A bookshop can become a favorite in an instant.  That’s all it takes – a fleeting moment and the perfect combination of circumstances.  Perhaps it’s lovely weather, a pretty setting, helpful staff, a chance discovery of a great book, even a memorable cup of tea.  When all the ingredients blend perfectly, you have it: that unforgettable place that immediately joins the list of your favorites.

All those ingredients came together recently on a sunny, warm afternoon in a quiet street in Athens, not far from the Acropolis.  I was doing what I like to do – wandering around, but not quite aimlessly.  I knew I wanted a place where I could sit, sip some tea, and watch the world go by.  A friend had recommended Little Tree some days previously, so it was a pleasure to stumble across it during my walk.  It had exactly what I wanted: a quiet patio, shaded by trees, where I could sit with a bunch of young Athenians enjoying coffee and tea.  I couldn’t resist the tea called Soul Euphoria (a combination of apple, chamomile, pineapple, hibiscus, and other ingredients I’ve now forgotten) and a slice of the best homemade lemon tart I’ve ever eaten.

Did I mention this was a bookshop?  Little Tree is, quite rightly, for the locals, and stocks  mostly Greek-language titles.  I found a couple of shelves of English books, mostly translations of classic Greek writers such as Giorgos Seferis.  It didn’t matter.  Great bookshops are about more than books.