Weekend » Vikend | 81 NYTimes već godinama objavljuje svoje putopisne reportaže pod nazivom 36 Hours in... The New York Times has been publishing travelogues under the heading “36 Hours in...” for years Tekst/Words: Ivan Radojčić Fotografije/Photography: iStock There’s a high probability that you were at the airport today and that, while checking in for the flight during which you would read this article, you passed a guy inahurry carrying a small weekend bag. And it’s very possible that that guy was me – after having decided to flee Belgrade to spend just three days in Rome. “Why such a short stay?” You would ask me despitenot evenknowingme. Because I like short trips to nearby metropolises the most. Everyone dreams of a luxurious holiday lasting a full twoweeks that will enable you toexplore your destination, relax and fully recharge your batteries.However, thencomes that bitter dose of reality: the return to a packed inbox and an insurmountable pile of obligations to catch up on.The solution is a “city break” trip. Although this idea is nothing new - The New York Times has been publishing travelogues under theheading “36Hours in...” for years, inwhichit shows readershowtonavigate the world’s most charismatic destinations like a local – the popularity of “short break” tourism is growingat anunstoppablepace.This is partly due to increasing numbers of flights and the huge popularity of accommodationbooking platforms that have outdone traditional hotel reservations, and partly due to the fact that studieshaveshownthat just such a sweet weekend getaway provides the same (if not more) health benefits as longer breaks. ka kaže da imse raspoloženje značajno popravilonakonkratkog odmora, 66 odsto je reklo da su se sa takvog odmora vratili puni energije, a 57 odsto je potvrdilo da je tad bilomanje pod stresom. Verujem da bi, nakon svih meseci tokom kojih usled kovid protokola nismo ni imali priliku da putujemo, ovakvo istraživanje još više išlo u prilog teze – i kratak odmor je bolji od nikakvog. Međutim, ne samo što je bolji od toga već je drastično drugačiji od tradicionalnog. Činjenica da imam toliko malo vremena da udahnemvazduhnovog grada kao iskusni lokalac je izazov kojemne mogu da odolim. A i kad bih mogao, zašto bih? Onda ne bih znao kako je spavati na plaži, i to svega dva sata izmeđudve žurke uBarseloneti, projuriti niz londonski Soho brže nego njihov ikonični crni taksi, kakva je radost pojesti kroasan u Parizu kodGalerije Lafajet, a samo nekoliko sati kasnije biti kod kuće u Beogradu i raspakivati šoping ulov. Zato, kad mi neko postavi pitanje: „Kako to da nisi ostao duže od tri dana?“, odgovaram: „Baš to mi je trebalo!“ According to data gleaned by Project Time Off, people who take short trips are happier, calmer and moreenergisedthanthosewhorarely go onholiday. Psychologists gatheredwithintheAmericanPsychology Associationare inagreement: inone survey conducted prior to the pandemic, 68%of respondents said that their mood improved significantly after a short break, 66% said that theyreturnedfromsuchabreakfilled with energy, while 57% confirmed that they felt under less stress. I believe that, after all the months during which COVID protocols meant that we didn’t even have the opportunity to travel, this kindof research would be even more supportive of the thesis that “a short break is better than no break”. It isn’t onlybetter than that, but it also differs drastically from a traditional holiday.The fact that I have so little time to breathe the air of a new city like an experienced local is a challenge that I can’t resist. And why would I?Then I wouldn’t know what it’s like tosleeponthebeachfor just two hours between two parties in Barcelona, to rush through London’s Soho faster than their iconic black cabs, the joy it is to finish off a croissant at Galeries Lafayette in Paris and be back home in Belgrade just a fewhours later, unpackingmy shopping catch. So,whensomeoneasksme“how come youdidn’t stay for longer than three days?” I reply, “That was just what I needed!”
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