It is not the proverbial Golden Hour that takes pride of place as my favorite time of the day, but rather the quiet and overlooked section of time right before that hour arrives. Around 3 or 4 in the afternoon, when it’s guaranteed to still be light out come summer or winter, that window of time in which the sun starts its slant in the sky, the last high-point of daylight – before it really starts going away.
In some countries that’s about the time of a proper siesta – the lull in the afternoon when everyone breaks for a rest before resuming and powering through the evening. It gives the recharge necessary for a robust second-wind. A power nap of ten to fifteen minutes at such a time is considered by many to be the ideal way to excise fatigue before the last stretch of activity before bed.
When I’m in Boston, I try to make a point of returning to the condo at about that time, to enjoy the sun coming in through the back bay window and flooding the bedroom with light. It’s a little moment of peace and unforced meditation in the day – a way to mark a pause of appreciation.
