November 12

9 comments

La Pausa: Just don’t fight it!

By Rick

November 12, 2012


La Pausa.  Know about it, accept it, and plan your day around it.  Above all, don’t try to fight it.  That’s all you really need to know.  I could finish this article right here and that would probably be sufficient enough advice—but it wouldn’t be any fun, though, would it?

“The Pause,” is the time of day in Italy when all of the businesses shut down and the shop keepers go home for their three-hour lunch break. I suppose it is the equivalent to the Spanish “siesta.” I don’t know where, when, or why this tradition started, but what I do know is that it can be very frustrating to the uninitiated American expat.  We’re used to 24-hour access to everything.  We expect things to function efficiently and in a timely manner.  The world is supposed to cater to our every need or whim. Now that you’re in Italy, you can forget about all of that.  It’s time to relearn everything you thought you knew about daily commerce and how it relates to your new lifestyle.

Trying not to work too hard.

In theory, business hours in Rome–and for most of Italy–should be from 9:30 to 1:00, followed by a three-hour stoppage. Then everything resumes again in the afternoon from 4:00 until 7:30.  What’s more, most businesses have “un giorno di riposo,” or an extra half-day that they take off in the middle of the week. To make things even more confusing, this day is different from town to town and can also vary depending on the type of business.

For example, let’s say that you want to buy some fruit at the local grocery store. In Rome, if you show up on Wednesday afternoon, you’ll be out of luck. Instead, in Tuscany the small grocers are closed on Tuesday afternoons.  In Bologna, all shops are closed on Thursday afternoons; while in Parma, less than an hour away, “il giorno di riposo” is Wednesday mornings.

This is why you should never take anything for granted when planning your schedule. Often I will leave the house with an optimistic list of five things that I would like to accomplish that day. If I get two of those items crossed off of my list, I consider it a very successful outing. But if you happen to have one very important task that you absolutely must get done, the only reasonable strategy is to devote an entire day to it.  I’m not joking. Show up at the place of business at 9:30 and be prepared to make at least one return trip plus two or three side trips. They’ll tell you that you need a special stamp from the tobacco shop, then a signature from the Questura, a blessing from the Pope, a sample of your blood, and your first-born male child as collateral. Inevitably, you’ll get it all together just around 12:55. Then you’ll have to wait three hours for the pausa before you can go back to your original destination.  See what I mean?

Thankfully, the one thing that you can truly count on–at least in Rome–is that you can always find an open bar, restaurant or pizzeria nearby. Pick a shady table in a quiet square. Order a panino and a glass of wine and just take a deep breath. Look around.  Or close your eyes and listen to sounds of daily life.  As the buzz of the wine reaches your brain, you will gradually begin to understand how and why this “la pausa” thing came into being.  Maybe you’ll even admit to yourself that it isn’t such a bad idea after all.

 

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About the author

Living in the Caput Mundi and trying to decipher Italian culture for the English speaking world.

  • Rick, I am thoroughly enjoying your blog and find it very informative and humorous from both sides of the “big pond”. “Il dolce far niente”…..

    Mamma

  • Wow, that’s a great history of the siesta. It makes sense. I, too, had noticed that southern latitudes (including the American South) all seem to have the same work break philosophy. Having family from the American South and having been in Rome during the summer one year, I thought that the tradition developed simply because it was too hot to do anything else. The heat makes me want to pass out just walking to the mailbox, much less do any chores. And with the lack of American style AC……oy. Thanks for the information.

  • The other day one of my contacts on LinkedIn posted a very interesting reply, revealing much more actual information than my sarcastic musings. Here it is:

    Somehow I get the impression you are located in Central-Southern Italy, because what you refer to as “la pausa” is known as “il riposo” up North. Nonetheless, “la pausa/siesta” is not exclusive to Italy/Spain. They have it in Croatia, Malta, Albania, Greece, Portugal, Southern France and, for that matter, everywhere in North and Central Africa and the Middle East (including Israel), as well as in countries the likes of India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Cambodia, The Philippines and yes … China except for Hong Kong. Not to mention Mexico and pretty much all of South America.

    The midday break was imported in Southern Italy during the Spanish Domination which began in the 1400’s, after the end of the Black Plague. “Siesta” is derived from the Spanish “sexta hora”, meaning the “sixth hour” after dawn but it did not originate in Spain. It was imported by the Moors around the beginning of the VIII Century with the invasion of Andalusia, Castilla, Aragon and today’s Portugal from Gibraltar, when they pushed the Visigoths all the way back to The Pyrenees. The Moors, who were very skilled and advanced anatomists as well as devotees of the then known Third Abrahamic Religion (Islam), had two very good reasons to practice “siesta”: they thought it was healthy and it was mandated by the al-Qu’ran.

    The Moors thought that a midday snooze (after the midday prayer) helped clear the mind and soul. This particular fact seems to have been confirmed by western science. As to the religious reason, the “midday prayer” is practiced universally in Islam nowadays since “Midday prayer prevents the worshiper from indulging in anything that is undignified or indecent” [Surah Al-Ankabut (Ch. 29. V 46)].

  • I totally see the point. Live and enjoy life. Other cultures are too devoted to work, so much that there’s a lack of quality time with your beloved ones. Furthermore, for many Italians working hard does not equate rewards, because of the job issues that the country has been experiencing for quite a while now. Who would want to work so hard to have so little in return? I’d rather take a nap on Spanish Steps.

  • Had a big smile of recognition on my face throughout reading this! Can make you want to scream at times, especially when Italians TRULY cannot see what is upsetting you – they sincerely don’t understand the problem. I deal with in exactly the same way, and when I do, I feel SO very Italian, and it does not seem so terribly important after all…..aahhh

    • That’s absolutely right, Renee. Pico Iyer once said, “Traveling is not about leaving our homes, but leaving our habits.” Not always easy, but it’s an important part of adapting. Thanks for the comment! Ciao!

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