\u201cWe were brought up in the swimming pool,\u201d says film-maker J\u00f3n Karl Helgason, who made the 2022 documentary Sundlaugas\u00f6gur (Swimming Pool Stories). \u201cThey are everyone\u2019s playground. You come with your parents, then later your girlfriend or boyfriend.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Iceland:](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/SH3DZQNEVBGT3GZWFC2LWDNWSY.jpg\")
Iceland: With a population of just over 400,000, there is one pool for every 2,500 people. Photograph: iStock <\/p>\n
Helgason swims almost every day in Reykjav\u00edk and pays 4,000 krona (\u20ac27) a year for unlimited access to his favourite public pool, one of 18 in the capital. The majority of pools are outdoors and geothermally heated, making it a more affordable pastime than in countries that have to heat the water, Helgason says.<\/p>\n
As well as the obvious physical benefits of swimming, there are mental gains, too, through the sense of community that pools provide. \u201cYou meet lots of different people, from farmers to politicians,\u201d Helgason says. Many pools have \u201chot pots\u201d (hot tubs) \u2013 a nod to the country\u2019s natural springs, which are also popular for a wilder dip \u2013 and cold plunges for cold-water therapy, along with saunas. \u201cNo phones are allowed.\u201d <\/p>\n
There is a campaign for Iceland\u2019s pools to be given Unesco cultural heritage status. <\/p>\n
\u2018It\u2019s a blanket rule for almost all kids. We know it is bad to eat them every day\u2019Sweden: Saturday sweets<\/p>\n
A custom ingrained in Swedish culture is that of l\u00f6rdagsgodis \u2013 sweets only on a Saturday \u2013 established as a concept by the state in the 1950s to tackle tooth decay among children. \u201cThere are very few kids growing up in Sweden who are not familiar with it,\u201d says Linnea Dunne, author of Lagom: The Swedish Art of Balanced Living. \u201cIt is an institution that everyone lives by.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dunne lives in Dublin but grew up in Sala, an hour from Stockholm, and recalls the weekly ritual of going to choose pick-and-mix, which continues to this day. \u201cWhen I go back, I see my brother\u2019s kids still do it, and his oldest is 13. It\u2019s a blanket rule for almost all kids: sweets are available on Saturdays, and that is it. You wouldn\u2019t be having other sweet things, such as cakes and other treats, on weekdays either.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dunne thinks this \u201ccan come across as puritanical … a bit boring\u201d but it fits within the wider lagom (\u201cjust right\u201d) culture she has written about. \u201cIt encapsulates this way of life that is very much about moderation. We know that it is bad to eat sweets every day, so we just do it on Saturdays, and that is what everyone does.\u201d<\/p>\n
Does Dunne do it with her children? \u201cWhen they were little. They are 11 and 13 now, and it has gone out the window. But if they want sweets, and it happens to be a Saturday, they\u2019ll play the Swedish card.\u201d<\/p>\n
Are you Irish and living abroad? Have you adopted any new habits or practices from your adopted home that have benefited your life? Get in touch at abroad@irishtimes.com<\/a> or contact us using the form at the end of this article. <\/p>\n \u2018There\u2019s nothing that\u2019s not been put in a jar\u2019Ukraine: fermentation<\/p>\n While sauerkraut, gherkins and kefir may be familiar, even fashionable menu choices across Europe, fermented foods are a long-term staple in Ukraine. <\/p>\n Felicity Spector, the London-based author of Bread and War: a Ukrainian story of Food, Bravery and Hope, works with the non-profit Bake for Ukraine, which runs a mobile bakery in Mykolaiv, making and delivering sourdough bread. <\/p>\n Visiting regularly since the summer of 2022, Spector has been struck by the country\u2019s commitment to preserving. <\/p>\n \u201cMost people, or certainly their parents, will have some kind of land to grow fruit and vegetables, and they are used to trying to preserve things for the winter months, when nothing grows. It happened during Soviet times, because people didn\u2019t trust there would be anything in the shops, and now, during the invasion, people have been without power, or in areas under attack, so they couldn\u2019t get to the shops.<\/p>\n \u201cI learned from Ukrainian chef Olia Hercules about lacto-fermentation using salt and brine,\u201d Spector says \u2013 an alternative to the vinegar used in pickling. \u201cVegetables are preserved by dry salting, then putting a weight on top, or covering them in brine, leaving in a dark place for 10 days or so, then sealing and keeping for up to a year.\u201d Spector describes rows and rows of filled jars in basements, cupboards or even under beds.<\/p>\n While it isn\u2019t always a consciously healthy eating choice, there are obvious benefits to this kind of diet, with naturally fermented products containing probiotics that can strengthen the gut microbiome, restore its natural balance and reduce inflammation. <\/p>\n \u201cThere are lots of kinds of kefir and cheese made from fermented milk, which is good for your digestive system. There is ryazhenka \u2013 an amazing baked, fermented milk product with a slightly caramel taste \u2013 and sourdough, which is a traditional way of making bread. All these things have health benefits, but they\u2019re not a new trend. It\u2019s been going for hundreds of years.\u201d <\/p>\n In Ireland, kefir is considered a health product and is often expensive. In Ukraine \u201cyou can buy a huge jug of it … You often see it sold in an old Coca-Cola bottle on the edge of the market.\u201d <\/p>\n Aside from the usual suspects, a lot of fruits are fermented, to bridge winter\u2019s hungry gap. Spector has just acquired a container of juicy plums with a sour tang. <\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s really nothing that\u2019s not been put in a jar.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2018Smaller, more frequent meals keep energy levels and focus steady\u2019Switzerland: eating five times a day<\/p>\n Rather than grazing throughout the day, the Swiss<\/a> have traditionally scheduled five meals, as punctual as their trains. <\/p>\n In German-speaking areas, these are zmorge (breakfast), zn\u00fcni (midmorning snack), zmittag (lunch), zvieri (afternoon snack) and znacht (dinner). The extra meals are observed in French-speaking areas, too, says Sandra Mikhail, a dietitian in Zurich. <\/p>\n \u201cMost Swiss people I work with average around four meals: breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack and dinner.\u201d<\/p>\n The morning snack is often spelt bread-based, fruit or a gipfeli (croissant). The afternoon snack is heartier, maybe dips or bircher muesli. Lunch is the day\u2019s biggest meal, \u201cto align with our circadian rhythms and digestion \u2013 our metabolism and insulin sensitivity are generally stronger earlier,\u201d Mikhail says.<\/p>\n \u201cA lighter dinner can improve sleep quality and reduce overnight digestive discomfort, and having smaller, more frequent meals can help keep energy levels and focus steady. It also aids digestion, as smaller meals are easier for the body to process, reducing the likelihood of discomfort and bloating. By regulating appetite and preventing overeating, frequent meals support better appetite control, can contribute to weight management and provide support for muscle maintenance and growth.<\/p>\n \u201cThat said,\u201d Mikhail concedes, \u201cit is important to recognise that every person has unique needs. It is about tuning into your own hunger and fullness cues rather than rigidly following a set number of meals.\u201d <\/p>\n \u2018A firm walk and strong wind shift our mood\u2019The Netherlands: embracing the breeze<\/p>\n If you live in a very blustery place, there is nothing to be done but embrace the breeze. That is what the Dutch have been doing for centuries, says Arie Boomsma.<\/p>\n He owns a gym chain in the Netherlands<\/a> and is author of 10,000 Stappen Boek (10,000 Steps Book), which draws on the phenomenon of uitwaaien \u2013 a term \u201cthe Dutch use when they go outside to clear their minds of everyday overwhelm\u201d, Boomsma says. <\/p>\n \u201cIt comes from waaien, \u2018to be moved by the wind\u2019, combined with uit, \u2018going outward or letting something go\u2019. In the 17th century it was used to describe smoke or dust being blown away. In the 19th and 20th centuries it took on its modern sense: going out to let the wind clear your head.\u201d<\/p>\n It should not be confused with the other Dutch concept niksen (the art of doing nothing), Boomsma adds. \u201cNiksen is a passive way of relaxing. Uitwaaien is active. You have to move. A firm walk and a strong wind can really change our mood and shift our perspective.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2018Eating together shows a desire to reconnect\u2019Denmark: communal dining<\/p>\n Danes are revisiting the tradition of f\u00e6llesspisning, or eating communally, according to Judith Kyst. As director of Madkulturen (food culture), an organisation within the ministry of food and agriculture that monitors the nation\u2019s dietary habits, Kyst knows a thing or two about how Denmark <\/a>dines. <\/p>\n There is a long history of social dining, she says, which has its roots in the folkek\u00f8kken (soup kitchen) tradition dating back to the 19th-century labour movement, when affordable meals would be provided for workers. It involves healthy fare, often cooked by a community together and eaten at long tables by people who don\u2019t necessarily know each other, in venues from village halls to day care centres. <\/p>\n [\u00a0Irish abroad: We want to hear your stories of life outside IrelandOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n Renewed enthusiasm for this demonstrates a need to \u201cbe together around the meal\u201d, Kyst says. \u201cIt is a counter-reaction to individualism, loneliness and screen time\u201d and shows a \u201cdesire to reconnect with the community\u201d.<\/p>\n So what can you expect to eat? \u201cTo keep it cheap you often get chickpea curries and lots of greens,\u201d Kyst says. This affordability makes it accessible and innately healthy. \u201cWhen you have families at these meals, the children eat more fruit and vegetables. People say if they eat together, they eat healthier.\u201d It connects with another Danish concept, madgl\u00e6de, or taking joy in food.<\/p>\n \u2018Rest is embraced\u2019Spain: the siesta<\/p>\n When digital distractions seem to be robbing us of rest, a different attitude to sleep is enticing. Look no further than the traditional Spanish<\/a> siesta or post-lunch nap.<\/p>\n \u201cNaps can be good for sleep health, if done right,\u201d says Madrid-based Polly Revaliente, co-founder of The Sleep Project. \u201cShort early-afternoon naps (20-30 minutes) can improve alertness, memory and mood.\u201d But timing is key: \u201cNaps that are too long or too late in the day can interfere with night-time sleep. Those prone to insomnia should avoid naps or keep them short and consistent.\u201d<\/p>\n Does the whole country still stop for a snooze? \u201cThe siesta is part of our cultural reputation, but it\u2019s not part of most people\u2019s working day any more,\u201d Revaliente says. In summer, workers finish early due to the heat, but for most of the year Spanish working hours start early and run late, \u201cwith late-night dinners and evening news broadcasts at 10pm or beyond\u201d. But Spaniards tend to go to bed later than we do in Ireland. Yet they \u201crise at similar times, which can lead to sleep debt\u201d, Revaliente says.<\/p>\n Still, the idea of relaxation is entrenched. \u201cRest is embraced, especially at weekends, on holidays and by the older generation. What Spain arguably preserves best is the idea that rest is not lazy, it\u2019s part of life.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2018Growing up in West Berlin in the \u201960s, the main warm meal was always at midday\u2019Germany: light food in the evening<\/p>\n Traditional German<\/a> fare of potatoes and meat, much like in Ireland, might not sound like the easiest for the digestive system to process, but abendbrot (evening bread) is intended to be lighter than the more substantial meal served at lunchtime, aiding digestion and sleep.<\/p>\n \u201cI grew up in West Berlin in the \u201960s. The main warm meal was always at midday,\u201d says Ursula Heinzelmann, author of Beyond Bratwurst: A History of Food in Germany. \u201cNormally, dinner would be sliced bread with cheese, ham, sausage. In our family there was always something fresh: cucumber, tomatoes or radishes \u2013 whatever was in season.\u201d <\/p>\n The type of bread was quite particular, too. \u201cHere in Berlin it would be rye sourdough or graubrot, a mixture of wheat and rye. White bread was something very exceptional for Sundays.\u201d<\/p>\n After Sunday lunch, Heinzelmann\u2019s family would go out for a long walk in a forest and exercise on the trimm-dich-pfad (trim-yourself path), so called after the 1970s \u201ctrim yourself\u201d healthy living campaign. \u201cYou\u2019d follow from sign to sign and you had exercises to do to get in good shape. I haven\u2019t seen one recently but I have been told those things are coming back.\u201d<\/p>\n Heinzelmann confirms abendbrot is still common, though it sometimes moves to lunchtime. \u201cThings are changing. In households where both parents work, you might move the warm meal to evening.\u201d And there is now as much of a focus on the fresh elements as the bread. \u201cThere is a lot of consciousness, especially among the younger generation, about what kind of ingredients are good and what aren\u2019t,\u201d Heinzelmann says.<\/p>\n Would she have evening bread at a friend\u2019s house or a restaurant? \u201cNot me! It is very much a home thing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2018It was once on the edge; now it\u2019s mainstream\u2019France: sophrology<\/p>\n You\u2019ve heard of yoga, meditation and mindfulness to help ease stress; in France<\/a>, they swear by la sophrologie (sophrology). Julia Bache, a British GP who has lived in Paris for 30 years, became aware of the phenomenon when she started working in French clinics. It involves \u201cphysical and mental exercises such as controlled breathing, muscle relaxation, gentle movements, visualisation, meditation and mindfulness to harmonise the body and mind\u201d, she explains, and is used for everything from stress and sleep to pain management and tinnitus. <\/p>\n Whereas sophrology was once considered \u201ca bit on the edge, now it is more the accepted mainstream\u201d, Bache says; it is increasingly taught in schools and covered by health insurance.<\/p>\n [\u00a0\u2018It\u2019s a rare opportunity\u2019: Students share advice for study abroad in EuropeOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n Sophrologist Sophie McGrath grew up in Paris but now lives in London. She discovered the relaxation method as an anxious teenager through her grandmother, who went to group sessions in a village hall. \u201cIt changed my life,\u201d she says. \u201cIt took a while before I practised on a daily basis and got really into it, and then I decided to study it, and voil\u00e0, here we are.\u201d<\/p>\n In France, McGrath says, \u201cit is quite normal to see a sophrologist\u201d. It was devised in the 1960s by Colombian neuropsychiatrist Alfonso Caycedo, who worked in France, Spain and Switzerland. \u201cIt was simply never translated into English,\u201d says McGrath, who works at BeSophro, a UK practice where she carries out guided one-to-one sessions with clients, preparing them for birth, big job interviews or exams through \u201cworking on the somatic part of the nervous system\u201d which controls voluntary actions. She treats a lot of French expats but says the word is spreading. \u201cIt really can speak to everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2018We\u2019ve just sat down for a long meal, now it\u2019s time to get out and move\u2019Italy: a postprandial stroll<\/p>\n The Italian <\/a>ritual of la passeggiata \u2013 a postprandial walk \u2013 was once about seeing and being seen in the neighbourhood in the early evening. It\u2019s also a great way to aid the digestion of a generous portion of pasta.<\/p>\n \u201cThe idea is: we\u2019ve just sat down for a long meal with friends or family, now it\u2019s time to get out, move and get some air,\u201d says Dr Federica Amati, who spent her early years in Rome but lives in the UK where she is head nutritionist for Zoe, the personalised nutrition app, and nutrition lead at Imperial College London. It is still a social norm in Italy, especially in the summer, Amati says. \u201cStores close between 1pm and 4pm, then reopen, to accommodate this habit.\u201d<\/p>\n Aside from being a chance to socialise, which boosts mental health, it has benefits for digestion, \u201cbecause gravity is our friend when it comes to our guts trying to move food through our bodies\u201d. Using the legs helps the lymphatic system to distribute nutrients, and there is a metabolic benefit, too. \u201cWithin half an hour of eating, we start to absorb sugars and fats in the small intestine, and these are both good sources of energy. If you go for a little passeggiata, you\u2019re making the most of the energy in your muscles.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite having not lived in Italy for 30 years, \u201cit is something that has stuck with me\u201d, says Amati, who loves getting out for a walk after dinner, often with her dog, and always when in Rome.<\/p>\n \u2013 Guardian News & Media <\/p>\n Are you Irish and living abroad? Have you adopted any new habits or practices from your adopted home that have benefited your life? Get in touch at abroad@irishtimes.com<\/a> or contact us using the form below. <\/p>\n![\"Fermented](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/3CXXGIZ5SZFPBH2CINTYIG35ME.jpg\")
Fermented foods are a staple in Ukraine. Photograph: iStock <\/p>\n![\"Uitwaaien](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/6UTCNOWCTJF6BK2EA4MAOCKNTI.jpg\")
Uitwaaien is a term \u2018the Dutch use when they go outside to clear their minds of everyday overwhelm\u2019. Photograph: iStock <\/p>\n![\"Naps](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/3FNSGOLDUZCCTKINA5QKQLRYSA.jpg\")
Naps can be good for sleep health, if done right <\/p>\n![\"Traditional](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/JL6FSCEODZDNLOSKTFKTPY5T4M.jpg\")
Traditional German bread with cream cheese and radishes <\/p>\n![\"Taking](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/HFT5Z72DVFD7LF4S5G6VZN3ERY.jpg\")
Taking a walk after dinner is still a social norm in Italy, especially in the summer. Photograph: Getty Images <\/p>\n\n