What is it--take 2

Café life...it´s in our blog title...but what is it?

It´s not Starbucks. Some people use Starbucks in America to go and chat for a while over coffee, but it´s also highly individual. You see many people come in, get their coffee, and leave. In Portugal cafés are about chilling out and conversing. It is where people discuss school, politics, life, and other things. The people of Portugal are open to conversation. If you ask them a question, they´ll answer it (provided they know English), and are more than willing to talk to a stranger. But don´t ask them about how they feel about politics, nightlife, or anything else unless you really want to know. They´ll tell you everything.

Cafés are friendly atmospheres. They can get really crowded, but if you ask to sit at the same table as someone, you won´t get a "well I guess if you must" sort of face that is seen in the States. It´s really laid-back, and no one´s in a hurry....but neither are the waiters, so don´t think you can just hop into a café and be out in 10 minutes, unless it´s a place where you pre-pay. Another precaution is that if you have asthma or allergies, drug up before you go: there is usually a lot of smoke.

Going to Lisbon is incomplete without café life. We´re gonna miss it when he head back.

-benJamin