A perfect bookstore chain for me? I found it. It’s the Estonian Rahva Raamat, which boasts the most stylish bookshops I have ever been to. The two that I visited are located in the center of Tallinn – one store is in the Old Town and the other one in the Viru Keskus shopping mall. […]
A chapel at a bookshop? A pool table? Why not, welcome to Arkadia International Bookshop in the heart of Helsinki. Operating since 2008, Arkadia is a large second-hand bookshop, a gallery and a venue for a wide range of events. They “offer space for tranquility, writing and thought” (more about the shop here), and are […]
I adore libraries, probably more than bookstores. Libraries not only regulate the sustainable circulation of books among people, but also provide a space for reading, writing and killing time. They gave me solace when I lived abroad and felt it otherwise hard to integrate into a foreign society. I love a good library. I thought […]
Summer means Mediterranean to me. This post-COVID summer I was lucky enough to go to the Peloponnese, and I absolutely loved it. One week-driving adventure filled with sun, blue skies, ancient cities and the thick air of Greek myths. I only spent a couple of nights in Athens, and unfortunately both turned out to be […]
I don’t really mean the whole park (although there is a plethora of benches, most of them make you feel just too vulnerable under the public eye), but a row of benches that stretches behind a row of statues, in front of the Württembergische Kunstverein building. There are about four benches which are super-secluded, meaning […]
Tourists are no-goers here: this natural nook is located way off the beaten path. A quiet local park, Beatrixpark was created in 1936-1938 by Jakoba Mulder, a leading Dutch landscape architect, who was also working on the creation of the Amsterdamse Bos. Beatrixpark is my all-time favourite, and, when living in Amsterdam, I never missed […]
A unique creation by the famous Slovene architect Plečnik, this area is an embankment used by locals for taking a leisurely stroll, hanging out with friends playing the guitar or (as in my case) reading. Although it is located in the centre of the city, the place makes you feel like you are out there […]
This magical place is a true hidden gem for readers. Not so many of Girona’s numerous visitors know about its existence, and you will most probably be left to your book and the wonderful surroundings. The spot is located right behind Sant Pere de Galligants, a Benedictine abbey dating from the tenth century, which is […]