An illustrated journey with Mea ZenReal places.
Real places.
Wandering heart.
Open pages.
The map has no last page.
Come a little closer. Beyond the postcard is a street, a story, and a woman with a notebook — finding her own way through the world.
✦ Nine chapters ✦ Original travel photographs ✦ One open notebookTake the scenic route
The story collection
Fresh pages from the notebook.
New · Portugal · Mea Zen
One More Page
In Sintra, Mea plans to finish the last page of her notebook. The palace, a carved face and the garden all have additions of their own.
New · The Netherlands · Our trio
Forecast: Three Smiles
In the Netherlands, Mea, Colombine and Lu Cia make their own forecast. Variable cloud, probable wind, good spirits by mutual agreement.
New · Montenegro · Mea Zen
The Echo Joined In
Mea greets an old gateway in Bar. The answer is brief, slightly unclear and just enough to start a little game.
New · Croatia · Our trio
The Lion Would Not Smile
On Korčula, our trio tries to remain dignified in front of a stone lion. The lion has a head start of several centuries.
New · Belgium · Mea Zen
A Shadow at My Heels
In Ghent, Mea acquires an unexpected companion: her own shadow. It has long legs, excellent stamina and no objection to taking the scenic route.
New · Italy · Our trio
An Umbrella in Good Company
Lake Garda. A passing shower tests how much good humour can fit beneath one umbrella.
New · French Riviera · Mea Zen
A Song with No Name
Antibes, Cap Ferrat, Nice and Saint-Tropez. Mea hums a tune she has never heard all the way through.
New · Slovakia · Our trio
A Photograph on a Timer
Trnava, Devín and Bratislava. Three friends, one camera and a few seconds with their own idea of the perfect pose.
New · Spain · Mea Zen
Steps without Counting
Granada and Santiago de Compostela. Mea starts counting steps, but the views keep interrupting.
New · Portugal · Our trio
A Postcard for the Three of Us
Porto. Three friends write one postcard and take a while to decide whom it is for.
New · The Netherlands · Mea Zen
Two Wheels, a Slow Morning
Amsterdam. Mea has a bicycle, but decides not to measure her discovery of the city by speed.
New · Montenegro · Our trio
Whispers with a View
Montenegro. A short sentence passes between three friends and arrives in an entirely different story.
New · Croatia · Mea Zen
The Shoes Took a Break
Makarska, Brela, Baška Voda and Orebić. Mea gives herself and two very hardworking shoes a rest.
New · Belgium · Our trio
A Waffle for Three Smiles
Brussels. One waffle, three friends and a plan for perfectly fair sharing that does not last long.
New · Italy · Mea Zen
A Mask and My Own Smile
Venice. Mea tries a little mask and discovers that the best part of the game remains visible.
New · Portugal · Our trio
The Cat Chose Us
Óbidos. A ginger visitor briefly joins the trio, bringing her own opinion of travel plans.
New · Slovakia · Mea Zen
An Invitation from a Streetlamp
Evening in Bratislava. Mea is ready to go home, but the lamplit streets offer a few more lovely steps.
New · French Riviera · Our trio
The Ball Has the Last Word
Saint-Paul-de-Vence. Mea, Colombine and Lu Cia try pétanque and quickly discover who has the deciding voice on the court.
New · Spain · Mea Zen
A Little Drama with a Fan
Granada, Córdoba, Seville and Barcelona. Mea discovers a little fan and a taste for being playfully theatrical.
New · The Netherlands · Our trio
The Mystery of One Blue Glove
Amsterdam and Zandvoort. Mea has two hands, one glove and two friends ready to investigate.
New · Croatia · Mea Zen
A Table for One, Please
Poreč. Mea chooses a good seat, orders coffee and discovers that pleasant company can arrive entirely on her own.
New · Montenegro · Our trio
The Dragon Had the Day Off
Lovćen, Mrtvica, Tara and the Bay of Kotor. The trio searches the landscape for a dragon, though each sees something rather different.
New · Italy · Mea Zen
Flowers for No Reason
Venice, Florence, Rome and Lake Garda. Three little flowers accompany Mea through an illustrated collage of Italian moments.
New · Belgium · Our trio
Not Quite a Likeness
Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp and Leuven. Three friends try drawing portraits, and likeness acquires an unexpected rival: a very good mood.
New · Portugal · Mea Zen
A Ticket for a Little Detour
Lisbon. Mea sets out with a little paper ticket and returns with a taste for taking her time.
New · French Riviera · Our trio
One Lemon for Three
Vence, Antibes, Nice and Monaco. An ordinary market lemon becomes a small companion on a shared journey.
New · Slovakia · Mea Zen
A Little Red Ribbon
Bratislava, Trnava, Banská Štiavnica and Devín. Mea takes a little ribbon on a journey, and it eventually finds a place between the pages.
New · Croatia · Our trio
Ice Cream Does Not Wait
Hvar, Vrboska and Stari Grad. Three friends choose three flavours and discover that ice cream will not wait for their travel debates.
New · Spain · Mea Zen
An Earring for the Sun
Granada, Córdoba, Seville and Madrid. A small glint accompanies Mea from a sunny lookout to an evening square.
New · The Netherlands · Our trio
Today Lu Cia Chooses
Amsterdam, Middelburg and Zandvoort. Mea and Colombine let Lu Cia choose the way and discover the pleasure of seeing through someone else’s eyes.
New · High Tatras · Slovakia · Mea Zen
The Colour I Could Not Pack
Four attempts to bring the mountains home. Mea looks for a colour that will fit inside her notebook.
New · Montenegro · Our trio
A Picnic without a Booking
Biogradsko Lake, Rijeka Crnojevića, Perast and Velika plaža. Three friends, one small cloth and a pleasantly modest idea of happiness.
New · Portugal · Mea Zen
The Letter I Will Keep
Óbidos, Queluz, Porto and Guincho. Mea begins a letter without an address and gradually discovers who she wants to keep it for.
New · Italy · Our trio
A Theatre without Tickets
Venice, Florence, Rome and Lake Garda. Our trio discovers the scenery, shares out the roles and gives a performance that will never be repeated quite the same way.
New · Belgium · Mea Zen
The Crown Stayed at Home
Ghent, Bruges, Leuven and the Belgian coast. Mea discovers how much royal dignity an ordinary outing can hold.
New · Spain · Our trio
No Chance of a Straight Face
Barcelona, Zaragoza, Santiago de Compostela and Mallorca. Three friends try to keep straight faces; the competition has fins, feathers and surprisingly good stamina.
New · French Riviera · Mea Zen
One Step for Joy
Saint-Paul-de-Vence, Saint-Tropez, Hyères and Cap Ferrat. Mea finds a small reason to set her shoulders, her skirt and an ordinary day in motion.
New · Slovakia · Our trio
Rules for One Use
Trnava and Bratislava. Colombine proposes rules for a leisurely outing; Mea and Lu Cia gradually demonstrate why exceptions are necessary.
New · The Netherlands · Mea Zen
A Hat with Plans of Its Own
Amsterdam, Middelburg and the beach at Zandvoort. Mea takes a hat on her travels and gradually discovers another travelling companion: the wind.
New · Montenegro · Our trio
Home for Five Minutes
Budva, Cetinje, Biogradsko Lake and Rijeka Crnojevića. The trio chooses a home that requires no keys.
New · Croatia · Mea Zen
The Boat That Never Sailed
Cavtat, Ston, Makarska and Primošten. Mea folds a paper boat that turns out to be excellent company on dry land.
New · Italy · Our trio
You Cannot Hide a Smile
Venice, Florence, Rome and Garda. One mask passes from hand to hand, but the smiles remain entirely recognisable.
New · Portugal · Mea Zen
One Colour Is Not Enough
Lisbon, Coimbra, Guimarães and Porto. Mea looks for one colour to remember the journey by, and Portugal makes choosing wonderfully difficult.
New · The Netherlands · Our trio
A Little Concert Without Tickets
An Amsterdam canal, two stops in Middelburg and the sea at Zandvoort. The trio assembles a travel concert with no printed programme.
New · Slovakia · Mea Zen
Pockets Full of Sunday
Trnava, a Štiavnica hillside, the Tatra foothills and Bratislava. Mea collects moments that refuse to fit a list of errands.
New · Riviera and Monaco · Our trio
The Other Side of the Lens
Monaco, Antibes, Cap Ferrat and Nice. This time, the woman who usually takes the picture belongs in it too.
New · Spain · Mea Zen
A Dress for an Ordinary Day
Seville, Córdoba, Toledo and an evening in Granada. Mea Zen discovers that a favourite dress needs no special occasion.
New · Italy · Our trio
A Sweet Agreement
Venice, Florence, Rome and Lake Garda. Three friends discover that decisions come more easily around a shared table.
New · Belgium · Mea Zen
Rain Changed My Plans
Bruges, Leuven, Brussels and the coast. Mea Zen packed some grand plans—and one red umbrella.
New · Bratislava · Our trio
We're Not Going Home Yet
Devín, Michael's Gate, the theatre and one warmly lit lane. Mea, Colombine and Lu Cia discover that even a familiar city deserves a longer evening.
New · Montenegro · Mea Zen
When the Notebook Falls Silent
Ostrog, the sea near Ulcinj, Podgorica and Virpazar. Mea Zen searches for the right words—and finds moments that can simply stay moments.
New · Croatia · Our trio
Grand Plans, Little Joys
Dubrovnik, Trsteno, Korčula and Pelješac. Three travellers discover how much joy fits between the grand views.
New · Portugal · Mea Zen
Beautifully Crooked
Sintra, Óbidos, Batalha and Coimbra. Mea Zen wants to bring home a lovely sketch of Portugal. Her pencil has ideas of its own.
New · Belgium · Our trio
No Key Required
Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp and Bokrijk. Mea Zen, Colombine and Lu Cia go looking for the right door — and find something better.
New · French Riviera · Mea Zen
One Bonjour Is Enough
Antibes, Vence, Hyères and Saint-Tropez. Mea Zen discovers how far one ordinary greeting can take her.
New · Montenegro · Mea, Colombine and Lu Cia
We Couldn't Keep Quiet
Perast, Lovćen, Lake Skadar and the Tara. Mea, Colombine and Lu Cia try simply looking for a while — without a single comment.
New · Croatia · Mea Zen
Just One More Corner
Šibenik, Split, Trogir and Hvar. Mea Zen tries the shortest route — with little detours that keep multiplying.
New · The Netherlands · Mea, Colombine and Lu Cia
A Pocketful of Sky
Amsterdam, Middelburg and Zandvoort. Mea, Colombine and Lu Cia look for a souvenir big enough to hold a whole journey.
New · Italy and the Vatican · Mea Zen
The City Suits Me
Mea Zen in Venice, Florence, Rome and the Vatican. Four stops, and a smile that cannot be rehearsed.
New · Spain · Our trio
Three Views, One Journey
Mea, Colombine and Lu Cia in Spain. Each notices something different; together they see more.
New · Portugal · Mea’s notebook
Nowhere Else Today
Four stops in Portugal, and the small art of leaving something for tomorrow.
New · Slovakia · Three companions
Tea for Three
One flask, three cups, and views best enjoyed together.
New · Belgium · Mea Zen
On a Single Postcard
Four stops, one postcard, and a sentence in no hurry to arrive.
New · Riviera and Monaco · Three companions
Look Natural
One sketchbook and three women trying far too hard to look relaxed. Playful posing by a fountain, a pink villa and historic cannons ends beside the sea in Nice.
New · Spain and Gibraltar · Mea’s notebook
A Little Air, Please
One fan, a tiled pattern, and an audience that refuses to be charmed. Four warm-weather moments with Mea Zen, from Granada to the evening sea in Mallorca.
New · Montenegro · Three companions
Five More Minutes
Three companions, each with a reason to linger. From Kotor past a stone bridge and an old olive tree to the bay at Sveti Stefan.
New · Croatia · Mea’s notebook
A Place in the Shade
Cool stone, green shade, and a peacock with firm ideas about elegance. Four summer moments with Mea Zen in Dubrovnik, Trsteno, Lokrum and Poreč.
New · The Netherlands · Three companions
We Understood Each Other Anyway
A wave across the canal, two languages in one sentence, and a portrait that refuses to stay serious. Join Mea, Colombine and Lu Cia for four playful Dutch moments.
New · Italy · Mea’s notebook
The Line That Led Me
A gondola, a crooked line, and a drawing that keeps changing. Follow Mea through Venice, Florence, Rome and the quiet of Lake Garda.
A new trio story · Portugal
The Page the Wind Turned
Three women, one notebook, and a breeze with ideas of its own. Join Mea, Colombine and Lu Cia from Lisbon’s tram tracks to a lighthouse above the Atlantic.
New in Mea’s notebook · Bratislava & Devín
The City That Looked Back
A familiar street, a page left blank, and the pleasure of taking your time. Follow Mea through four illustrated moments, from morning under Michael’s Gate to one more golden evening street.
Follow your curiosity
Where shall we wander?
Start close to home, follow the coast, or turn to any page. Every chapter is a small invitation to look again.
CHAPTER 01Slovakia
The first page
CHAPTER 02Portugal
Learning the edge
CHAPTER 03Spain and Gibraltar
Patterns and detours
CHAPTER 04The Riviera and Monaco
An afternoon without a task
CHAPTER 05Italy and Vatican City
The city reflected
CHAPTER 06Belgium
Small rooms in a large journey
CHAPTER 07The Netherlands
A wider line
CHAPTER 08Croatia
Stone, shade, and the shared square
CHAPTER 09Montenegro
The page that stays openFrom photograph to storyThe places are real.
The places are real.
The pages can dream.
Our old photographs are the beginning, not the ending. Familiar streets become illustrated scenes; Mea’s notebook gives them a new voice.
Try the photograph switch. The original image is still here, exactly where the story began.
Explore the photo archive“The tram knew its route.Mea’s notebook · The Portugal chapter
I was still negotiating mine.”
Travel2CityThe Map with No Last PageA story to hold in your handsThe notebook is
Step inside the book
The notebook is
becoming a book.
Nine chapters. Twenty-one illustrated sequences. A journey through the places we photographed, and the feelings we imagined along the way.
Illustrated edition in preparationStep inside the book
More pages from our world.
While the Travel2City illustrated book is taking shape, explore these English editions from our connected creative and historical archives.
The Dr. Beter Audio Letters
Volume 2 · Letters 41–80 (1978–1982)
The second half of the numbered Audio Letters, continuing the archive through 1982.
English-language editions. The buttons open Amazon product pages. Choose your preferred format on Amazon. Check Amazon for current availability and prices. Historical claims are presented for critical study; personal interpretations and illustrated reconstructions are distinguished from documented events.