When in Rome - Part 1

Reading all of the wonderful ideas in the giveaway post got me thinking about how other cultures utilize their midday breaks.  Here are a couple of interesting insights I found during a brief google search:


France:  In addition to regular coffee breaks at outdoor cafes, the French apparently view their lunch hour as very sacred. They don't do brown-bag lunches and running errands is not popular. Lunch is an occasion to get out of the office for two-hour sit down leisurely meals.  Apparently, "working your butt off is not seen as an ideal in France, and you might be considered a bit weird if you do.”  Boy, do I envy their lifestyle!

Spain: For Spaniards, the midday meal is the largest meal of the day and usually consists of several courses. After their 2-3 hour break, they take a siesta (nap) while shops are closed between the hours of 2:00 pm to 4:30 or 5:00 pm. Enough said.

Italy:  The Italians are very similar to both the French and the Spaniards. Lunch is also their biggest meal and they can spend hours just eating and resting. Meals are also multiple courses. Three hour break, anyone?

I hope you enjoyed this little exchange of info. Part 2 will include more midday breaks from other cultures.

Well, I’m off to my own midday escapade.  Tune in tomorrow for a recap of my 4th escapade. HINT:  It starts with the letter "D". Ciao!