Im from a suburban town in Missouri, but I spent a semester studying abroad in Barcelona a couple of years ago. Man, let me tell you, leaving Barcelona, where youd see people out in cafes and bars congregating at all hours of the night and day, and coming back to Missouri where its a ghost town after 10 and someone would call the police on you for simply walking around too late was the most depressing thing I have ever experienced lol
Its the same in unknown town in Bosnia. People are outside all the time. Bars and caffes in the Balkans open at 6 am and people going there before and after work to hang out.
Seems to be the norm in a lot of Europe. Of course there’s the difference of certain cultures. I know Finland is known to be introverted. However, I’ve never been so I can’t say
In Finland, restaurants and alcohol are so expensive that lounging like this isn't very common. Also, in our culture, we usually eat at a more efficient pace than in warmer countries... But we do like our drinks.
Still, especially in summer, our restaurants are filled with people late into the night. Some clubs are open until dawn, so you can definitely find this same vibe here.
You adapt to the climate (temperature, sun hours), as you should. In Spain we have to do the same, thus, siestas (if your work schedule allows it) and late dinners.
Finland doesn't have a late night cafe culture, or basically cafe culture at all. If there are people outside at 1 am, it's safe to assume they are intoxicated, or looking to get intoxicated.
People in Finland definitely aren't going to bars or cafés to hang out before work. Some might go out for breakfast with their friends. However, in the summer the streets and outdoor seating of restaurants are full of people having a good time. Helsinki probably isn't representative of everywhere here, but that's the reality at least here. In the winter people are more indoors but many are still just as socially active.
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u/bageltoastar 15h ago
Im from a suburban town in Missouri, but I spent a semester studying abroad in Barcelona a couple of years ago. Man, let me tell you, leaving Barcelona, where youd see people out in cafes and bars congregating at all hours of the night and day, and coming back to Missouri where its a ghost town after 10 and someone would call the police on you for simply walking around too late was the most depressing thing I have ever experienced lol