Tale’s tail

In my previous post I describe the feelings I had while walking around Old Ljubljana. Nothing like books to ground me, I said and entered a familiar shop at last. And yet they are dying out, old shops and books, like Partisans, Polar bears and hippies.

It’s not very surprising. Even I, who was the last to get a mobile phone and who fight modernisation wherever I can, even I have got myself an e-reader with more e-books that I’ll be able to read in my lifetime. And yet I’ve bought at least ten new firm-bodied ones on top of that in the last few months.

With similar half-guilty feelings I entered my favourite used books shop but the guilt vanished at the scent. Alas, it was closing-time, in more ways than one. We caught the good old times by the tale’s tail.

Here is my booklist, the collection of book titles that are one person’s opinion of the most there is. I cannot give you anything more precious that this.

And here are some photos of how it rolls nowadays.

This is Ljubljana Town Hall, “Magistrat”, in Old Town.

And opposite is a staple: the used-book shop named after Primož Trubar, the first to write a book in Slovenian, in 1550.

As often in the past, after shopping, I ended in here to ground myself. Books are able to do that to me. It was closing time but I managed to get a few words in. (Including: “Can I take a photo of your doors?”)

These days, the bookshop shares their cool hallway with a sports shop.

You can guess which part draws in more crowds. (“Old and young, men and women, they will rush in!”)

The other end of the hallway.

A new customer: which will it be? 250 EUR sneakers or a 1 EUR book?

Think about it, Ljubljana and the world: the ones who tell you to spend have won over those who tell you to rebel.

Photo: © signature mmm