A day trip to Berrima

Today I took a little trip in the countryside to Berrima. I have been wanting to go back to Berkelouw’s Book Barn down there for a long time, and have on occasion asked people who either couldn’t/didn’t want to go, then recently I looked at the website and discovered that it is closing for extensive renovations on 23rd July, so I decided it was now or never. I asked a bookish friend and my connect group, none of whom could make it for a day trip, but I decided, well, I can’t live my life not doing things I want to do because no one can come with me, so I went anyway.

I had pleasant day meandering about. Berkelouw's, as the name would suggest, really is a barn full of books in the middle of nowhere.

They seem to have already started packing up some of the shelves, as some of it was cleared out, but I poked around for a while and had a coffee. I really only bought some cards in the main shop (because I loved these collage cards by Montessa Maack).

Then I walked on down the road to the rare books "department", and wondered at times where exactly I was going.

I did buy a poetry book there that I have known for a very long time they had that is no longer in print.

Then I mosied on in to historic Berrima village.

There were a number of shops full of that country kind of clutter that I no longer have any desire or keeping-space to buy, which I happened upon first, but further on found much more appealing wares.

I definitely ate lunch in the wrong place, discovering I was quite famished and buying a scone (yes a devonshire tea of one scone) and coffee in a rather ordinary cafe, that cost me $8.50, before I discovered all the gourmet, award-winning bakeries and eateries down the road. Next time I will know.

I enjoyed the bookbinding shop (I took photos in shops with great haste and secrecy as I have been roused on for that before and don’t know that it is always allowed, so these are not studied shots).

And a shop called “The Write Stuff”, containing lots of nice stationery and both antique and retro typewriters, which I coveted (but I have no space for keeping one of those either!).

I wandered into a patchwork/craft type shop, curious about yarns, which they didn't have, but they had shelves and shelves of colour-arranged fabrics, which was strangely enticing even though I don't sew anything at all.

I looked at and stroked the alpaca yarn in the Alpaca Centre, where they had some lovely colours, but managed not to buy any of it ... just "browsing". I actually watched a lady spinning wool elsewhere too, and selling it hand-dyed, and resisted that also.

I was, however, lured into a jam shop by quinces in the window and bought some quince jelly. It looks delicious, and I shall have to consume it with some cheese sometime soon.

It was refreshing just wandering about this quiet place in country in the afternoon sunshine, and it was reminiscent of some of the country haunts of the surrounds I grew up in the New England area.