CASTELFIDARDO (part II): Relax. Stay a while.

FOR LUNCH WE EAT mouth-watering spaghetti and drink white wine at a friendly restaurant on the beach while chatting about family, relationships and our trip so far.

Afterwards, we spend a stressful day sunbathing and collecting stones on the beaches of Mezzavalle.

Then in Castelfidardo, I enjoy a refreshing cone of café gelato.

Later at the same cafe, I watch in a combination of awe, amusement and astonishment as an elderly man argues and eventually scolds the waiter who has failed to fill his wine glass to the absolute brim.

Keep in mind that it is 1:30 in the afternoon on an otherwise insignificant Tuesday.

These are just a few examples of how life really slows down when you leave fast-paced American culture and enter Italian life.

Americans are notorious for despising anything slow. We cringe at the thought of a frozen computer screen and think the DMV could actually be the gateway to Hell.

You must realize before traveling to a place like Italy that life slows down.

When you go out to eat, dinner can take as long as three hours or more. There are no doggie bags. It is considered rude to rush your meal. Most stores outside of the larger Italian cities actually close between the hours of one and four PM so the Italians can leisurely stroll home and enjoy pausa, nap time.

Don’t get me wrong. I love the way New York City literally seems to move. I love how fast I can get my French Vanilla ice coffee from Dunkin Donuts every morning. And I love how I don’t have to stick around until I’ve sucked the entire thing down. I love asking for the check even before I’ve eaten the last bite, just to make sure I’m continuously on the go.

But it doesn’t hurt anyone or anything to enjoy a glass of wine in the middle of the afternoon and know that this is not frowned upon.

In Italy, your presence will never be hurried out.

- Ann Curran