Q. and A.
Books in the Borders
Q. I recently saw a segment on CBS's 'Sunday Morning' show about a literary trip to a small town on the English-Welsh border, Hay-on-Wye. Any information you may have on how to take such a trip will be appreciated. -- Jerome Kay,  Chadds Ford, Pa.
A. The town of Hay-on-Wye, in the Welsh Borders region, has a population of 1,400 and some three dozen bookshops, virtually all of them selling secondhand and antiquarian books. The phenomenon began around 40 years ago with Richard Booth, who opened a shop in town, 'and gradually it grew from there,' according to Pat Gamon, a tourist information officer at the Hay-on-Wye Tourist Information Bureau. The town gets about a million visitors a year, she said.
The tourist office is situated on Oxford Road, within the Crafts Center, at the top of the main parking lot; telephone (0497) 820144.
The town has had an annual literary festival in recent years, with readings and recitals; the 1997 dates are May 23 to June 1.
Several companies schedule stops in the town as part of tours focusing on literary Britain.
A company called British Heritage Tours is planning to run a seven-night trip next year, May 28 to June 4, that will spend two days in Hay to attend the literary festival. The tour will spend three nights in nearby Ross-on-Wye, as well as one night in Stratford-Upon-Avon and three nights in London. Other features will include literary walks of London and Bath, a visit to Shakespeare's birthplace and a performance at the Royal Shakespeare Theater.
The price of $1,075 to $1,288 a person, based on double occupancy, depends on how many participants sign up; a minimum of 10 will be required. It includes Continental breakfast in London and dinner and English breakfast outside London. Air fare is extra. British Heritage Tours, Richmond Place, 125 Boughton, Chester CH3 5BJ, England; telephone from the United States (800) 964-2819, or in Britain (01244) 342222, fax (01244) 320072.
A company called Back-Roads Touring in London includes Hay-on-Wye on its Literary England itinerary (which, obviously, also includes Wales). The tour ran last July; next year's dates are not set. In addition to spending a day in the town, it also visits Jane Austen's home at Chawton, Hampshire; towns and villages in Dorset associated with Thomas Hardy, and the city of Bath. The price is $1,499 including transportation, accommodations and full breakfast and dinner daily. Arrangements can be made through the company's United States representative,  British Network, The Mews, 594 Valley Road, Upper Montclair, N.J. 07043; telephone (201) 744-8814 or (800) 274-8583, fax (201) 744-0531.
Santa Monica Winter
Q. I would like to find furnished accommodations with kitchen facilities in Santa Monica, Calif., on a weekly or monthly basis. And is winter a high or low season? -- Sydney Schreiber, Philadelphia, Pa.
A. Winter, especially January and February, is low season in Santa Monica, according to a spokeswoman for the Santa Monica Convention and Visitors Bureau, when hotels may drop their rates by as much as 25 percent. (However, neither of the two hotels subsequently contacted would quote seasonal discounts for that period this far in advance.) Average temperatures range from lows in the mid-40's to highs in the mid-60's in January and February.
Here are two suite-style hotels that might fill the bill.
The Hotel Oceana, which just reopened after a $4.5 million renovation, has 65 suites ranging in size from studio to two bedrooms, on a cliff overlooking the ocean.
Each suite has a separate dining area and fully equipped kitchen. There is a heated outdoor pool, a fitness center and a laundry. Guests cross the street and take the stairs down to the beach.
Continental breakfast delivered to the room is included in the rates, which currently start at $170 daily for a studio; $190 for a one-bedroom,  and $275 for a two-bedroom. Though winter rates have not yet been set, a staff member at the hotel said you should be able to get a discount of 10 to 20 percent for an extended stay of more than a month.
Hotel Oceana, 849 Ocean Avenue, Santa Monica, Calif. 90403; telephone (310) 393-0486 or (800) 777-0758, fax (310) 458-1182.
Doubletree Guest Suites Hotel, with 253 suites, offers lower rates but not a full kitchen. The suites, which all have separate living room and bedroom with a wall between them, also have a wet bar with coffee maker and fully-stocked mini-bar; small refrigerators and microwave ovens are available on request, as are eating utensils. The hotel, recently renovated, has an outdoor heated pool and whirlpool, a health club and sauna. The hotel is four blocks from the ocean. Nearby is the Third Street Promenade, a lively dining and nightlife area.
A standard suite with a king-size bed and a sleep sofa is $119 a night for a stay of at least seven days; $109 for a 14-day stay, and $99 a night for 30 days or longer.
Doubletree Guest Suites Hotel,  1707 Fourth Street, Santa Monica 90401; (310) 395-3332, (800) 222-8733, fax (310) 452-7399.
Telephone calls to a half-dozen real-estate agencies that are members of the local chamber of commerce found only one that might be able to help. Bob Katz, assistant manager of the Prudential Jon Douglas Company, said that with luck, his agency might be able to find a two-bedroom townhouse in a good location for $2,000 a month. 'That's a bare minimum -- it goes up from there,' he said. The Prudential Jon Douglas Company, 1531 Montana Avenue, Santa Monica 90403; telephone (310) 458-0091, fax (310) 458-6125.
Rock Collecting Down Under
Q. We are collectors of rock, fossil, mineral and gem material. We are interested in spending a few months in Australia collecting material. Do you have any information?
-- Fran Siegel, Chesterfield, Mo.
A. The Australian Tourist Commission has produced a 19-page information sheet, Fossicking in Australia, to help travelers with this interest; it can be obtained by calling the Aussie Help Line at (847) 296-4900. Since Australia produces most of the world's opals, according to the Tourist Commission, and is a major source of gold and diamonds, as well as semiprecious stones and other minerals, this is a very big subject, with various state regulations governing where amateurs can try their luck and what permits are required.
JANET PIORKO
Q. and A.