I wrote recently on another website that I’ve discovered three places around the Ronda area that have self-service book exchanges.
This is such a good idea, because new books in Spain are very expensive, compared to the UK and Germany where I also buy books.
Preamble
Just to remind you, or in case you didn’t see my original article, the book exchanges I have discovered recently are:
- Super Chisma, the low-cost supermarket on the Polígono Industrial, Ronda;
- Bar Ambigú, the bar/restaurant run by the AAVV (Asociacion de Vecinos), next door to the gasolinera in Barrio San Francisco, Ronda;
- Complementos Vero, a general store on Avenida de Knittlingen, Montejaque.
Yesterday, at Super Chisma, I swapped three books in English that I no longer needed for "Gran Atlas Turistico de España y Portugal", an ABC publication; "Tales of the Alhambra" by Washington Irving; and "Yerma" by Federico Garcia Lorca.
Note: My actor son, Tom Whitelock, played the role of Juan, Yerma's husband, in an English version of Lorca's tragedy at the Cervantes Theatre in London in 2018.
Tom Whitelock and Leila Damilola [Photo: Elena Molina]
Here is a review in English by theatre critic Amber Woodward:
Yerma | Cervantes Theatre | ★★ | thespyinthestalls
Upcoming swaps
On the rear seat of my car I have several books for swapping: "Love Story" (Historia de Amor) by Erich Segal (in Spanish); Booker Prizewinner "Life of Pi" by Yann Martell; "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson; Barbara Cartland's "Etiquette Handbook"; and "Somewhere to Hang my Hat" by Irish-Jewish Stanley Price.
Come to think of it, I haven't read the last two. Well, I've never read anything by Cartland and I'm not going to start now, but the Stanley Price book looks interesting. I think I'll hold on to it.
Epilogue
So, a trip to Bar Ambigú later this week is on the cards. Apart from the fun of swapping books it's a good place for a drink, a tapa and a natter with the staff - mum, dad and son - or one of the customers.
Footnote:
There is a thriving book swap in San Pablo de Buceite (Cadiz), between Gaucin and Jimena de la Frontera. You can read about it here:
Book Swap in San Pablo de Buceite - Secret Serrania de Ronda
© The Culture Vulture
Photos:
Cervantes Theatre, London
Elena Molina, London
Facebook (main photo)
Paul Whitelock, Ronda
Links:
“Book Exchange” - Help me, Ronda (help-me-ronda.com)
BOOKS and WRITERS - Help me, Ronda (help-me-ronda.com)
Book Swap in San Pablo de Buceite - Secret Serrania de Ronda
Eye on Spain blogs - Edit posts
Yerma | Cervantes Theatre | ★★ | thespyinthestalls
Tags:
Amber Woodward, A Short History of Nearly Everything, AAVV, Asociacion de Vecinos, Avenida de Knittlingen, Bar Ambigú, Barbara Cartland's Etiquette Handbook, Barrio San Francisco, Bill Bryson, Bodas de Sangre, Complementos Vero, Culture Vulture, Elena Molina, Erich Segal, etiquette, Facebook, Federico Garcia Lorca, Gran Atlas Turistico de España y Portugal, Historia de Amor, Leila Damilola, Life of Pi, Love Story, Montejaque, Paul Whitelock, Polígono Industrial Ronda, Ronda, San Pablo de Buceite, Super Chisma, Tales of the Alhambra, Tom Whitelock, Washington Irving, Yann Martell, www.eyeonspain.com, www.help-me-ronda.com, www.secretserrania.com