What is more important- to be productive, or to have a good life? The people of Plovdiv, the second largest city in Bulgaria, emphasize the philosophy of “aylyak,” which translates to idleness or dawdling, but in reality embodies the idea that taking your time and savoring the moment is a valid and desirable way of life.
In the downtown Kapana district, people spill out of bars and cafes into the pedestrian streets. Under brightly painted murals on the walls, groups of young people hang out, flirt and check their phones. In the cafe by the Dzhumaya Mosque in the town centre, people sit for hours and sip cups of Turkish coffee. Even the cats in the cobbled streets of the old town seem more languid than elsewhere. They stretch and purr, then they roll over and go back to sleep. If you ask the people here why the city is so relaxed, they will tell you: Plovdiv, they will say, is “aylyak”.
Plovdiv's culture of a laid-back, social lifestyle owes its origins to history, but is also fed by its reputation, which draws new residents from around the world. Read about the city that takes its time at BBC Travel. -via Digg