When in Rome
I'm on holiday this week in the picturesque hills of Tuscany.
How's the weather? Dreadful, thanks for asking.
But the holiday is fab. I love how strict Italians are about things - no cappuccinos after 11am for example, not speaking English etc. It's easy to feel instantly immersed in the Italian experience.
This is exactly what you want from a holiday, but these days, it can be hard. We carry our phones everywhere now, which can make it difficult to disconnect from home and fully engage with the environment we're in. We may physically be in Florence, but mentally we can still be on our sofas in Edinburgh.
This week, for example, I was at Victoria Beckham's 50th, Liz Truss's book launch and the announcement of the Thursday Murder Club cast, all within minutes of stepping out of a 17th century castle in the Chianti mountains.
Weird.
In the olden days of course, you were genuinely away. You went abroad and that was it. You had no idea what was going on until you came home.
But you also had to be good at map reading.
It's too late to go back, so how do we create a balance?
Well a restaurant here in Italy is offering a free bottle of wine to customers who are willing to relinquish their phones for the duration of their meal.
I think that's pretty doable.
Other compromises could include only watching films set in the country you're in, while you're in it.
I'm immersed in Netflix's Ripley at the moment, which is set in the Amalfi Coast. It's slow and atmospheric, much like the pace in Tuscany. And the cat acting is worth it alone.
Do you have any suggestions? Please complete this article for me as I have to go back to Italy now.
Mad world
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