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23 October 2011

Where books are loved

I'm completely besotted with bookstores. They're like sanctuaries, places to lose yourself, escape daily life, find new ways to dream and new sources of inspiration. Shopping there isn't only about buying a product, it's about connecting. That's why I'm so saddened by the way many independents are driven away out of the business by on line sales, chains and supermarket betsellers. Like it happened in You've got m@il, when Meg Ryan had to battle Tom Hanks to keep her Store Around the Corner alive for fiction ... 

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... and like it's happening for real to many other beautiful and eclectic independent little stores worldwide or to the store that inspired the Hollywood film Notting Hill Gate. I read on the Telegraph that The Travel Bookshop is to be closed soon. What can we do to help? Maybe reading this interesting article could be the first step. In my small way, I keep visiting every bookshop that happens on my way, I've got my favorites I regularly go to and I've got a list of famous and legendary as well as interesting bookstores I would like to visit in my next trips.

Both Lonely Planet and The Guardian styled lists of the most famous bookstores in the world. I spent hours browsing through their slideshows and dreaming about these travel destinations. I'm sharing with you the ones I'd like to visit more among them. 

1 - First of all, the legendary Shakespeare and Co in Paris. They've an amazing web site that is inspiring on itself alone and that represents this unique place, which seems to be the most famous bookstore on the planet because of Hemingway's visits. 

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More beautiful pics here.

2 - The Dutch Selexyz Dominicanen in Maastricht, a 800-year-old church converted into a temple of books.

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3 - El Ateneo in Buenos Aires, an amazing bookshop converted from an old theather, where books are added to its sumptuous auditorium furnishings.

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4 - Livraria Lello in Porto, Portugal, an art nuveau gem with a central staircase to literary heaven.

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5 - Books for Cooks, in the British Notting Hill, a store that sells only cookbooks and holds cooking demonstrations.


7 - The amazing and fascinating Atlantis Books in Santorini (Greece), in style with the beauty of the island.

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All these inspiring places make me want to pack and leave to explore them right now. I feel reinvigorated at the only sight of these pics, go figure how overcome with weak at my knees I'd feel live in there. There is something dangerous about great art. That is what makes it cool. Wow!

2 comments:

  1. I absolutely love bookstores,the older, the better. When I looked at the first picture of the Shakespeare one, I could almost smell the books!

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  2. You're so right, Sandra! Books smell is something I didn't mention, but ca va sans dire, cherie! :)

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