When I spend time in Italy, one of my favorite things to do is people watch. I love to observe the locals in action. They are similar and yet different from my culture here in the states. Although I remain almost always an observer, there have been times where I got pulled into the action.
On a recent visit to Puglia, the southern region down in the “heel of the boot” which is Italy, I found a piazza with large groups of men sitting and visiting with each other. There was no woman in sight, only the men. As we stood back to watch them, I noticed a couple of “young buckaroos” waving me over with big smiles. Shocked at first, I just smiled back with a brief wave. But as you can see, I gave in to their wishes and joined them for a moment. They sat me down in a chair and posed for photos. I don’t recall the last time I laughed so hard with these charming, fun-loving gentlemen. Each one of them was neatly dressed and groomed. I admire this special emphasis on dress and cleanliness among the Italians.
Enjoy the photos below of this entertaining evening in the piazza…
The green door in the background is the entrance to the Puglia Wine School, where I spent the evening tasting some of Puglia’s delicious wines.
Later that evening, I looked out the window from the upper floor of the wine school. All was quiet on the piazza. The men had folded up their chairs and vanished into the night.
The evening gave me an interesting and unforgettable window into the lives and culture of the people of southern Italy. Not only do they highly value community, they know how to relax and enjoy themselves with each other. In a world of people who often seclude themselves, I found this to be refreshing. The Italian people truly know the importance of camaraderie. Bella cosa far nienta~Idleness is a beautiful thing.
Timeless Italy Travels 
Southern Italy is full of older men hanging out in piazzas.Your group seems particularly well organized with the folding chairs to supplement the benches. I wonder where they stored them when they no doubt disappeared for their evening meal.
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Hi Karen, I wondered the same thing! They just all seemed to disappear into thin are, the chairs along with them:)
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That sounds like a fun adventure and a good memory for you too!
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It’s fun mixing with the locals and they are always so welcoming. Make the holiday that much more special 😀 Time we learnt how to live as they do.
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I agree! It’s times like these that make the entire experience of travel so much more meaningful. These are wonderful memories that I won’t forget:)
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Fantastic!
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Thank you Diana….hope you are doing good:)
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(Sorry, hate predictive text…) *guys
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No problem..I figured it out quickly as I have the same thing happen to me more all the time:)
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LOVE the photos of the Italian fi s in this post
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Aren’t they adorable? They were the sweetest, and I have to say that I admired them. They make a woman feel like a woman without feeling cheap. Genuine gentlemen.
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Susan this is a great post, very heartwarming and I love your picture! Check this something similar 🙂
http://sandrajordanphotographyblog.com/2015/09/03/la-bella-italia/comment-page-1/#comment-4
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What a wonderful shot!
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Thanks…don’t think i’ve ever laughed so hard:)
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What a fun afternoon and evening. Isn’t it great how such simple things can be so much fun. I did experience similar when we were staying in Pievebovigliana. All the older gentlemen would meet every afternoon at the local bar. Not to drink. Just to chat, and some of them played cards. They were always intrigued with us Aussie ladies. There were never any wives to be seen. The wives were probably home preparing dinner and having a break from the men.
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I really love this custom of the men getting together. Male bonding time is very important. I’ll bet the wives have their gal times as well.
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Great post, Susan. What a wonderful evening in Puglia we shared! Thanks for the memories
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Thank you Margie. Yes, it was a perfect evening. I’m so glad we have it to share…
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I bet those cheeky gentlemen called you ‘Signorina’ and made you feel young and beautiful? Great post.
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Thanks Francesca…it was a lot of fun and we had some good laughs. Of course I loved the attention…they were all so sweet:)
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But Susan is young and beautiful, Francesca 😉
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Yes she is indeed, but all the old blokes say this Italy. it’s their magic trick.
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Very true, Francesca! But they sure know how to make a lady feel special, no matter the age:)
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Awwww….:)
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Thank you Rae! It really does make it so much more fun when you dare to mingle with the locals. I appreciate your input:)
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I used to vacation in Bar Harbor Maine. I spent hours at the local dock waiting for the Lobstermen to come in with their daily catches. My favorite days were when I listened to their chatter and was lucky enough to join in even for just a little while. Not only was it interesting, but I got a much better appreciation for the jobs they did.
Your being invited onto this group of guys in Italy must have just been so amazingly special. 😊
Thanks for sharing.
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My pleasure, Rae
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What fun!!! This is indeed one of the great things about travel. Kudos to you for joining in with ‘the boys’! Sure does make time spent in a place you love, all the more special.
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