[lostjohnny]

> One sleepy little town basically shut down between 12:30 and 14:30 every day

That's not been true since the 80s.

You're probably confused by the fact that some services shut down at lunch time (service facing offices like banks) for historical reason, we in Italy have a very rigid system of contracts that regulate each category of work in a very precis way, including work hours.

If banks want to stay open at lunch time, they'll have to change the national contract.

But if you go to an hospital or a bar or a restaurant or an IKEA branch, you'll find people working hard even at lunch time.

Source: born, raised and still living in Italy since 43 years ago.

> How do you get anything done??

I don't know, maybe We are smarter than the rest of the World... :)

Getting things done is not about the time you put in them, it's about the effort.

[swarnie_]

> That's not been true since the 80s.

I'm sorry my person experience doesn't match with your statement?