
                           break!

    Good advice, isn't it? - This is the scottish corner where I found a sweet little (and very old) book about the different tartans, explanations about the clans, their badges, slogans and arms by a tartan outfitter from aus Edinburgh:

 I love it!

                  
And I found another book in this shop that had been on my wish list for some time, Old Filth by Jane Gardam:

I think, I'm to be recommended as it was really hard to leave with just two books... Well, people started asking where we'd put my husband when he would join my daughters and me a week later because the car started to look a bit...full? So that might have helped me here.

This day had to end sometimes as well and we had to got back to the camping site where we, just wanted to mention that, tried to exchange our ...yes, our wind screen the other day. Again they brought the wrong screen....

Never mind, new town, new luck - we were promised that we'd get the right screen at our next destination and so we left the following day to go to

GLASGOW!

~To be continued~