In many European cities, open-air cafes are an indispensable part of people's lives. Find a good weather, meet three or two friends, chat in the open air café, enjoy the sun... Such scenes appear in a wide range of films and literary works, and writers and artists also love this way of life.
After the outbreak of the new crown pneumonia epidemic, some countries were forced to temporarily close the outdoor coffee seats due to the pressure of epidemic prevention and control, which made many people feel very uncomfortable. When the epidemic improved and the open-air seats reopened, people were as excited as if they had seen a long-lost old friend, and went to order a cup of coffee and sit down at the first time.
Why are open-air seats so popular?
Milan, Italy, people chatting in open-air seats. Xinhua News Agency
The best representation of the "French art de vivre"
19 May 2021 is a day that is particularly exciting for many French people. On that day, the French government further relaxed the epidemic prevention restrictions that had been in place for half a year, and people shouted "regain freedom". Restaurants, theatres, museums are back on the scene, and even more lively are the street cafes.
In the eyes of many people, open-air seats can best represent the "French art of living", and on the day when the epidemic prevention restrictions are relaxed, the open-air coffee seats on the streets of Paris have attracted a number of politicians to punch the clock. According to the website of the French newspaper 20 Minutes, on the first day of the unblocking, from the president to the prime minister, from the minister of economy to the minister of labor to the secretary of state, many politicians celebrated the reopening of restaurants and bars through social networks. French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Castell came to an "open-air café appointment".
Anyone who has been to Paris knows that cafes and restaurants of all sizes in the streets and alleys, as long as they have the conditions, will definitely put up a few tables and chairs at the door. The area color scheme of these open-air seats has changed from the black and white gray preferred by Parisians, usually using bright colors such as red and yellow. Whether it's sunny or rainy, hot summer or cold winter, there are always people sitting on the open-air café who love it.
French media once conducted a survey of foreign tourists asking them "what is the most attractive thing about Paris". Many people's answer is not the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower and other famous attractions, but the cafes scattered in the streets of Paris.
A German customer sitting at an outdoor café in Paris said: "I like it here. There are also cafes in Germany, but there is no culture of sitting and watching people. According to statistics, there are about 12,000 cafes in all corners of the city, and Parisian cafes are usually colloquials for taverns, beer houses, small restaurants or small bars, which are considered to be the unique "memory fields" of French history and culture.
Parisians famously say——— "I'm not in a café, I'm on my way to a café". Café shopping is a way of life for Parisians, but also a feeling. In the café, people seem not to pay attention to what to drink or eat, but to the atmosphere and mood of the environment.
One netizen wrote in a blog: "I feel that the most popular place in Paris is the café. Street cafes are often packed with a lively atmosphere. Parisians like to find an open-air café to sit down with and talk to friends. They can sit on a wicker chair and whisper or smile, showing laziness and casualness between their hands and feet; they can also drink alone, or read books and newspapers, and when they are tired of reading, they are in a daze, looking at the scene and time of the crowds in front of them, and most of the time has passed. ”
People in the open-air area of the Café de Paris. Xinhua News Agency
Operators initiate heritage application activities
Once upon a time, the streets of Europe were dirty, and eating and drinking on the streets was something that only a homeless man could do. But in 19th-century Paris, with the construction of wide boulevards, open-air cafés began to appear on the streets of Paris, becoming a public social life place for citizens.
As one of the iconic symbols of Paris, Parisian taverns and open-air cafes have become an indispensable part of French life. They have appeared in films, literature and even architecture, and writers and artists have loved these places.
The Great French writer Balzac once wrote: "The counter of the café is the parliament hall of the people." "Political, social, and cultural trends such as the French Revolution, the Enlightenment, and existentialism all moved from cafes to society. Paris's cafés are also elite gathering places, and many cultural and artistic figures have been inspired in the cafés and left legendary stories. Café Angelina, frequented by writer Proust, is located in the 1st arrondissement of Paris and has been open for more than 100 years. The Café des Caux in the 6th arrondissement of Paris is a place where writers Hemingway and Joyce often linger.
However, in recent years, due to rising rents and fierce competition in the multinational catering industry, its living environment has become increasingly harsh. In July 2018, the operators of taverns and open-air cafes jointly launched a "campaign" to promote the inclusion of this lifestyle on UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage list.
According to media reports, the Association of Tavern Operators hopes to arouse the attention of Parisian taverns and open-air cafes in France and even the world through the application for heritage, so that operators can regain their pride, let the younger generation inherit the tradition, and maintain the artistic vitality and original style of the tavern. The initiative was supported by local trade unions, town halls, the media and artists, and the petition and related materials were sent to the French Ministry of Culture, which examined it and chose to submit it to UNESCO.
It is worth mentioning that the love of the Café by the French, especially the Parisians, has not diminished even after the terrorist attacks. In November 2015, there were several terrorist attacks in Paris, causing heavy casualties, several of which were in cafes. A few days after the incident, Parisians also launched a social media campaign calling for rallies in taverns and cafes to protest the terrorist attacks.
At that time, some enthusiastic Parisian citizens came to a number of restaurants, cafes and other public places where attacks had occurred, took photos of themselves in roadside cafes or outdoor seats in restaurants, uploaded them to social networking sites, and launched a "Je suis en terrasse" campaign to express their condolences to the victims and encourage everyone not to be afraid, reflecting the determination not to be afraid of terrorists.
"Returning the road to the people" gradually arose
At the end of April this year, open-air cafés in the Netherlands were also allowed to reopen to the public after a six-month closure. Although the epidemic prevention and control work cannot be relaxed, the Dutch government has announced that it will reopen the outdoor café when the weather is warmer. For the Dutch, the open-air café is also an integral part of life, and when it comes to it, many Dutch people will use the word "gezelligheid", which means "lively and comfortable".
A netizen who has lived in the Netherlands for a long time said that he had just come to Amsterdam from China to study 20 years ago, and the first thing he learned from the Dutch was to spend time in the open-air café. According to his recollection, the school's teaching building was on the canal in Amsterdam, and on a sunny day, the canal was lined with rattan tables and chairs in cafes. For 2 euros, you can order a light white beer with lemon and sit for most of the afternoon. You can close your eyes and enjoy the rare sunshine, you can also watch the people on the street in a daze, or chat with your classmates in the sky, then you can truly feel the beauty of life.
Dutch people who are passionate about basking in the sun. Xinhua News Agency
The Netherlands is located in northwestern Europe, bordering Germany and Belgium, and is not accompanied by sunshine all day like southern European countries. According to media reports, because the weather is rainy, cold and wet for most of the year, the Dutch are extremely hungry for sunshine. On sunny days, sitting in the open-air café for a while is even more enjoyable. Unlike the Chinese who sit in the shade, the Dutch generally choose to sit in the sun, wear sunglasses, let the sun shine on the face, and do not care until the skin is red.
Unlike Parisians, who have always loved open-air coffee, the history of The Dutch people enjoying open-air coffee is not so long. In Dutch culture, where Christianity is the tradition, hedonism has not been promoted since ancient times, and the Calvinist tradition has made the Dutch known for thriftiness, hard work and simplicity. In the 1960s, Cafes and bars in the Netherlands often had a small side door, and most people who went in to shop quietly sneaked in for fear of being seen by others.
It was only in the 1970s that open-air cafés began to spread on a large scale in the streets and squares of the Netherlands. After the rise of outdoor café culture in cities such as Paris, although it also spread to large cities like The Hague, it was only popular among the upper social class at that time, and it was not really popularized. Until 1970, the Dutch urban planning ideas changed, and the street design was not only for the passage of cars, but also for the right of way to be returned to the public. The rise of residential communities, shopping streets and open-air cafes has replaced the construction of parking garages and the landfilling of canals, and more attention has been paid to public life.
One after another applied for an open-air business license
For Dutch people, sitting in an open-air café, the taste of enjoyment is not the most important. Compared to exquisite food and beverages, the overall environment and atmosphere provided by the open-air café is more critical. As a result, open-air cafés are often located in scenic places, such as on the banks of the canal, in squares facing churches and fountains, or in the alleys full of flowers. Therefore, in the Netherlands, the more beautiful the outdoor café, the more sought-after, and the higher the consumer price.
Open-air seating by the Dutch River. Xinhua News Agency
Today, due to the widespread popularity of open-air cafés, it is already a civilian enjoyment in the Netherlands. Almost anyone can afford to have a drink at an open-air café. This also makes the consumer group of outdoor coffee stalls very diverse, ranging from fashionable singles to a large family with a family and a leisurely elderly person after retirement.
In the rainy and cold Netherlands all year round, people are more accustomed to staying at home most of the time, but the closest friends are often invited to the house. The open-air café is one of the few outdoor places to socialize in the Netherlands. If it is a gathering of friends or a colleague interview, the ideal is to choose an open-air café. People can have a few drinks together and chat, not much, but the atmosphere is good.
Merchants see the huge economic benefits of open-air coffee stalls, further fueling this trend. In the Netherlands, selling drinks is more profitable than selling food, and it is easier to operate, so many shopkeepers have applied for open-air coffee business licenses to seize public space on sidewalks, canals and squares in major cities. Dutch municipal authorities also see the benefits of open-air cafés, finding that the increase in open-air cafés has helped to increase regional vitality, attract tourists, and promote the growth of land and house prices.
However, it has also been suggested that outdoor cafés need to be better managed and that businesses cannot be allowed to occupy public space and cause nuisance to the neighborhood.
Column Editor-in-Chief: Gong Danyun Text Editor: Wu Yue Title Image Source: Xinhua News Agency
Source: Author: Wu Yue