I peered through the window of the Papershop Helsinki intently.
“Why don’t you go inside?” Fafa asked.
I told him my stationery-loving heart was still bruised from the underwhelming experience in Luiban, Germany. So, first, I needed to stock-take—from outside the store.
Inside, there were people—all women, mostly teenage girls. By this point, I’d made peace with the fact that I’d always be the oldest (and usually the oddest) person in any stationery store. That wasn’t the issue.
I kept staring, not unlike a Peeping Tom, with my nose practically pressed against the glass. Planners, diaries, pens. At the back, some serious-looking alphabet stickers caught my eye. It didn’t seem as dismal as Luiban, but I still wasn’t entirely convinced about going in.
And then I saw it: a rack of colourful postcards.
Now, listen. Postcards don’t usually excite me anymore. Most of the time, they’ve become too generic. It’s like that saying—if you’ve seen one cobblestoned European city, you’ve seen them all (for the record, I don’t agree with that saying, but it fits here). Postcards often feel like that: repetitive and uninspired. But not these.
These were unique—vividly colourful, unmistakably Scandinavian, and undeniably hygge.
I went in, made a quick round, and stopped at the postcard rack. I was right; these postcards were special. I picked a few, deciding to keep the sauna-themed one for myself. Then I headed to the cashier.
That’s when I saw it: a postbox etched into the wall.
Dumb Question #1: “Err… can I send a postcard from here?”
“Yes.”
Dumb Question #2: “Er… do you have stamps?”
“International or local?”
Well. Isn’t that lovely?
My biggest struggle with sending postcards from Europe had always been finding the stamps. They’re almost exclusively sold at post offices, and why would I want to hunt down a post office while travelling? But here, in a paper shop called Papershop Helsinki, stamps were right at the counter.
For that reason alone, this Papershop Helsinki earned a solid five-tourist-star rating from me.
I texted Fafa: Do you want to come in? This might take a while.
I circled back to the postcard rack, grabbing two more. Then I stood by the counter and crunch-wrote sweet nothings onto five postcards on the spot.
Hello from Helsinki //we ate three pastries in a go // people are tall and stylish // We had the best Indo food // Leaving for Amsterdam // Elk burger // Marimeko is too expensive // yada yada yada
If you’ve ever received a postcard from me, it’s because I probably love you.
And if you ever need to buy or send a postcard while in Helsinki, the Papershop is probably the best place for you.
Paperikauppa Papershop Helsinki address: Fredrikinkatu 18, 00120 Helsinki, Finland.
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