La Pausa is a time when people linger in the caffè...

I'm used to American life. The Protestant work ethic. Organization. Competition. The Rat Race. So when I first meandered through the narrow cobblestone streets of Cagli during my lunch hour, I was dumbfounded to find that banks, shops and businesses were closed from 1p.m. till 4 p.m. - a time that seems perfect for conducting sales and transactions. During la pausa, the people of Cagli take a break from their working day to take a nap, take a stroll, have some lunch and enjoy the afternoon.

Apparently the Benjamin Franklin mentality that has shaped America's businesses and citizens has yet to affect the Cagliese culture - regardless of the relentless forces of globalization. All the signs reading chiuso and torno subito are constant reminders that business need not be done at the expense of going to the bar for another caffè, or the local forno for a slice of pizza. The fact that a sale could be lost, a customer not served, is beside the point.

Chi se ne fresa? Who cares?

All the time and energy Americans devote to the accumulation and management of money, how to amass it, invest it, spend it, Italians instead devote to other things - eating well, resting well, and spending time with family and friends. Apparently, in Cagli, life is not organized around the principle of doing business and making money. Here, life is meant to be enjoyed.


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...and the locals catch up on town gossip.