I heard it so many times from so many people who came to Jelsa for a holiday: "I feel so relaxed here. After having so much stress, I could finally get some sleep and let it all go."
A relaxed atmosphere is something you will probably find in many small dalmatian cities. But there is something about Jelsa, which makes it one of the top destinations when it comes to being able to relax and get rid of stress..
Is it the lazy atmosphere of the pretty Jelsa square, where you can sit for hours enjoying the best coffee in the world, while having the feeling that time stopped, or never existed in the first place? No deadlines, no meetings, no to-do lists..
Or is it the fact, that most of the facilities you need are in walking distance from each other? From a cafe to a great restaurant. To the beach and back. Fish market, green market, bank and post office, little shops everywhere..
Or is it because it is so safe here? You can leave your kids play freely on the square or in the park. Let them ride their bikes to the beach knowing they are safe here.
And maybe it is because of the sun being such a faithful summer companion. When it comes to weather, you can count on having it as hot as possible during summer. You might be watching heavy clouds over the mainland, but not a raindrop that would fall in Jelsa.
And what about the people? Could it be, that the warm-hearted, welcoming and smiling hosts in Jelsa have something to do with it? Yes, they are the main ingredient in this special mix of inviting, relaxing and time-staying-still kind of atmosphere Jelsa has. Why? Because they use Kairos when handling time related issues.
Old Greeks actually had 2 words for time: chronos and kairos. While chronos is more about measuring time quantitatively, about when will something happen - deadlines, schedules, exact times.., kairos is more about the right moment to do something - Is the weather right? Is the moment right? Are the people needed present?
And while we tend to use chronos more in our day-to-day lives, getting ourselves under constant stress, it seems like it has no (or very little) power in Jelsa, where kairos is ruling our lives.
So, when visiting Jelsa this summer, forget chronos and welcome kairos with all your heart. Experience the most relaxed atmosphere, choose the perfect activity in that particular moment, whether it is lying on the beach doing absolutely nothing the whole day, or cycling through old roads of fields and vineyards, or ordering your third coffee that morning, while reading your favourite book for hours, Jelsa is the perfect place for you to relax in 2016.
