Destination: Hay-on-Wye

Nestled in the hills that roll England into Wales is the tiny town of Hay-on-Wye; self-proclaimed Town of Books. It's home to countless secondhand bookstores, both large and small, on every corner. It also hosts the annual Hay Festival, onto which book-lovers from around the globe descend every summer.

Walking through Hay is a pilgrimage through words and pages and narrow streets, through aisles of books on every imaginable subject. It's the sort of place you never want to leave, and not only because it is a textbook example of small-town perfection, surrounded by sheep and rising hills. Within Hay-on-Wye is a route to anywhere - any world - that you could care to go.

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Scenes seen this week

Dinner from Portland Pie Co. Leafy sky Dry-roasted new potatoes Outdoor film screening in Freeport, courtesy of L.L. Bean Reading material Summer picnic Beachscape Also: Here's what to do with all that watermelon On kindness "How my sourdough starter took over my life." Local alternatives to those trendy superfoods Talking to someone in grief Twenty-six things to do for yourself Have you tried dot journaling?

Destination: York

Much of what I know of York I've gleaned from the song about the Grand Old Duke: that is to say, I know almost nothing. It seems a first stop in the North of England. I fall asleep on the train despite my best efforts, and wake to the rolling of the English countryside: more sheep; fewer hills; accents on the train that are distinctly not Scottish. Leaving the train on an overcast late-morning, I climb first up, onto the high city walls, carrying my bulging backpack. No one seems to notice. Trees – trees! – drape themselves over the edge of the walls, the worn stones creased and smoothed by centuries of feet. The walls narrow as they cross bars, the tall towers that connect the sections of the walls to each other. Crossing over the river, I leave the wall and plunge down into the city itself. The streets are delightfully narrow, the castle leading up to the Shambles market, which hums with people. Timbered buildings lean precariously outward over the cobbled streets, a...

Scenes seen this week

Writing cards Tomato season Sunset from the window Strawberries, found fallen on the sidewalk Ocean day Stumbled onto a poetry reading in town Everyday bag Also: Liking healthy foods One of the best films I've seen in a while Ocean cocktails The Senate, behind closed doors What color tea are you? On college and consumerism Protein-packed vegetarian meals ( here's why that's a good idea) Why the beach is good for you

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