Stories leak in these narrow passageways.

“A writer will find inspiration anywhere. You just have to look and see it, that’s all. Then write about it.”

It was 50-years ago when we first visited Barcelona. With backpacks and a few Pesetas we fell in love with the place. The city seemed to be a cheaper, seedier, more exciting scene back then, but maybe that’s just a memory I like to hold on to. I’m sure that scene still exists for the young who still seek it out as we did 50-years ago. Barcelona has certainly grown up.

I’ve always loved roaming the small pathways and narrow streets of this old city. Finding new places to explore, to sit on a bench and enjoy the morning sun reveal itself especially with a cafe con leche in hand. Trying my language skill or lack of skill with anyone who will listen or just watching the locals parade by. I find it intriguing after wandering around the maze of tiny narrow streets and exit to the surprise of the wide straight boulevards like Sant Joan, La Ramblas, or Passage de Placa Catalunya, a total contrast. I’m sure it was all designed to socialize the locals, bring them together for their “El Paseo” evening ritual.

If I ever stop observing I’ll be finished. Experience is captured and retold through the small details I observe and turn into stories.

I’ve learned to slow down, to just sit and observe life. “Tranquillo” was said to me on more than a few occasions when I first arrived. It basically means calm down/relax. Waiters seemed to take pleasure in telling me this when I asked for the check. I was given free glasses of wine and told, “You are not in American now, sit and enjoy the day.” It took a while to catch on. This was from my first days in Barcelona.

Then I discovered the evening stroll in Spain, in any part of the country and nearly all year round, the evening begins with “El Paseo”, a leisurely stroll through the streets, meeting and greeting friends and family. It is the dividing line between the working day and the evening, signalling a slowing down of tempo, a shift from activity to leisure.

 The Spanish culture has some interesting rituals. I first became aware of “El Paseo” which translates to “a leisurely usually evening stroll” when I first arrived in Spain. I couldn’t sleep so decided to go for a walk in the evening with no particular destination and instantly became aware of how crowded the streets were. So many of the streets were filled with people just leisurely walking around. There were family’s, couples, young people, old people, and just about every other combination. They all seemed to be going somewhere important, but in no particular hurry, so I decided to join the river of people to see what was going on. This lasted for about an hour until I finally realized that there was no particular destination and they were just walking around the neighborhood streets. That was my first experience of the Paseo. I loved just watching life stroll past. I found it refreshing since this type of thing just isn’t common in the US. 

Much like the “Siesta” or afternoon nap this tradition is part of the culture and many locals find it puzzling that it’s not common in the US. I’ve witnessed this “Paseo” in the other European countries I visited including Italy, Greece, France, and Portugal. The more I observed people participating in this ritual the more I enjoyed it. I’m so lucky to live in a city where I can go leisurely walking around after days end. This type of thing does not happen in LA or the Bay Area, even in the summer when the temperature is agreeable. Maybe the fear of being shot or stopped by the police has something to do with it.

During the Paseo locals will often stop at a bar for an apertivo, or to just talk, and some even shop in one of the many stores still open and lining the streets. This goes on for a few hours until everyone is ready for a late tapas bite. If you are ever in Spain you should slow down and definitely participate in the Paseo, it’s a way to work off the days food and drink in the local customs. It’s a tradition that’s dates back hundreds years.

Talk to any Spaniard today the whole concept would be met with nonchalance. After all, while El Paseo is a nice tradition, it’s just a part of daily life and no different from a morning cafe con leche and pastry. This can be due to the physical benefits associated with walking after dinner, which include aiding digestion, regulating blood sugar levels and helping you torch a few calories ahead of that late night tapas. But there’s more to it than simply helping you maintain a healthy weight. You observe life.

With the rise of digital entertainment and online socialization among the young, the internet age has caused a decline in El Paseo, which has been unofficially relegated to older adults in many Spanish cities and mid-size towns, while you’re still likely to see the whole town turn out each evening in smaller, non-urban areas. But there’s an argument to be made that the preservation of this quintessential ritual is now more important than ever.

Once I learned to slow down I’ve had so much more time for more important things like enjoying the here and now. And for that I am forever grateful.