A light breeze sways the curtain and blows the air heavy with heat. Soft jazz music plays softly in the bottom, intertwined with the noise of children playing in the street and chirping birds. A glass of cold lemonade and clinking ice cubes sweats on the table, and the book spread out beside it rests for a few minutes. The day is Monday.
If you think this is a description of someone's vacation or a scene from a movie, you'd probably be right. But it's also a picture of the lives of a growing number of people who have chosen to get behind the hamster-in-a-wheel rhythm and seek a fulfilling existence "in slow motion." They indulge in enjoying the little things in life, homes surrounded by greenery and nature, good company and time for all those things that "time is short". Slow life philosophy is about rediscovering the charm of everyday life, finding balance and realizing that the constant pursuit of "more" and "higher" is not necessarily a formula for happiness.
And while in our country this idea still has a hard time making its way and is a choice for few who choose places to live like the Slow Life District, there are other parts of the world where slow life is in symbiosis with the rushing rhythm of the new century. We present you some of them.
Paphos, Cyprus
"Sunrises and sunsets tell stories that days and nights retell." This poetic sentence by an unknown author describes Cyprus to the fullest, because the first thing anyone setting foot on the Mediterranean island notices is the incredibly beautiful sunset (or sunrise, depending on the part you're in). With colours that come out from under the palette of the greatest artist - Nature, Cyprus' sunrises and sunsets are something that every day, at any moment of the year, makes its inhabitants hold their breath and bow before the majesty of the universe. And when your day is filled with the feeling of something unearthly and divine, minor annoyances hardly manage to dampen the good mood.
In Cyprus, people have lived in slow motion for centuries. Typical of a place bathed in sunshine for most of the year, here too the time for work is concentrated in the early hours of the day, and if something couldn't be done today - tomorrow is a day too. Defying all modern logic, where deadlines are constantly pressing and for the machine to run everything has to happen instantly and now, in Cyprus there is always time for a job to drag on and still get done.
A particularly telling example of the slow pace of life is the city of Paphos. The smallest of the four multi-cities in Cyprus, Paphos is a tourist destination visited annually by around 500,000 tourists with a growing trend. However, everyone who comes here immediately feels a change in the air. The tension disappears, replaced by a pleasant sense of timelessness. In Paphos, you'll often see young people drinking coffee for hours as the day slowly fades, you'll see families strolling along the main street by the sea, you'll hear the clamour of children playing in the street. People who have lived in Cyprus for centuries have chosen a simple formula for living - good food and good company, for which there is always time.
The picture, of course, is never perfect and often there is a wait of months, if not years, for a significant project or idea to come to fruition, and there is no shortage of organisational events such as concerts, theatre, etc. Yet the beauty of life in Paphos is undeniable - people take time to communicate with each other, and to enjoy the ordinary things in life without succumbing too much to the stresses and strains.
Peniche, Portugal
"Just living is not enough, one must have sun, freedom and some flowers" said Hans Christian Andersen, and although he himself never set foot in Portugal, much less Peniche, these words of his, describe the essence of the European surf capital most accurately.
In Peniche, the philosophy of slow life is the philosophy of freedom, of sun, sand and beautiful waves. A city located in the westernmost part of continental Europe, on a small peninsula cut into the Atlantic Ocean, it attracts thousands of avid surfers from all over the world every year. The Ocean is the ruler here. The infinite horizon and the power of the high waves crashing against the shore create a sense of the fleetingness of everything and the desire to live every moment to the full.
In Peniche, beauty is held in special esteem. It is part of everyday life - in the flies and petunias shining on the balconies, in the houses painted in bright colours, in the cobbled streets, in the frescoes in the churches or in the power of the surf. The people here are used to vicissitudes, but they have not broken their spirit and their thirst for existence in harmony with themselves and their surroundings.
The problems of modernity affect this peaceful place too - difficulties in finding work, hooliganism, insufficient opportunities for the young, but in spite of all this the people of the town remain friendly and open-hearted, exhilarated by their sense of freedom.
Rennes, France
"Give it time" is a saying attributed to the French, and while its origins are not entirely confirmed it is easy to imagine French handwriting behind it. Known the world over for their love of fine drinks and quality food, the French are definitely people who appreciate the good things in life and know how to enjoy them.
The city of Rennes is located in the North West of the country and far from having the glamorous glory of the French Riviera and the intoxicating aura of the Bordeaux region, it does have one other quality - the ability to give time, not just to the weather, but to people.
Historically, the town has existed for more than 2,000 years and the legend of Asterisk is linked to its surroundings, while buildings with seven centuries of history are preserved in its centre. Alongside the churches, monasteries and other public and cultural buildings, many restaurants, pubs and patisseries continue to live on in the historic part of the town, bringing to life buildings that are several centuries old.
For the people of Rennes, the slow life idea is about respect and taking time and attention. In typical French fashion, every detail is important to them, and it must be carefully crafted. This is evident in the arrangement of the many cafés and restaurants, where even a vase with a colourful bouquet placed on the table plays its part in the overall impression and adds to the pleasure of the experience. It is also evident in the care with which the townspeople try to preserve their historic buildings, constantly restoring them, but without compromising their appearance in the slightest.
Exchanging pleasantries in the bakery early in the morning, a walk to the farmers' markets in the surrounding villages, a long lunch with good company and a superb cider - the pride of the region - are all part of the French idea of slow life - a wonderful mix of tradition and novelty.
Bratislava, Slovakia
"Stop living for what's around the corner and start enjoying the walk down the street," American singer Grant Miller says in one of his songs. In Bratislava, its inhabitants really know how to enjoy a walk down the street and have tried to make it a pleasant experience worth taking a little time for every day.
With around 500,000 inhabitants, the city is among the smallest European capitals and the rhythm of life, although typically metropolitan, is somewhat slow and smooth in sync with the movement of the mighty Danube river running through the centre. For the inhabitants of Bratislava, everyday life is a continuous journey between past and present, due to the architecturally distinct historic central part and modern residential periphery. They have skilfully bridged the different times and have tried to preserve good traditions and beautiful memories. Slow life philosophy here is expressed in the preservation not only of historical sites, but also of the spirit of a bygone time. One of the most striking examples of this are the unusual statues that line the city's central streets. Most of them are of ordinary people - quirky personalities like Sean Natzi, who stood on the corner by his house every morning and spent the day bowing and saluting to passing ladies. Meeting these living, animated monuments brings a smile and warmth to the heart. They are a bow to true humanity - that of everyday life. In addition to them - the flower-laden pillars, the buildings transformed into beautiful colours, the amber colour of the beer and the delicious aromas from the restaurants - all merge into a cosy, cordial atmosphere that captivates with its serenity.
Dublin, Ireland
An old Irish saying goes "When God made time, he made enough of it" and if nothing else the Irish can be said to know how to pass the time, especially in convivial company.
Dublin is one of Europe's most popular capitals, attracting thousands of visitors a year, mainly around the famous St. Patrick's Day. It's a holiday celebrated by a three-day binge and parade through the city streets. It is also the biggest holiday for the Irish, whose history is a string of vicissitudes and hardships, but also a source of fortitude, perseverance and a philosophical attitude to life, expressed in the enjoyment of the moment to the point of self-forgetfulness. The Irish know how to live like there is no tomorrow, but with the knowledge that they will probably have to wake up and go to work again. To some extent this is the basis of the Irish understanding of slow life - life is only real in the moment.
Also characteristic of Dubliners is their sense of community. Despite the heavy historical legacy of the long civil war, there is a sense of consensus in the capital about the future of the city and its development. A number of infrastructure projects are attempting to erase the social boundary that has formed over time between the two parts of the city separated by the River Liffey. The emphasis is on maintaining parks and gardens and creating recreational spaces, even in the busiest central locations. Numerous events are organised - concerts, bazaars, mini-festivals - for charitable purposes, which help to bring people together and increase civic responsibility. Additional attention is focused on the preservation and restoration of places and sites of great importance to the historical memory of the Irish, whether it be the Guinness factory, Joyce's home or Dublin's oldest pub.
All of these factors define Dublin's romantic charm as a city where its inhabitants feel comfortable, with the feeling that they can always slow down the rhythm of time with a glass of Guinness or an aged whisky.
Slow life is an ambiguous philosophy. But its essence lies in people's ability to get the best out of their surroundings while remaining in harmony with them. Bulgaria is a country with breathtaking nature and many prerequisites for a good life, it is up to us how much we can learn to live in peace with ourselves and our surroundings.
Author
Nadia Kafkova is a freelance journalist. She divides her time between Bulgaria, Cyprus and other travels, convinced that only by getting to know different cultures can we understand our differences. She appreciates the small joys in life and attention to detail.