One of the things I find most astonishing about Italy is their tradition of afternoon closures.

No different than when I first visited about 25 years ago, the shop-keepers in Puglia locked up at 1 PM and reopened at 5.   Coming from a capitalistic society where nothing trumps profitability … this concept is as alien as it gets.

We talk incessantly about “quality of life.”  Then we grab-and-go, drive thru or microwave a frozen slab and call it lunch.

Italians, meanwhile, enjoy their lunch in a proper restaurant. With tablecloths and linen napkins and waiters.  And fresh food.  And wine.  And conversation.

A headline from yesterday’s Financial Times reads, “Europe Can Say Goodbye to La Dolce Vita.”

All I can say is that the “sweet life” is alive and well among the Italian populace in Puglia.  It’s perhaps the most compelling reason why Americans adore vacationing in Italy.  Long live, “La Dolce Vita!”