This Friday I want to take it easy.

After twelve long and intense FRAdays, I decided to avoid difficult subjects and enjoy the weekend in total relax. One of the things I have rediscovered in recent months, in fact, is the authentic meaning of this word.

A state of well-being that has nothing to do with the idea of ​​”doing nothing” but which gives you pure moments of pleasure that make you feel good, both physically and mentally.

Relaxation has many different shades and forms. There are those who live it in the green, some admiring the blue of the sky, some swimming in a crystalline blue water, some getting lost in their thoughts. Or those who go out on their bikes early in the morning when the city turns pink.

Start by giving your life a different rythm

Although to some of you it may seem like a heresy what I am about to say, there are some things that can be easily postponed (at least on the weekend). Slowing down the pace of your commitments can sometimes be very productive, especially if you use your time to reconnect with yourself.

I learned this while cycling around Rome these months. A relaxing and at the same time stimulating habit, which gives me not only the opportunity to travel the city in a sustainable way, but also to make unexpected encounters.

This is what happened to me a few weeks ago, while I was cycling along the Lungotevere cycle path for an appointment in the Prati area. Suddenly I heard the unmistakable notes of a jazz melody in the distance.

As I progressed, I discovered that the music was not coming from a club, but from a young man who was playing under a tunnel. I stopped, leaving my appointment on the side for a few minutes, to enjoy his performance in the front row. Once the music was finished, which I obviously filmed, we met and exchanged contacts, with the promise that I would go in the club where he was playing.

Travel far away with your mind. 

Besides music, there are many things I love to do to relax. The most important one for me is to travel!  But these are completely different journeys, where there is no need to prepare any luggage or buy a ticket. 

These are the trips that I do with my imagination when I listen to a piece of music, admire a work of art or read a book.

Japanese narrative is an extremely fascinating field, sometimes treacherous and certainly not so easy to navigate for someone like me, who is used to read in one breath,  especially action, historical and noir novels.

Japanese literature is completely different from Western literature. If you take the example of Norwegian Wood written by Murakami, you discover its depth and power despite the “simple” language used.

How will you spend this weekend?

I will stay in Rome, but with my head I will be in Tokyo, the city where Apartment 401 by Shuichi Yoshida is set. A Japanese thriller that kept me in suspense and that I will finish reading this weekend.

Once finished, I will leave for Hollywood, London, New Delhi, Marrakech and all those magical places where my imagination will lead me to.

If you would like to spend a few moments of relaxation together with music, books, exhibitions and cinema, I invite you to take a tour on my Facebook and Instagram channels.

Relax, it’s FRAday!