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I do like visiting second-hand book sellers. I live about 41 miles away from Hay-on-Wye, which is the original book town, and has about 40 second-hand bookshops.
And when I'm in Paris, I can't resist looking at the bouquinistes, sighing at their outrageous prices, and going to the weekend sales of livres soldes et antiquaires at the Parc George Brassens (15ème arrondisement).
(In Brittany, which we visit about once a year, we go to Becherel; another Book-town, and buy French books and drink coffee in a cafe called "La Vache que Lire.")
But of late, I've taken to looking at the book and crying, "but it's on Project Gutenberg/ Gallica/ The Internet Archive!"
My partner has this improbable fantasy that we retire to Hay-on Wye and sell off our book collection (about 12000, but I've been having a clear-out lately). But I point out that we will be old and wrinkly, and will want to be near a good A&E hospital department. Which we are now.
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