After more than a decade in Denmark, I’ve come to realise that Scandinavians have a secret sauce for a smarter, kinder quality of life. Yes, they’ve got sleek chairs and great social security. But they’ve also got a set of low-key life philosophies the rest of us would do well to adopt. Here’s how embracing a few Nordic notions could improve your life – no passport or Abba playlist required.

For as long as I have been a culture critic, I have been asked one question more than any other: do you have any book recommendations? The query always stumps me, because I do not know the reading habits of strangers, and I have found neither a polite nor sane way to tell someone to read one of my articles. I usually just suggest the last book I finished because I am sent a lot of them and getting to the end of one tells me, on an instinctive level, that I found something worth pursuing in its pages. Maybe this has given me a false impression of how fashionable reading is. I am certainly puzzled by headlines about the decline in its popularity – especially for literary fiction, and especially among young men. Though I can offer a less anecdotal piece of evidence against such claims: the unnerving, dizzying rise of BookTok.

When it comes to the art of living beautifully, no nation has mastered it quite so well as the Italians. In the bel paese, revelling in life’s simple pleasures – be it a leisurely evening stroll with friends or beautifully cut blazer – is part of the national identity. This wonderful lust for life is something that we at MR PORTER are keen to embrace during these languorous summer months (and beyond). And as it turns out, there’s no need to hop over to the Amalfi Coast to do so. Here, a few of our favourite Italians – and expats – have shared their secrets to bringing a touch of the dolce vita to the everyday.

“Where are you guys going this summer?” This question often comes up with other dads, making small talk on the school run or during the endless cycle of birthday parties. Most people I know already have a Greek island in mind. My family’s plans are still somewhat up in the air. But I know one destination I’ll be returning to, as I have many summers before. My happy place is a sprawling realm of diverse topography. Beaches, mountains, forests, temples and picturesque settlements – there is something to discover around every corner. Not to mention flora and fauna that you wouldn’t believe. And, best of all, you can be there in no time. Perhaps you’re familiar with Hyrule, “Land of the Gods”, the magical, mythical kingdom of Nintendo’s Zelda video-game series?

After more than a decade in Denmark, I’ve come to realise that Scandinavians have a secret sauce for a smarter, kinder quality of life. Yes, they’ve got sleek chairs and great social security. But they’ve also got a set of low-key life philosophies the rest of us would do well to adopt. Here’s how embracing a few Nordic notions could improve your life – no passport or Abba playlist required.

For as long as I have been a culture critic, I have been asked one question more than any other: do you have any book recommendations? The query always stumps me, because I do not know the reading habits of strangers, and I have found neither a polite nor sane way to tell someone to read one of my articles. I usually just suggest the last book I finished because I am sent a lot of them and getting to the end of one tells me, on an instinctive level, that I found something worth pursuing in its pages. Maybe this has given me a false impression of how fashionable reading is. I am certainly puzzled by headlines about the decline in its popularity – especially for literary fiction, and especially among young men. Though I can offer a less anecdotal piece of evidence against such claims: the unnerving, dizzying rise of BookTok.