In a small town in Calabria, on a Tuesday in late October, a taverna has its door open and all its tables set. White paper tablecloths, folded napkins, olive oil with a metal pour spout. Everything in its position. No one is sitting at any of them.

This episode stays with that table and with the man in the kitchen who set it, not in anticipation of anyone, but because that is what you do in the morning.

Marcus Aurelius appears briefly. So does a cat.

Slow Podcast is an atmospheric audio series set in Greece and Italy. Episodes are short, unhurried, and resolve nothing.