A chat with a cafe owner in Lisbon made me see slow travel differently

I was in Lisbon for two months, working from the same cafe almost every day. The owner, Miguel, asked me why I was staying so long when most nomads leave after a week. He said, 'You see the rain, not just the sun.' It hit me that I was actually living there, not just visiting. How do you find that balance between seeing new places and really getting to know one?

3 comments

3 Comments

emery_lane28d agoTop Commenter

My own travel style is more like a real estate open house, a quick walkthrough to check for major flaws. Staying put long enough to see the rain means you might notice the leaky roof.

jade_hernandez28d ago

That style misses the whole point for me. You only get the surface, not the feeling of a place. I'd rather know about the leaky roof.

young.val25d ago

Honestly I spent three weeks in Lisbon and the leaky roof taught me more than any guidebook.