I should know by now: never go anywhere in Sicily without a book! [That could really apply to me anywhere in the world as I have a deep-seated fear of being marooned somewhere without reading matter.]
The siesta here lasts longer than in the north of Italy [although some supermarkets and department stores in large towns stay open all day] with the town coming back to life and shops reopening at around 5pm.
If you are invited to someone's house for lunch here, with perhaps a suggestion that you will go out together later, I would advise you to take a book - just in case your hosts leave you to your own devices after lunch and go to bed for the afternoon!
Although I find that strange behaviour, I have always thought that the Italians have the "rhythm of life" right: a father is able to go home for the long lunchtime and gets to see his young children while they are awake, not ready for bed, as in the UK. Maybe that's partly why Italians, in general, have successful family lives whilst we, in general, do not.
No comments:
Post a Comment