As the May weather occasionally offers promises of the warmer things to come, but just as easily snatches them away, what is there for a cool cat in Cardiff to do? I ponder what kind of place might best suit my quintessential laid back demeanour… somewhere that exudes the love as much as it nourishes the soul.

It’s a time of the year when the concept of ‘pace’ becomes a thing of the recent past, a means for traversing colder climes, a time for taking stock of one’s surroundings with the speed dial turned down very low. If I was to try capturing the vibe in a word, that word would have to be ‘lounge’… a place where lizards retire from the heat of the day, where ‘smooth’ mingles with ‘smoky’, and laid back assumes a sweet repose just short of the horizontal.

If you can’t find such a place I can strongly recommend creating your own:

All that is required is an inviting space…

 

 

 

 

 

 

A menu to energise tired bones at any time of the day…

 

 

… to satisfy the pallet of carnivores and vegetarians alike, washed down with a range of the quaffable stuff, such as a tasty Rioja maybe…

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then it is a matter of getting the music set just right for the ultimate in a chilled out soundtrack to your newfound life of relaxation; here is a suggested list for getting your vibe into cool mode:

1. Cafe del Mar: Erik Satie Gymnopedie No 1.

2. Clannad & Bono: In a Lifetime.

3. Ennio Morricone: Cinema Paradiso.

4. Eumir Deodato: Also Sprach Zarathustra.

5. Herbie Hancock: St. Louis Blues.

6. Moby: Porcelain.

7. Robbie Robertson: Somewhere down the crazy river.

8. Sachal Studios Orchestra: Take Five.

9. William Orbit: Barbers Adagio for Strings.

10. Zero 7: Look Up.

Then there is always the track to get you up and moving as you integrate back into the still night of Roath… Mas by Kinky.

Until we speak again I am going to continue my general demeanour of Juno the Cardiff Cool Cat.