Tassie Travels and Throw In a Penguin

Well as stated previously my friends and I got to the cafe in Hamilton. If you remember I was going to ride up there to see if there really are books lying around and perhaps an old vintage Penguin.
We had a wonderful day for the ride. In fact too wonderful. It was 32 degrees up there (94F). As we are riders who wear all the gear when we ride because we are not stupid women motorbikers  (in sandals, sundresses or little helmets because we value our safety as life is such a joy at times) we were a bit warm. In fact it was miserably hot.

It's as though we tied the horses out front, kicked the mud off our spurs and pushed our way into the saloon. I watch too many westerns.

We arrived at this cafe to smiling faces and an outdoor courtyard with flowers bursting. The menu looked good too. I had the thin pancakes with maple syrup and ice cream and my friends enjoyed their food also. I had a well rounded coffee to give me a bit of caffeine to pick me up for the ride home and the heat.

I look down the road to the left. It's quiet.

Alas, no books. Maybe they were in the back but by then I didn't care. I just wanted a bit of food and a sit down in a shady area.

I look down the road to the right.  It's quiet.

As we sat around chatting, one of my friend's mentioned a shop down the road a bit in New Norfolk was going out of business. It is a second hand shop and they have a book shelf in it. They also have a few vintage Penguins on it.  I didn't know if I would stop by as it was so hot.  I decided I would ride past it and if there was a spot to park in front of it I would stop.

You might wonder why any one wouldn't stop but consider by the time I park the bike, get the helmet off, the gloves off, lock everything up under the seat in 32 degree heat while wearing denims and a leather jacket I wasn't sure I wouldn't melt all over the pavement.  There was a car park vacant in front of the shop so that was my sign to stop and go in.  I am glad I did.

We enter the cafe. We leave the bikes safely out front.

They did have a few Penguin books. I had them already except this green crime one. I have almost all of the green crime books published so I was happy to find one I didn't have. I also found a first published edition of Brideshead Revisited. I have the reprint but not the first published. Since it is numbered at less than 1000 I thought I would replace my reprint with it. It was a closing down sale after all though they didn't act like they were closing down.

We choose a table in the pleasant little courtyard.

I paid for the books and back to the bike, the helmet, the leather gloves, the melting pavement and headed for home. With a quick stop for apricots being sold next to the roadside and 45 minutes later I sat down in an air conditioned room, bike, helmet and gloves safely put away. I happily

We admire the flowers.

thumbed through my new (to me) Penguins.  I was wishing that old books came with a history of where they'd been previously. I always wonder who brought these books to Australia, who read them and what everyone thought of them.  A good day out.

I loved the napkin holder in the cafe. I want to steal it.  I didn't.  I don't want to give bikers a bad name. We struggle enough.

Brideshead Revisited is a first published Penguin. Captain Cut-Throat is a newly found book I don't have, also first published.   It suited the day.