We’re back home. I wanted to stay there. Seriously.
But home we had to come.
Don took this photo of me in Hyde Park during our last night in London.
I’m still sorting out my emotions and my thoughts and feelings about our trip and everything I learned – about myself and about others. I’ll share some thoughts with you when I’m less jet lagged and slightly more coherent. I will say this: this trip was transformative and profound. And Don and I are closer than ever.
I apologize for falling off the face of the blogging earth but I just didn’t have the time to blog during the last week and a half of the trip. And I wanted to be in the moment as much as I could. I kept up with Instagram because it takes no time and if you follow me there, you’ll have a pretty good idea of what we were doing and seeing. IG is great for that.
I think that over the next week or so, I’ll share memories and photos with you but not necessarily in chronological order. Like today – I thought I’d share a bit about books and bookshops.
Because of the magic of IG, I was aware of two London bookshops that I really wanted to visit and I’m happy to say I got to both of them.
First up is Daunt Books. There are a few locations, I believe, but the one that was only a few blocks from our hotel was Daunt Books in Marylebone. (I chose a hotel in Marylebone because I stayed in a flat in that area when I was last in London – 17 years ago – and I was familiar with the area.) We visited the shop twice and, who am I kidding, I could have gone every day, and every time we visited it was full of book lovers.
Our first visit was in the evening and it did not disappoint. I was unable to explore every inch of the shop because there was a talk and signing scheduled for that evening in the back of the shop.
And in the daytime:
What more could you ask for? A knowledgeable staff, tons of books on all subjects, maps, children’s literature, literary magazines, beautiful wrapping papers. This shop has loyal customers and it’s easy to see why. Both Don and I bought books here and the second time I visited, they gave me a cloth bag with their logo. I was as excited as a little kid.
Then there is John Sandoe Books. A particular instagrammer visits this shop a lot and her photos of the interior made me swoon. So we hopped on the Circle Line and got off in Sloane Square and walked a few blocks to the shop.
I was already about to faint when I saw the outside.
Inside? Absolute heaven.
There’s a downstairs and two narrow winding staircases lead to the upstairs. There are books everywhere.
Photos of authors are everywhere. This is a stairway wall and that’s Sir Ralph Richardson.
Just to the right are shelves of Persephone Books, an imprint that is re-publishing twentieth century female authors. They have their own bookshop, as well, but I didn’t have the time to get there.
Just below the gray Persephones are past editions of Slightly Foxed, a literary quarterly that I follow on Instagram. I’m thinking of subscribing but I wanted to read an edition first. I bought an edition from 2015 here at John Sandoe and I bought the current Fall edition at Daunt Books.
You can see from this photo that I decided on Number 43.
Upstairs.
View from the window seat.
Don took this of me reading. Sitting on the window seat, of course.
I would move to London just to be near these bookshops. I’m not kidding, I’m deadly serious. I love them both, but John Sandoe is the fulfillment of all my bookshop dreams.
Sigh.
I bought these:
Two editions of Slightly Foxed, the literary quarterly, a Persephone edition of Cheerful Weather for the Wedding by Julia Strachey, Edward St. Aubyn’s latest, Dunbar, and Parisians by Graham Robb. Don bought a compendium of Orwell’s writings on Truth.
Two more buys, but I must give you a brief back story. I’ve always wanted to collect editions of To Kill a Mockingbird that are written in different languages – actually, I got the idea from Don. If you remember, back when Don was shooting that movie for PBS in Prague, he searched everywhere for an edition in Czech, but couldn’t find one. So I went to Paris hoping to find one in French. But I ended up in a lot of English language bookshops, like Shakespeare and Company, so that didn’t help. Finally, one day on the Right Bank, I walked into a tiny little shop and found it. Huzzah! Then I found a 50th Anniversary edition issued by a London publisher at Daunt Books.
I love them both.
Okay. That’s it for today. We are seriously jet lagged and right now I feel like I’m wading through muck. I have to rest. Our muscles are aching from so much walking, much of it on cobblestones. I can’t even begin to estimate how many miles we walked. And I have to do some coaching on Anastasia Broadway in a few days, so I need to be kind to myself and give myself time to recover and to re-enter.
I missed you.
Happy Thursday.
I’ve missed you! I did follow along on IG so felt like I was enjoying the trip with you, but I missed your words. Your words on your blog are your voice and I’ve missed our morning ‘talks’. Oh that jet lag is so hard and the walking is wonderful but exhausting. I love seeing the photos of the bookstores. They are what REAL bookstores look like. How wonderful to have found two additions to your collection of To Kill A Mockingbird! Rest up and then take your time but share share share all that you enjoyed, felt, experienced and learned from your trip. Welcome home!
I’ve missed you, too! Glad to back blogging, but it might be a slog for the next few days! xo
Welcome home! I look forward to reading about your trip
Thank you, Carolyn Marie!
I am so glad that you are back safely, though tired . You were sorely missed.
Thank you, Beverly!
Lovely post! The bookshops look amazing.
I really enjoyed following your trip on Instagram.
Thank you, Julie!
Marvelous!
I’m so glad your trip was everything you could have hoped for & then some.
Peace~
Thank you, Monica!
Your trip sounds wonderful and I love reading all about it….can’t wait to read some more. Have a very restful day and Welcome Home!! You have been missed!
Thank you, Lorinda!
Thank you for sharing your beautiful journey. It has warmed my heart and brought tears of joy to my eyes.
Welcome home,
Kaye
Thank you, Kaye!
Welcome home! I’ve loved following yours and Don’s adventures on IG – I even shared all the photos with Brian. I am in absolute heaven with those bookstores, especially the John Sandoe one. I would want to work there, simply to be in that environment all day long. *swoon*
Yes, be kind to yourself physically and mentally. You guys had a whirlwind trip and jet lag from Europe is not fun! I remember back in 2000 when I got home from England, it was about 5:00 pm and I was standing in the kitchen, leaning with my back against the counter. I actually started to fall over sideways from exhaustion. You might want to take melatonin the next few nights to reset your body clock.
We’re functioning today, but only on a basic level. Typing is hard for me!
Welcome back, Claudia!
Thank you, Wendy!
Yes, welcome home! I am reading this much later than usual because of Car-Trip-Lag! Even though it’s in the same time zone, we’re still adjusting to Southern Time!
I get it. Thank you, Shanna!
Welcome home! Rest. Do not turn on the TV or computer news. Just don’t! I truly enjoyed the adventures of Don and Claudia! It was fun following both of you and seeing complementary postings. So, the two of you, who do you know who needs an actor or voice coach in England or Paris? Wouldn’t it make a nice sabbatical?!
No one at the moment, but it would make a very nice sabbatical!
Glad you guys are home safely.
Thanks for today’s book tour. A real bookstore is a hallowed hall to me, same with a library.
Me too. Thanks, Eve!
Loved following you on IG as you shared so many special moments. So very happy for you both (and your Anniversary IG photo was absolutely wonderful).
Joy
Thank you, Joy!
Welcome Back! What an adventure you have been on…can’t wait to hear and see all about it. Loved the bookstore tours!
Thank you, Carol!
Welcome home! I enjoyed following along on Instagram…both you and Don. So many beautiful old world places. Makes me want to travel. Glad you had the opportunity to visit those bookstores. I was especially noticing the floors in the John Sandoe book shop…oh my word. They look original.
I’ve missed your voice like others have said. But…take your time, rest up. Enjoy your day! ;)
Thank you, Donnamae!
So glad you are safely back. I so understand your wanting to stay there. Don’t turn on the news in any form. Just don’t. Oh, the bookstores! Just wondrous. Rest and recharge. The re-entry will likely be painful. It sounds like the journey was all and more than you both bexpected. Yay!!
It was beyond expectations. Thank you, Chris!
You absolutely inspire me, thank you for your blog & Instagram!
Thank you, Melissa!
I love Instagram and have enjoyed following you around on there. Will check out the accounts you mentioned. Bookshops and bookshoping are my kind of heaven too – Daunts, John Sandoe, Persephone just fabulous! And Chris is right, don’t turn on the news.
I won’t. Thanks, Deborah!
Lovely Pictures!!!! I would love to live in England, too. I want to have a cottage in one of the little villages. If I won a lottery that is what I would do. Move to England.
I don’t blame you! Thanks, Jan.
It all sounds so wonderful! I can’t wait till you are back up to speed and can tell and show us the rest of the story. I think it would be fun to take a trip around the world and visit nothing but bookshops. As long as I am dreaming……..and be able to have as many books as I want to be shipped home. Then spend months and months reading and reading.
And unlimited shelves to put them on! Thanks, Tana!
oh I was about to go on a computer break! I’m so glad I stopped by.
and that you got home safe and well. I ALSO could have stayed there! and like you…
we walked everywhere! I couldn’t do that today. love this post. it’s a treat. welcome home!
good luck on Anastasia! xo
Thank you, Tammy!
I am in awe of those book shops. I could spend hours in them.
Marilyn
Me too! Thanks, Marilyn!
I’ve missed you too sweet lady…but I’ve followed both of you on IG and had a wonderful time doing it!…You take as much time resting as needed…you know we will all be waiting to hear your thoughts on this amazing adventure of yours!
Thank you, Nancy!
Welcome back! The shops are stunning!
Thank you, Grace!
It just occurred to me you might be blogging today! Miss you too, but felt I was right there with you on IG. Can’t wait to hear all the details. I’ll bet you’re exhausted. It sounds like you covered lots of ground in both cities! Welcome back!
Very tired! Thanks, Kay!
So glad you had such a marvelous trip and are back home safely! Looks like you were in Heaven in those book stores!! Look forward to seeing all of your pictures.
Judy
Thank you, Judy!
Delightful. Glad you are back. Thanks for sharing. I love London. I need to see Paris. Jet lag is a bear!
Paris is incredible! Thanks, Kay!
Loved your IG, good to hear stories though. I love the 3 cities you were in and the book stores! But now, I have been goggling match strikers….yikes over $100.00! But I am envious so may keep searching. Relax, no hurry to get back n the groove.
This wasn’t nearly that expensive – it was about $30.00.
Thanks, Gayle.
Your trip was wonderful, but we missed you.
Thank you, Edis!
Welcome home!
Oh my, the books !! Absolute Heaven :)
Thanks, Lori!
so happy for you and don that you could take such a trip, that it more than met your expectations and the travels went well, too!
thanks for taking time to post on your blog and for you and don to post on instagram during your travels. was fun to see where you were and know you were doing alright, getting to see some “must see” things (bookstores would be on my list, too). take your time posting again. we’ll wait!
hope the jetlag soon dissipates so you feel better and can enjoy being at home and working on anastasia. and, to quote a swedish proverb, hope you find “borta bra men hemma bast” (that last “a” is missing two little dots over it and i can’t figure out how to add them, but it means “away is good, but home is best”)!
kathy in iowa
Feeling a bit better today, Kathy. Thank you!
I hope you’re getting back into your time zone Did you have time to go to the British Museum and the British Library? We loved seeing the original copy of the Messiah as well as the precursor of Alice in Wonderland and the Rosetta Stone. The latter was so much smaller than we ever imagined. It sounds like you had a fabulous trip, but welcome home! Oh, and Happy Halloween.
Didn’t get to either because there’s only so much you can do and I wanted Don (who had never been there) to have a big say in what we saw.
Just KILLING me I didn’t visit these two bookstores! They look wonderful!
They are amazing. Oh, how I’d love a bookshop like that in my neighborhood!