The book café we always wanted to have

Where and how to have a excellent café experience.

It is a relatively new café in my old hometown Umeå, with a hand carved wood sign above the door. It is called Café Pilgatan as it is situated on the road with the same name.
It’s one of those dream coffee shops that we’ve talked about so many times. You know? The one we wanted to open and own. The one we wanted to visit and sit in for hours while sipping our tea or coffee. Where we could bring our journal and sit alone, or talk about books and culture with gathering friends.

Spacious. Beautiful. Cozy. With art exhibitions on the wall, second hand book this side by side with new books, covering the walls of the shop. A few vintage kitchen sofas to live in. All this and then the new author sponsored and signed chairs that is filling the cafe. Plus the place is owned and kept by librarians!

The shop is small but has a nice selection of pretty bookmarks, fair trade food and dark chocolate plus these cool Penguin paperback porcelain mugs that make me think of my friend Anna Ost.

One of the book rooms are dedicated to children’s reading. Vintage children’s books like these brings memories back to our minds as we stand in front of them and pet them. We think back to parents reading out loud as we admire colorful book covers as they don’t do come out like this anymore.

When not covered with bookshelves the walls show images of our friends; ?ijer, Kahlo, Frida Selander and Strindberg!

And I forget time and sip my coffee until it’s cold:

Writing about the day that passed in my Moleskine diary.