Whitby
Whitby is an absolutely delightful seaside town on the North Yorkshire coast, most famous for its abbey ruins, connections to Dracula, and Captain James Cook. At least, those are the things I know it best for. My first introduction to the town of Whitby was in the pages of Bram Stoker’s Dracula.
Leakey’s Bookshop in Inverness
While on holiday near Drumnadrochit on Loch Ness, my family drove a half hour up the A82 to Inverness where I spent much longer than a half hour browsing the many, many shelves of Leakey’s Bookshop. It is a second-hand-booklover’s dream located in a converted Gaelic church built in 1679. Stained glass windows, a spiral staircase, and a large wood-burning stove add to the charm of thousands of books.
My Canterbury Tales
My own personal Canterbury tales don’t include thirty-one pilgrims, and my goal wasn’t the shrine of Thomas Becket, though I did attend an Evensong service at the cathedral and walk by the site of his murder, but for the three years I lived in France I made my own yearly pilgrimage to Canterbury. It became the last stop before my family and I took the ferry from Dover back across the channel, and I made so many memories walking the ancient streets amidst centuries’ old buildings.
Paris Bookshop Tour
Most visitors to Paris find their way to the historic English-language bookshop, Shakespeare and Company, but this familiar landmark across from Notre Dame is only the first stop on my Paris Bookshop Tour.
Grosmont Station
If you are visiting Whitby on the North Yorkshire coast, the nearby village of Grosmont is also worth a visit. You can easily drive or take the North Yorkshire Moors Railway steam train April through October.
Richard the Lionheart, Castles, and Limoges
Last January I went to stay at a friend’s house in the Dordogne, and on the drive down noticed a sign for the Route de Richard Coeur de Lion. I was immediately intrigued, and this bit of history—along with a desire to check out Limoges porcelain—became the basis for my birthday outing a few days later.
15 Books about Books
People who love reading usually also love a good book about books—stories about libraries, bookshops, or my favorite, inspired-by-a-classic-reads. Here are a few I’ve read in recent years.
Hay-on-Wye, The Town of Books
With somewhere around 20 bookstores within its tiny, very walkable circumference, you can happily spend two or three days browsing the endless shelves for treasures.
Baggins Book Bazaar
If you’re visiting London and want to experience a little English life outside the big city, Rochester is less than an hour away by train and would make a really fun day trip with its charming shops, eateries, cathedral, castle, and most importantly: the largest second-hand bookshop in England.
Rochester, a city for the Dickens enthusiast
Charles Dickens lived just outside of Rochester in Chatham as a child and returned to the area as an established author in 1856. Many of his books reference buildings in Rochester, and you’ll find plaques all around the High Street explaining their Dickens connection.
Barter Books
Barter Books is one of the largest second-hand bookshops in Europe and is well worth a spot on your itinerary.