There’s a restaurant in New York City where they take your phone at the door.
You walk in, hand it over, and they lock it in a little box.
You don’t get it back until you leave.
There are cafés in Amsterdam doing the same thing.
Gathering spots across Europe where the whole point is to show up, sit down, and be present — no scrolling, no photographing your food, no checking email between courses.
There are entire clubs now built around the idea of disconnecting.
People pay to be in a room together with no screens.
They read.
They make things with their hands.
They talk.
And every time I see one of these stories, I think the same thing:
Italy has understood the value of being present for centuries.
Riposo, the long afternoon pause where shops close and the streets go quiet, isn't a business inconvenience.
It's a culture that decided rest is non-negotiable.
The passeggiata is an evening walk with no destination and no agenda.
You go out simply to be among people and take part in the life of the town.
The three-hour dinner isn't slow service.
It's a belief that sitting around a table with family and friends, sharing food and conversation, is one of the most important parts of life.
Italians don't need a phone-free café because the culture itself is the invitation to slow down.
And here's what I've noticed after 37 years of travel:
The travelers who have the most transformative trips are the ones who stop trying to fit Italy into their own pace and start letting Italy work it's magic.
They leave their phone in the hotel room for dinner.
They sit in a piazza without taking a single photo.
They let the afternoon go unscheduled, not because there's nothing to do, but because doing nothing is the whole point.
That's not wasted time.
That's the time they remember most.
We live in a world that's louder than it's ever been.
More information, more notifications, more everything, all the time.
The desire to unplug isn't a fad. It's a need.
And Italy is one of the few places left where the culture itself supports it.
You don't have to go to a special restaurant or join a club.
You just have to be willing to let Italy work its magic.
And that's part of what I try to build into the trips I design.
Not more things to check off.
Not more places to rush through.
But room to actually be there.
Would you be willing to leave your phone behind for one evening in Italy?
Yes or no? Hit reply and tell me. I'd love to know.
Alla prossima (until next time),