Local custom by Jenniflower
The lifestyle in Rome is very much an outdoor one. People don't stay put in their homes, just coming out when necessary, or when going to work. In the UK this is often the case I have noticed.
People live inside their homes (or in the pub!) alot more. I guess the weather plays a role here too.
When the sun does come out, so do the people... and the deck chairs (Hyde Park) :)
In South Africa, the lifestyle is alot more outdoors and to me, healthier. In Rome, the difference is that even though it is an outdoor culture, people still sit around more, whereas in South Africa, one is more likely to be actively doing something, playing a sport, sailing, hiking etc, not sitting around.
This is more difficult to do in a city like Rome of course, hard to hike where there are no mountains haha... but at least one gets alot of walking done in Rome.
We did A LOT of walking, hardly used public transport and all and this is good!