Cabo San Lucas Airport (SJD) & Timeshare
Cabo San Lucas’ airport is small. 2 flights came in, and it was packed to the door! And when it was that crowded, it’s hard to maintain order. While most fellow travelers were cordial and got in line, patiently wait for their turn, there were always a few people that try to cut in line. 1 couple pretended not to hear people around telling them where the end of the line was. The other couple stopped, asked, asked again, and again, THEN decided the line was way too long, they would rather go to the front! Everyone shook their heads, couldn’t believe how rude those people were.
As we exited the airport, many salesmen tried to pull us over, or lead us to a different exit. We passed the first group unscathed. Then we got tricked into believing someone was working for our transportation company, wasted 30 minutes listening to his sales pitch. He wouldn’t give us our transfer voucher back until we agreed to attend his timeshare presentation. So beware if you are not interested in timeshares. As you passed through custom, exit a door, turn right and keep walking ALL the way out until you see the cars. Do NOT let anyone pull you aside. If you are booking transportation with a company, their people will be wearing their logo, waiting for you outside the exit. Do NOT stop to ask how to find your transfer like us, they will direct you to a timeshare salesman. And if you somehow end up talking to a salesman, just firmly say no to all they have to offer. Same when you get to your hotel. If you are not interested in timeshare, politely decline, they won’t bother you again.
Italy - June 2011
A little joke I want to share with you: Italians said they only use extra virgin olive oil. I asked what they did with the second or third pressings of the olives, they laughed and said they exported them to the U.S.! I wonder how much of that joke is true! J
Our “journey” to San Gimignano, Italy was quite an adventure. We left the States for Rome in the afternoon of June 2nd. Our flight was connected in JFK New York. At JFK, when we arrived at the gate to board the plane, I saw a large group of people gathered there, looking like they were boarding as well. There was no line. I asked where the line ended, everybody shrugged. Confused, but had no choice, we got into that bundle, slowly made our way into the plane. I’m not one who like (or can) fight and push my way through a crowd, and that meant I was pushed and shoved so that people behind me could move ahead! I was so relieved when we got to our seats. That was the strangest thing. I know about Italians and lines, but we were still in NY, and the majority of passengers were not Italians. I guess everyone decided to immerse themselves in Italian culture as soon as their trip began!
Then, once everyone was boarded, we had to wait, at first 10 minutes, then half an hr, then almost an hour because the flight crew had to do some paperwork before they could fly. Everyone was getting anxious about the delay. People worried that they would miss their connections in Rome. You would think that they had such paperwork taken care of before letting people board the plane, given that it’s something they do on a daily basis. Is it possible that the flight crew decided to adopt the “you’ll always have tomorrow” mentality as well?? Mind you, it was a Delta Flight. Then a woman had problem breathing, doctors were asked to report themselves to flight attendants for help. An American doctor came first, had a hard time communicate with the woman. Flight attendants tried to translate, but were afraid something may be lost in translation. Then an Italian doctor came, his face all flushed, seemed unsteady, had to support himself by leaning against a seat. Wait, he was drunk! Or at least half way there. I guess an hr flight delay did not stop him from enjoying himself and having a drink, or 5! But at least he and the patient could communicate. The doctor took her blood pressure, listened to her heart beat, prescribed oxygen tank and some drinks. And voila, she was fine. Then we got the good news, we were ready to take off. Finally.
When we arrived at Rome airport the next morning, the whole mess of no line presented itself again. We followed the herd, got ourselves into a large group of people and eventually made our way to the ONE small entrance into Italian Passport Control. When we were about 20-30 yards away from the entrance, a group of priests (they were in clerical clothing) joined the herd, standing next to us. Then they looked around, realized that obviously they hadn’t cut to the front of the group yet, they got out, walked around the group to the very front where that small entrance was, and worked their way in! It was hilarious. I wish we had recorded the whole thing.
The “line” or non-existent line to Italian Passport Control. See that tiny entrance with the yellow words above it? Yup, that was the entrance that the “line” was for.
After passed through immigration and custom, we got to Hertz rental car desk. Got a number, realized there were only 5 people ahead of us, and 3 representatives. This should be quick. No, it wasn’t. We waited an hour before they got to us. Signed the papers, gave our credit card, took directions to the garage. Walked out to the garage, presented our paper to the attendant, got our car. Then waited another 15 minutes for the GPS to pick up signal. Finally gave up and asked for directions out of the airport garage to Florence. Shouldn’t be that big of a deal, we had printed out Google directions as backup. 10 minutes on the highway, the GPS worked. And thank God it worked. Because without the GPS, we would never have made it to San Gimignano. Hell, who am I kidding, even WITH the GPS and the maps, we still didn’t make it to our hotel in San Gimignano! The GPS and Google maps did take us to a neighboring town…
As we were driving from Rome to San Gimignano, we realized that we couldn’t read the direction signs on the highways, nor understood some traffic signs. At each exit, there were at least 5-10 signs listing where that exit would take you. But you were going at 100 miles an hour, how in the world any foreigners could read those signs fast enough (in Italian no less) is beyond me. And if you slow down to look, people will tailgate, flash, pass then cut you off merely inches from your car and give you a heart attack. So, we blindly followed the GPS – exit here, turn right, speed camera ahead, ramp on left, etc. – all the way to our bed & breakfast in San Gimignano (or so we thought!) When we got there, it did not look any thing like the pictures. But I insisted that we were at the right place, we just needed to drive further down the wet dirt road (how could both the GPS and Google Maps fail us?!?) But failed us, they did. Now we needed to turn back on this wet dirt road full of puddles. And realized that we could not put the car in reverse! Somehow, Thuan managed to get us out of that mess and onto dry lane. I went into a house and asked for direction. Neither the owner, her husband or her neighbors spoke any English. We couldn’t speak a word in Italian. But somehow, through hand gestures, we managed to convey to them that we were utterly lost. The lady was an angel.
She spent more than an hour to help us find our way. She tried to call our friends who were already at the hotel, couldn’t get through. So she got on the phone with the hotel, asked them for directions. Then gave the phone to me, but the hotel did not know how to get us out of that place. The lady then tried to draw pictures, but of course we couldn’t quite understand. Finally, she and her husband got in their car, signaled for us to follow them, took us out of their town to where we had pictures for directions from our friends (thanks to Kate who had the foresight to do this!) Hugged and sent us on our way.
Even then, trying to be useful by helping to identify pictures and signs on the road, I got us lost, again. We then had to backtrack our way, went back to the point when we knew for sure that we weren’t lost. And Thuan took over the navigation. Despite being lost and frustrated, we couldn’t help but noticed how beautiful the area was. It was peaceful and romantic. It made us relaxed regardless of the situation we were in. To quote our friends, “If you’re ok with where you are, you’re not lost…you’re just somewhere else!” We were definitely OK with where we were, so we weren’t lost ;-) But of course Thuan, being the more responsible one, made sure that we stayed on course while enjoying the sceneries along the way. So, we arrived at the Bed & Breakfast (Fattoria Poggio Alloro) in San Gimignano 6.5 hrs after we left Rome airport. That drive should have taken less than 4 hrs. Turned out the hotel cannot be found using their address. We had to use coordinates, and it worked like a charm.
DH asked me, if Italians have such a relaxed attitude towards time, then why everyone is in such a rush to get to places. Good question. Any insight to the reason(s)?
Rome, Italy
Rome, the “Eternal City”, capital of Italy and the Catholic Church, is a modern, lively and fashionable city. According to legend, Romulus and Remus, twin sons of the War God – Mars and Rhea, a Vestal Virgin – were abandoned as babies and brought up by a She-Wolf. They grew up to lead a band of outlaws and adventurers before Romulus killed his brother and founded Rome in 753 B.C.
Rome’s history spans more than 2,700 years. It was the capital city of the Roman Kingdom, the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire, which was the dominant power in Western Europe and the lands bordering the Mediterranean Sea for over seven hundred years from the 1st century BC until the 7th century AD. Since the 1st century AD Rome has been the seat of the Papacy and, after the end of Byzantine domination, in the 8th century it became the capital of the Papal States, which lasted until 1870. In 1871 Rome became the capital of the Kingdom of Italy, and in 1946 that of the Italian Republic.
Roman expansion began in the days of the Republic, but the empire reached its greatest extent under Emperor Trajan: during his reign the Roman Empire controlled approximately 6.5 million km2 of land surface (~25.1 million square miles). Because of the Empire’s vast extent and long endurance, the institutions and culture of Rome had a profound and lasting influence on the development of language, religion, architecture, philosophy, law, and forms of government in the territory it governed, particularly Europe, and by means of European expansionism throughout the modern world.
For almost a thousand years, Rome was the most politically important, richest, and largest city in the Western world. After the Empire started to decline and was split, it lost its capital status to Milan and then to Ravenna, and was surpassed in prestige by the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, Constantinople (now Istanbul), whose Greek inhabitants continued through the centuries to call themselves Roman.
Romans were great builders. Many historical sites all over Europe, not just in Italy, were built by the Romans. They built many roads too, hence the saying “All roads lead to Rome.”
They were extremely smart. Their language served as the basis for many western languages later on. They built central heating system (proofs can be seen in Ephesus). They designed and constructed aqueduct and drainage systems. They brought clean water to their people, which in turn prevented many diseases caused by consuming contaminated water. That was one of the main reasons why they were such a successful empire. They believed in the balance of Body, Mind and Spirit. Hence, they exercised, they took good care of themselves, they bathed regularly, they read, they came up with many games and forms of entertainment; they really knew how to enjoy life. In fact, they were the one who invented the saunas. Bath houses during Roman time could accommodate hundreds of people, and had cold and hot water. Until today, the citizens of Rome enjoy a relaxed way of life, and live and love life to the fullest. It is believed locally that on the last day of the world, the Romans will throw a great farewell party, a gastronomic feast with wine flowing from the city’s many fountains – “La Dolce Vita!”
Feel free to drop your comments about your own experience in Rome or ask me any question. I’ll try my best to answer them. And like always, we took tons of pictures. We can send them to you if you like.
To read about some of the main attractions Rome has to offer, such as the Pantheon, Roman Forum, Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona & the Spanish Steps, visit http://iventurous.com/rottieto2001/2011/08/30/28/. The article on the famous Colosseum and the tour to its underground as well as third level can be found here, http://iventurous.com/rottieto2001/2012/02/10/the-colosseum-underground-and-third-tier-tour/
Vieques, Puerto Rico
Our vacation began with an early morning flight to San Juan in March. Once we arrived in San Juan airport, our first impression of Puerto Rican was that they did not like us…Were we being obnoxious Americans? No, I don’t think so. We tried to say “hi” and “thank you” in Spanish. We apologized for not being able to speak Spanish before speaking English to them. In the restaurants, we patiently waited for our food with a smile on our face, even when we were starving! I’m a very patient person in general, and I’m all for What’s-the-rush?-You’re-on-vacation! mentality, but come on, how could a fast food place take more than 25 minutes to make an order of fried chicken?? Anyways, besides the people working for the airlines, the rest were not very nice to us. Indeed, they were rather rude. And that impression stayed with us the whole time during our stay in Vieques & Old San Juan. What a shame.
Vieques is an island in northeastern Caribbean, about 8 miles from Puerto Rican mainland. It was voted as the most beautiful Caribbean island by Travel magazine for 2 years in a roll. I’m glad we got a chance to visit Vieques, but will not come back there.
Looking back at recent Vieques history, it’s easy to understand why most locals here don’t like Americans. United States Navy used this island as a bombing range and testing ground. There was a series of protests which eventually led to the Navy’s departure in 2003.
Our flight between SJU and Vieques airport was via Cape Air. Vieques airport was tiny, with only 1 SMALL carousel. The check-in agent was also the baggage transporter, AND plane controller! Due to the size of Vieques airport, the plane was extremely small, with only 9 passengers, 1 pilot and no flight attendant. Checked in luggage were stored in the front of the plane, carry-ons were kept in the wings, and passengers were required to inform the airline their weight, so that weight could be evenly distributed on the plane. And I got to be the co-pilot! Our plane, pilot and the baggage transporter:
We stayed at Villa Coral Guesthouse.
The house is about 10-15 minute walk from Le Malecon (picture below) in Esperanza, one of the main towns in Vieques.
The room was basic, not as nice as the exterior of the house. I got grossed out about the flies and stained towels. Even with all windows closed, the flies managed to get inside the room. They were attracted to the lights we left on in the bathroom.
Vieques was very much like Vietnam, with colorful houses and narrow streets. Free range horses and chickens could be seen every where you go.
The beaches were beautiful, the water was crystal clear, and the weather was perfect. But we found the food disappointing and expensive (stir-fried vegetables and rice from a street vendor cost $8). We tried Chicken King, Richard’s Café, Duffy’s, Bili & some street vendors. One of Puerto Rican authentic dish was chilled conch mixed with mashed yucca, which was so fishy that we couldn’t handle more than one bite. There were also fried chicken, rotisserie chicken, yucca, plantain, and rice & beans. Chicken King was like a very bad KFC. Richard’s Café was horrible. We had the best fish tacos at Duffy’s. Conch salad was ok. Our best meal on the island was at Bili. Tasty fish fritters (mahi mahi) arrived at the table piping hot. Brie and chicken turnovers were delicious.
We visited Sun Bay, Playa Caracas Red Beach, Pata Prieta Secret Beach & Bahia De La Chiva Blue Beach. You definitely need a car to visit the beautiful beaches in the National Refuge Area, for the roads are unpaved, and most public transportation do not go there. These beaches are commonly listed among the top beaches in the Caribbean for their azure-colored waters and white sands. But that alone wasn’t the main reason why we were going to Vieques. I wanted to go to Vieques for the famous bioluminescent bay. And it was an experience to have.
Vieques Bioluminescent Mosquito Bay is arguably the largest and brightest bioluminescent spot in the world. The luminescence is caused by micro-organisms (dinoflagellates) which glow whenever the water is disturbed, leaving a trail of neon blue. A combination of factors creates the necessary conditions for bioluminescence: red mangrove trees surround the water (the organisms feed off the dead leaves); a complete lack of modern development around the bay; the water is cool enough and deep enough; and a small channel to the ocean keeps the dinoflagellates in the bay.
We kayaked into the bay at night. The water lit up with each stroke of our paddles. As we moved through the bay, the whole bottom of our kayak glowed. Then we jumped in and swam, our whole bodies glowed in the dark. Each time we moved our arms up from the water, it looked like thousands of twinkling stars fell from our arms into the water. Then, it rained. As the raindrops hit the water, the whole bay lit up. It was magical.
Spain
All of our dinners in Spain include all you can drink wines. Too bad my mom and I don’t drink at all. People pour out onto the streets at night around 10pm, like Le Loi street in Saigon on Christmas, or Georgetown on Halloween.
Barcelona
Gaudi’s famous Sagrada Familia (Holy Family) – a gothic Catholic cathedral, all costs have been covered by donations. Construction started in 1883, scheduled to finish in 2020. But the opening date actually depends on how much people donate. The more donations there are, the faster the construction.
Montserrat – The sacred mountain of Catalonia with spectacular panoramic views and the Basilica of Black Madonna. The rock formations have unique shapes, some look like human figures, some look like animals.
Buffet dinner & Spanish Flamenco Show – Buffet includes all you can drink wines (red and white) and Spanish specialty cocktail. Contrary to others’ opinions, I find the buffet food only OK, not great. But it does offer tons of choices, all authentic. We were the first (and only people!) in the restaurant at 6:30pm, and still remained the only group there when we left the restaurant around 8:15! Spanish eats dinner late. They usually start their night with tapas (small plates, ranging from veggies, cheese to meat and seafood) around 9:00. Real dinners don’t start until 10 or later. Then we headed to see the Flamenco show. Flamenco is a very sad dance; the dancers express the pain, miseries and injustice suffered by the minority (the Gypsy) throughout history through their music and facial expressions. The show was great, but had they explained the story line behind the dances, we would be able to appreciate the whole thing more.
Madrid – Capital of Spain, virtually created from scratch by Philip II in the 16th century. Dinner in Madrid was very good. Worth noting – the Spanish fish soup, with clams, fish and shrimps. It’s very different than most soups I’d had, but oh so delicious!
I needed hot water for Theraflu, and the hotel wanted to charge us 3 bucks for it! Kids are sent home from school from 1 to 3 for naps. They then return to school until 5. We were told that most shops in Spain are closed from 1 to 5 pm, they call it “siesta” time. But we didn’t expect a 24hr store would close for napping too! We had such a hard time finding something light to eat in the afternoon, because most restaurants are closed after lunch, and won’t open until 8 at night for dinner. Can you imagine this? Having trouble buying food in the middle of a big city??
Italy
In Italy, especially South Italy, people seem to really enjoy their lives. Great food, outdoor dining, live music performers every where, people get up and dance right in the middle of the square if they feel like it. They do picnics for lunch, they sing, they kiss just because. No one rushes you. The people are very polite and oh so romantic; they hold the door open for you, they help you with your coat, they give you flowers, they dedicated songs to you. At one restaurant, the owner even personally made one of his specialties for my mom and me! They dress well, they take good care of their appearances. The weather is beautiful. The scenery is just like paintings, especially along the Italian coastline. I like the way of life here, very romantic and relaxing. Italy, you won my heart!
One down side though, every where you go, every where you turn, people smoke! Kids waiting for school bus smoke. Men smoke. Women smoke. You get my gist, Italians smoke like chimney!
Another thing worth mentioning, there are A LOT of churches in Italy. All beautiful.
Verona Got here around noon, and was shocked to find most stores closed from noon to 3:30/4:00! This is the legendary home of Romeo and Juliet. It is believed that your wish for one true love will be granted if you touch Juliet statue beneath the famous Juliet’s Balcony.
Venice http://iventurous.com/rottieto2001/2009/06/09/venice/
Siena and Assisi http://iventurous.com/rottieto2001/2009/06/09/siena-assisi/
Rome http://iventurous.com/rottieto2001/2009/06/09/rome-vatican-city/
Vatican City http://iventurous.com/rottieto2001/2009/06/09/vatican-city/
Tuscany Florence
Florence is known for its steaks (Bisteca). It’s a humongous grilled steak, enough to feed 4 people! The restaurant owner was kind enough to accommodate us, even that dish was not on his regular menu. It was one of his specialties, so he made it himself. Delicious!
We then visited the Leaning Tower of Pisa, where we couldn’t resist but had to take those cheesy pictures of ourselves supporting the Leaning Tower!
The drive from Tuscany to French Riviera is beautiful. We traveled along the spectacular Italian Riviera coast, then cross the French border to elegant Monaco, then to Nice.
Siena & Assisi - Italy
Siena is a medieval town, second only to Florence in beauty amongst the Tuscan cities. Its cobbled streets lead to the city square where the annual horse race still takes place. Sienna’s specialty is crostini – toasted sliced bread with different toppings, such as olive oil, cheese, anchovies, and grilled veggies.
Assisi is a picturesque hillside town. St. Mary of the Angels and St. Francis churches are very pretty. We stayed in a very old castle converted to a hotel, the rooms are very small. The authentic pasta dish from this region is absolutely delicious! It has a kick of spiciness in it, with white mushroom and meat sauce. We had a wonderful time at dinner here. A group of Italians were in the restaurant, we competed with each other by singing, by being rowdy, trying to prove that we can be just as loud as they are!
Venice - Italy
Venice is world-famous for its canals. It is built on 118 small islands formed by about 150 canals in a shallow lagoon. The islands on which the city is built are connected by about 400 bridges. In the old center, the canals serve the function of roads, and every form of transport is on water or on foot. There is absolutely no car in this city.
Average salary in Venice is 1,200 euros/month, average real estate cost 8,000 – 10,000 euros/m2. One specialty here is Tremezzi (a sandwich).
We visited Bridge of Sighs – bridge the department of justice and prison, prisoners see the very last beam of sunlight before transported to the prison. St Mark’s Basilica is absolutely beautiful with its stunning mosaics. Our gondola ride came with an opera singer and music. He was surprising good.
But overall, I was disappointed with Venice. It wasn’t like what I’d imagined. The water along the canals is very much polluted and has a foul smell. It was old, extremely crowded, and we weren’t even there at the peak season. Every thing is so expensive here. And their excuse? Well, you have only 1 Venice! Public restrooms cost $3 USD, toilet paper is extra, 15 cents a square. Unbelievable. With the exception of a very tiny park with 5 benches, you can’t find a place to sit down just to get off your feet without having to pay a ridiculous amount of money (well, unless you don’t mind just squatting right on the ground like me!) If you stand to eat, a sandwich and a bottle of water cost about $9 USD (not too bad). But if you sit down and use their toilet, it costs $30. It costs a lot more if you want to sit down to eat or drink. And that’s a deli in one of those tiny side streets. You’ll have to pay a whole lot more if you want to sit at the prime location. A hot chocolate and Lipton tea at Florians coffee bar in St. Mark’s Square will cost you a bit more than $50 USD!!
Even though Venice is a must see if you have a chance for its uniqueness, but I wouldn’t come back here again.
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is known to be Venice of North Europe. This is one of the places where I want to see just to know what it’s like, but don’t want to come back again. So is the real Venice (see why http://iventurous.com/rottieto2001/2009/06/09/venice/).
To control the population living on water, there is no new license for boat-house. In order to build/move a new boat-house into the area, you’ll have to wait for the current residents move out. All houses along the canals have the hooks high at front, used to haul the furniture in and out of the houses.
Lots of bicycles in Amsterdam. Actually, bicycles are one of the main means of transportation here. Most people have 2 – 1 for riding to work, the other for weekends. Bicycles thefts are notorious here. Most would need 2 locks – 1 for front wheel, the other for the back, or else you’ll come out and see only 1 wheel left! The local joke is by the time you buy your third bicycle, most likely that bike was previously stolen from you at some point!
Oh, and let’s not forget about the famous Red Light District: curtain up – free, curtain down – having customer. Real sex shows in theaters, with all sort of variety. You have choices of either watching live sex shows or you yourself perform while others watch. Then you have conventional sex shows, three-some, homosexual, etc. All were advertised right on the sidewalk with pictures fully displayed. I was curious to see what it was like, but after seeing it, I felt a bit…insulted and angry. Women in all shapes and forms are bought and sold right on the streets like a commodity. The government taxes those women on the income generated from prostitution, they also enforce mandated checkups for STDs. Some think this is the way to go, to control and make the whole thing safer. But I don’t feel that way. I guess I’m old-fashioned after all.
The irony: the oldest church of Amsterdam is in the red light district! Talk about resisting temptations!
We had dinner at Sea Palace, the most famous floating restaurant in the area. And for those who are wondering, yes, it’s the sister of the original Sea Palace in Hong Kong. Its capacity was estimated to be for 900 people, but sinked on the opening day! This was because the designers forgot to factor in the height and weight of the Dutch! Dutch in general are taller and weigh more than Asians. It had to be closed for redesigning.
European Tour w/ Insight
Tour: EUROPEAN DISCOVERY (Insight Vacations)
Duration: 25 days (Thu 9/25 – Sat 10/18/08)
Countries visited: London, Amsterdam, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Vatican, Monaco, Spain & France
This is a very fast-paced tour, since we covered so much ground within 25 days. We spent at most 1-2 nights in each city. You want to see how much ground we covered, imagine this: We had breakfast in London, lunch in Calais (France), afternoon snack in Belgium, and dinner in
Amsterdam!
Traveling by coach has its advantage, you can see the changing sceneries and villages along the way, but it’s really painful to sit on a bus for 8-10 hrs a day, no matter how luxurious that bus is!! I knew it was going to be a very busy trip, but I didn’t realize how tiring it would be. I was so tired and ready to go home by the end of the 1st week! Not having enough sleep, constantly on the move, unpacking every night, and repacking every morning really took a toll on me. Stayed true to my form, I overexerted myself, always overestimated my limits. Even though I got what I set out to do – get a taste of most major cities in Western Europe – I will not do it again. Next time, it will be a cruise (where I don’t have to unpacking and re-packing every day) or only hit 1 country at a time, with plenty of time to absorb the culture and relax at each destination!
Most public restrooms in Europe don’t have hot water to wash your hands. Spanish restroom lights are on a timer, which will automatically shut off every 5 seconds or so!! Then you’ll have to press a button to turn the lights back on for another 5 seconds. Good luck if you’re constipated! Hahaha In general, it costs money to use the restrooms in Northern Europe, about 0.30 to 2 Euros each time (50 cents to $3 USD!) And a bottle of water on average costs about $2.50. So in a day, I spent on average $7 - $10 for water, and at least another $3 just to pee it out!!! In Venice, you even have to pay extra for toilet paper! It’s 15 cents per square!
All hotels in Southern Europe have bidets (it’s a toilet-bowl-look-alike thingy used to wash your bottoms). Lots of people on our tour came up with very creative use for that. Someone even used it to keep her flowers fresh!
The pace of life in Southern Europe is slower than Northern part, and much much slower than what we’re used to in America. In some parts, lunch time is 3 hrs long, and the stores actually close for business during this time!