No matter where I travel, I always take a shopping trip to the local bookstore. Whether a small bookstore around the corner from my Air BnB or a museum visit that culminates with lined bookshelves of ancient history, there’s always a literary haven waiting to be explored.

Paris, France

Livraria Lello

Porto, Portugal

Madrid, Spain

Visit to the bookstore after the Vatican.

Louvre Museum in Paris, France

Milan Linate Airport

Moment of transparency. I was flying out of Milano to Paris. When I I arrived at the airport I didn't see the name of my airline on the monitor. I walked around thinking perhaps the airline wasn’t listed because I’d arrived early. I asked a flight attendant to assist me in finding the checkin counter. Much to my dismay, I was at the wrong airport!

I arrived at Milan Linate Airport in enough time to not only checkin but checkout this cool bookstore.

Lisbon, Portugal

According to Guinness Worlds Records, Bertrand Livraria is the oldest bookstore in the world.

Giza, Egypt

After my tour of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) I went to the book section of the gift shop. It was here that I was introduced to Naguib Mahfouz. There was something about his book that demanded my attention. I later discovered Mahfouz won the 1988 Nobel Prize in Literature. I purchased a few of his books and look forward to reading his writings.