Hello travellers friends,
As promised, here is The Weekend Postcard, a heart-felt, spontaneous, short (and free) letter I now send every Saturday Morning.
A new bookstore opened last week in Lisbon, and I wanted to share this news with you as it is a gorgeous place! Nestled in an off-the-beaten-path, residential neighbourhood, Good Company Books stands out by its location and atmosphere. There is nothing trendy or hipster here but a warm place filled with bespoke wooden shelves and a rail ladder gliding through them, giving it the feeling of a library—a nerdy touch echoed by some golden lamps that recall those of old libraries in Paris.
The selection is impeccable: from vintage classics with beautiful covers (Penguin Vintage with illustration by Aino-Maija Metsola for Virginia Wolf’s writings) to cookbooks, new releases, and some of my old-time favourites (Deborah Levy, Colm Tolbin, Colson Whitehead). It is a thoughtful curation.
On your left at the entrance, you will find a sleek cafe and bar (serving wine in the afternoon) with an Art Deco feel. Behind the bar, two stunning frames of illustrated tiles by artist Henriette Arcelin are displayed. The French ceramist has many pieces in different places in Portugal and created two murals for the bookstore’s cafe.
I have attached some pictures for you to see and feel the place.
Seeing a space and even more of a bookstore with character and charm is refreshing. Sam and Giovanna, an American & Brazilian couple, are behind this ambitious project. I can’t wait to see it grow and to come back for what are my favourite ways to escape and relax: books, coffee & tea (by the way, they serve delicious teas from Companhia Portugueza do Chá, including a killer green jasmine)
I can only recommend a coffee and book browsing session at Good Company Books if you are in town. For a different way to explore Portugal, you can also visit these selected places where Henriette Arecelin’s work is exposed:
Bairo do Avillez and Jacaré: two restaurants by Portuguese chef Jose Avillez in Lisbon Quinta to Quetzal and Sao Lourenco do Barrocal in Alentejo.
Henriette’s work, along with pieces by Vilhs and Oficina Marques, and a few others, is also currently exposed at the Tiles Museum (Museu Nacional do Azulejo ) as part of the celebration of the 175th anniversary of Viúva Lamego, a historic tile factory in Sintra since 1849.
Have a lovely weekend,
xxx
Can’t wait to visit it! Also my favorite combination 🤎📚🫖