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How to Create a Laid-Back, European-Style Summer When You Can’t Take a Whole Month Off
It was 100+ degrees, and city streets were empty this weekend here in the Greek world where I live. Both are signs that summer is now in full swing and something like 90 percent of the population was at the beach. This general drift toward the sea will only accelerate over the next few weeks — until around mid-August the entire country of Cyprus basically just gives up and goes on holiday for a couple of weeks.
As you may have heard, this isn’t just lazy, heat-addled Cypriots (go ahead, I dare you to try and be productive when it’s 105 degrees out and beaches like this are less than an hour away). Europeans of all stripes are famed for their long summer vacations. Weeks off is the norm, and a whole month is nothing out of the ordinary.
The European approach to summer
This laid-back, European approach to summer is made possible by the continent’s less obsessive relationship to work and the wealth of legally mandated vacation time (four weeks for established employees here in Cyprus, which is pretty standard). And yes, it’s just as lovely as it sounds.
Which means many Americans fully agree with Richard Branson that the amount of holiday that Americans get “is something of a disgrace,” but aren’t in a…
