Travel and Authenticity
“Hurry, hurry, has no blessing” – Kenyan proverb
The rush rush of being busy holds no interest.
Fast fashion. Fast food. It’s probably not good for us.
Taking time over coffee is such a pleasure.
In Central Italy we arrive at a cafe and greet the elderly woman. “Come stai?” is exchanged. She tells us to sit and that she will bring the drinks to us.
I’m reminded of a time in Turin, where I waited at the counter of a busy cafe and began a conversation with the cafe owner. The man said the same to me then. Go sit down. I’ll bring the drinks to you. He smiled and said “Etichetta” (Etiquette)
It’s still a thing in some places.
And so we sit and wait for the coffee to be prepared. No urgency.
And in that moment I thought about travel and the experiences en route. We travel a lot. We continue to find ourselves seeking out the ordinary of a place, with no interest of treading the popular route, ticking off lists on a tourist trail or following an itinerary.
The coffee tray arrives.
There’s something special in it all. The owner of the cafe presents the tray of delights with a smile, two hot expressos, with water on the side and fresh pasticerria, two tiramisu tarts. The total cost is EUR 5
The cafe is family run by three generations, a ‘nonna’ (grandmother) who delivers fresh cakes in the company’s van, the daughter (serving us today) and a charismatic grandson. It’s not a franchise. The place has genuine personality.
Reflecting on a busy year with a lot of travel, we find ourselves valuing experiences like these more and more.
In a world of corporate kak and mainstream ideas being sold to us all, how do we locate what’s authentic?
When we travel, how do we discover what is genuine and original?