It makes sense that more men hang around in southern Europe than in the northern regions. The climate is better and the pace of life is noticeably slower. In Italy and Spain the men seem to drink vino and talk a lot, sometimes quite heatedly. I only wish I knew what they were gossiping about. As we moved east into Greece and Turkey, backgammon took over.
Speed rounds on handsome old wooden game tables with tiny dice.
The beverages got clearer and more potent. Male leisure in the Middle East has a different flavor. Egyptians sit around cafes or their storefronts and smoke sheesha pipes. The tobacco burns all day long as they watch the traffic roll by. They're not afraid of going at it alone, either.