I was to Bern again. Last time it was December, freezing etc. – now it was much better, warm and sunny. I’ve spent most of those two days on a meeting in our shareholder HQ. It is a sterile, impersonal building which reminds me of an airport and a library at the same time. It is as aseptic and modern as airports, yet as quiet as a library. Few office plants, well groomed and monitored by electronic sensors, seem just a part of it.

Streets of Bern, full of century-old houses are very different (last war during which anything was destroyed happened about five centuries ago). Yet one thing is common: a bit detached, relaxed atmosphere. On Sunday night at 9pm the city is almost deserted. Yes, there are some bars and restaurants open, people sit in gardens in front of them chatting quietly. But apart from them streets are empty, windows are dark and it seems like the city is sleeping already.

In a sense it’s easy to envy those people who were born in a country where life is not demanding. Streets are safe, air is clean, everything is organized and spotless. No one works too hard, at 5 pm everyone is out of their offices to enjoy a leisurely afternoon. Conflicts and disturbances seem distant. Politics are stable – and have been so for decades.

But there is certain lack of energy in this whole nice picture. It looks like a good place to retire, like a society that mentally retired to a certain degree some time ago. Having said that, returning to Poland was as sad as usual.