wellness around the world: the european edition / MONACO

[welcome to part 5 of my 6-part mini-series, wellness around the world: the european edition. as my family and i travel through six countries in europe, i am sharing wellness habits from each. previous posts in the series: part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4. today's spotlight is on monaco.]    

    i guess it isn't really fair to assess the wellness practices of this small country. after all, i only spent one carefree day in monaco.

but i tried to discern as much as possible while there. how did i feel? respond? react? to this environment.    

    after eight hectic days in rome and florence, i was ready to relax. to slow down. to unwind and breathe again. and monaco fit the bill.    

    according to the CIA world factbook, monaco is ranked number one for life expectancy. it has the world's highest at nearly 90 years. the country is rated #2 for "places where women live longer" (almost 94 years!). and where women rarely have heart attacks? monaco comes in at #4. quite possibly one of the healthiest locations on the globe to live.

[now all you need is some wealth to go along with that health. our lunch was the most expensive dining experience we've had since arriving in europe. but the menu did promise "harmony with the body's metabolism" and "joie de vivre."]    

    what factors may contribute to the wellness of the monegasques/monacans?

• the sweetly scented ocean breeze

• the safe, crime-free setting

• the rhythmic lapping of the waves

• the calm and serene atmosphere

• the transparent azure hues of the mediterranean

    my take-away:

perhaps there is no mystery behind monaco's higher life expectancy. its natural health benefits were quickly made obvious to me. and at day's end, i felt as if i had treated myself to a mini-spa respite.     [descriptive words that immediately came to mind upon my first visit to monaco.]

    do you regularly take breaks in between the hectic periods in your life? or do you ignore the warning signals to pause, notice, savor, and appreciate? make a commitment to ALLOW TIME IN YOUR SCHEDULE TO INHALE DEEPLY. (and let me know about your plan in the comments.)     [a summary of the six european wellness commitments introduced in the mini-series may be found at the end of this post.]         [maxbutton id="1"]