While reading this I was thinking of a late summer trip backpacking through Italy that my wife and I had. It was smoking hot and we were just south of Naples. Everyone was outside until really late and once you got used to the noise, people fires and rubbish, it was amazing. Eating pizza whilst watch local kids play football, old men playing cards and neighbours yelling at each other/ talking (I could never tell if they were fighting our catching up) and less desirably, a kid stealing a car. A guy next door was feeding his iguana named Eddy.
It was very very communal and great to visit. It felt just a little bit unsafe most the time, but we had nothing material worth talking. $30 US we spent per day each averaged over 6 weeks included everything except the plane ticket to get there. If only my job could be done remotely, I'd be back there very fast.
