Slow travel; for me it is the art of living the moment of wherever you are. I have often waxed poetic about slow travel, but it took a trip to Madrid for me to really understand it.  That beautiful and vibrant city taught me about slowing down in a way no other destination has.

Slow Travel

It started with the notion of ‘slow food.’ This is the antithesis of fast food. The slow food movement talks about respecting the ingredients of the food. Cooks using locally sourced ingredients and respecting that well prepared food should take care and time.

Slow travel respects that it takes time to get to know a destination. Too many package tours race through as many destinations as possible in the time allotted. The tour is in London on Monday, Berlin on Tuesday and Rome on Wednesday.

Okay, small exaggeration; but not by much. Reading some of these itineraries, I get the notion that you are forever checking in and out of hotels, spending a half day here, a full day there. There is no time to just relax and enjoy the trip.

Madrid Time

I had planned five nights in Madrid. It seemed pretty leisurely to me. It was plenty of time to see what I wanted to see, to take the city in and not be rushed.

What I didn’t count on was that Madrid having a very different idea of rushed. Madrid is the very essence of Slow Travel.

It started at the airport. After clearing immigration and finally making my way to baggage claim, I… waited. It was another half hour before the bags arrived for claiming. In the states – or really anywhere else – this would have been cause for civil disturbance. At the very least there would be heavy sighing and pointed looks.

Not in Madrid. People waited patiently, looking at their phones or chatting with each other. Books were pulled out and children amused themselves. When the bags arrived, there was a flurry of quiet industry as luggage was identified and retrieved.

This was my introduction to Madrid time.

Invitations to Linger

Nothing in that city was ever rushed that I noticed. Please don’t assume that I am calling these folks lazy. They are far from it. This is a busy and vibrant city. People work, and work hard. They are busy, but they are not rushed.

There is time to enjoy a coffee and a chat with a coworker in a sunny square. Everywhere there seemed to be an invitation to linger. Tree lined streets and wide plazas beckon you to stroll. There are abundant opportunities to take a seat, to people watch or just to contemplate. I was more than happy to partake.

My first morning, I was stopped cold by the line to get into the Prado. It snaked down stairs, down the sidewalk and around the corner. I have a ‘thing’ about spending vacation time standing in long lines. On the third morning I found myself happily standing in a long line to get into the Reina Sofia Museum. I had finally given in. I had finally given in to the true notion of slow travel.

To my delight, the line moved rather quickly. Even as it did, no one seemed impatient; no one seemed irritated or put out by waiting. Why bother when there were friends to chat with and a sunny morning to enjoy?

The wait for the Sofia Reina more than paid off. The museum gives a lot of depth and context to the works. Most of it is from the last century and they go deep on the political nature of art. That was wonderful and I would have missed it had I again been too impatient.

Throwing Out the Plan

I always like to spend time in a city just wandering. Madrid took this to a new level. I discovered lovely parks and interesting architecture that I would have missed had I not allowed myself to be drawn down streets or through gates.

There is grace in not racing to see as much as possible. The city was crowded with Christmas crowds; Madrid is busy at the holidays and normally that would make me a little crazy. Instead I found myself willing to step out of the bustle, have a hot chocolate and enjoy the scene.

Sure, I didn’t get to see everything I had planned on, then again I never do. My eyes are always bigger than my stomach that way, as my father would have said. Usually I leave a place a little regretful that I didn’t see or do more.

Madrid was special this way. I didn’t feel like I missed out on anything. In fact, I felt like I had actually done and seen and experienced more than I could hope for. By throwing out the plan, I was living my idea of slow travel. As a result, I have amazing memories of people and places.

Lessons Learned

I am far more likely to live in the moment when I travel, but I still bring a lot of my bad habits with me. Grousing about crowds, being irritated by lines, trying to fit too much in; I am guilty of it all. I may never step foot in Madrid again, but I have no regrets about the time I spent there.

Yes, I never did get back to the Prado. There are a number of things I wanted to do that I didn’t get to. Still, when I close my eyes, I can take myself back to the Puerta del Sol and see the giggling trio of girls taking selfies. I can smell the cinnamon of the churros. The sights and sounds and scents of the Plaza Mayor are forever in my memory and are as vibrant as if I were standing there.

Madrid taught me what slow travel should be. I learned to savor the moments; that less really is more when it comes to travel. I may have fewer stops on my trips, but the experience is richer and more satisfying.