A few days ago, while tidying up the shop, I found myself smiling.

I realized that, over the past twelve years, my shop has lived in more places than I ever imagined it would.

The first was in my parents' dining room.

Then it moved into part of my father's archive.

Later, it found a home beneath the porch.

After that, it occupied a corner of my mother's laundry room.

And today, after twelve years, it has finally settled into my father's former office.

For now, this is where it is.

Who knows where the future will lead.

Every time I think back on this journey, I smile, because in many ways my shop has always been a little like me: it has never stood still. It kept searching for its place while never stopping to welcome people along the way.

Today, it feels like a real shop.

Not that the previous ones weren't.

They absolutely were.

The difference is that today I have finally been able to imagine it exactly as I wanted: I chose the wall colours, the lighting, the furniture, and even installed heating and air conditioning.

It may sound like a small detail, but to me they represent two simple luxuries earned through patience, perseverance, and years of daily sacrifice.

And yet, there is something that has stayed with me.

I never once felt embarrassed by the places that housed my shop.

I never wondered whether they were "beautiful enough."

I knew how much work stood behind every choice and, above all, I knew that what truly mattered had nothing to do with the walls surrounding me.

All I needed was a place where I could welcome my guests.

The magic, I believed, would come from my stories, my passion, and my genuine desire to share a product and a tradition that I love deeply.

If there is one thing that has never been missing from our hospitality, it is authenticity.

And I believe our guests have always felt it.

Those who came here were not looking for a polished setting.

They were not looking for an industrial production facility.

They were not searching for a place designed simply to look beautiful in photographs.

They were looking for something real.

And thankfully, that is something we have always had in abundance.

Today, I can also say that I have a beautiful shop.

A place that feels entirely my own and reflects exactly what I always hoped it would.

But when I think about every space that came before it, I would not change a single thing.

Because the quality of the experience we offered never depended on the room we were in.

It always depended on the people.

On the welcome we offered, the time we dedicated to every guest, and the passion with which we share our work.

I believe our guests have always recognized that.

That is why I feel I owe them my gratitude.

Thank you for looking beyond appearances.

Thank you for seeing the essence of our work before the beauty of the place itself.

Thank you for understanding that behind every wall, whatever its colour, there was the same dedication, the same enthusiasm, and the same sincere desire to make you feel at home.

Looking back today, I believe this is one of the greatest gifts my work has given me.

Because there are compliments that make you happy.

And then there are gestures that tell you someone has truly seen who you are.

To me, there is no greater recognition than that.

Thank you.

Sofia