Road Trip: The 'Only French Bookstore in Bucharest'

Librairie Kyralina, the only French-language bookstore in Bucharest, "has been a go-to place for the francophone community in the capital for the last three years," Romania-Insider.com reported, adding that the bookstore "remains clear about the focus of its activity and meeting the reading interests of its public."

The bookshop started in a small space "because at the beginning nobody knew if it was a good idea or not," said proprietor Valentine Gigaudaut. Last year she moved to a bigger location, with an increased focus on children's books. "In the first bookshop we knew that we could grow and the more books we have, the more we sell. So it was time for us to move and to become bigger....

"Sometimes, not every day, but very often, we have grandparents who come here with their grandchildren, and they just sit here and they read a book. It's very moving. Then we know what we live for. The grandparents can speak French, the children can't speak French because they decided to focus on English and now, with the grandchildren, the parents realize it is important for children to speak English and another language. And because the grandparents can speak French they don't transmit it to the children, they transmit it to the next generation."

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