Hi All,
first time visiting France during winter time. Would there still be siesta during winter in these places I'm going to visit?
1 French Riviera ie. Nice, Monaco, Antibes, Cap-Ferrat, La Turbie, Villefranche Sur Mer
2 Luberon Provence ie. Gordes and Rousillon
3 Carcassonne
4 Lourdes
what about Rome and Venice in Italy as previously I receive info some minor churches in Rome would close few afternoon hours too?
TIA
Jen, 'siesta' in Italian cities is largely a thing of the past although it's not unheard of for owners of smaller shops to head home for a late lunch. Many but not all restaurants can close for a few hours between mid afternoon and opening evening hours.
Major attractions do not close. Churches are all different; some close for a few hours midday into the early or mid afternoon and some don't. A few also close to visitors on certain days. Visiting for sightseeing purposes is discouraged during open services so heavy mass rotations at some - Santa Maria Maggiore, for instance - makes pre-planning a necessity!
As this is a Jubilee Year, best to consult the official calendar for any special services which may interfere with usual visiting hours as the 'major' basilicas or others of the larger churches.
If you are asking if midday closings are the same in winter, yes they are. Shops or offices that close at noon do the same in winter.
It's not just "some minor" church that close. Most churches in Rome and Venice will close from some time around noon until some time around four. And the hours vary a little bit by church, so you need to check. In Rome, the papal basilicas will be open all day, unless there's a special liturgy. The safest thing is to plan to visit churches in the morning and late in the afternoon – checking their mass schedule to make sure you don't show up when mass is ongoing.
I spent 10 days in Asiago (Veneto Region) Italy February of 2013. The pharmacy (farmacia) closed between 12:30 (or 13:00?) and 16:00, then staying open to 19:00.
