I have been meaning to go to the Hay Festival for the last few years, as the idea of a festival based around the written word and intellectual discussion has real appeal. Also two of my friends have stalls in the old town of Hay on Wye itself right in front of the castle. Gordon Elliott and his wife Elena have a fastfood stirfry stall selling such things as banana curry and home made mango chutney, the food is made from all fresh ingredients and feels incredibly healthy. Salim Patel and Barbra have a stall selling quality fossils and minerals plus art deco ceramics, the handmade jewellery consisting of fire opals set in silver and resin are a delight.

Elena introduced me to her spanish friends, the three of them had just completed an eight hundred km walk lasting a month in the Pyrenees called the Camino, an impressive achievement!