Running

Having just returned from my daily mile run, I thought it would be interesting to write a quick post about some of the challenges I have experienced as a jogger in Europe.

First, I will say that the most agreeable location for running thus far has been Paris. The neighborhood we stayed in was sufficiently far from touristy locations so the streets were quiet and clear. What's more, Paris has nice wide sidewalks and a predictable layout that makes it easy for me to find my way back without consulting a map.

The most difficult location for running is a toss up between Cinque Terre and Florence. Cinque Terre was tough because of the terrain. In the villages themselves there was literally no flat place to run/walk. Every possible path was on a very steep incline. The nearby terraced vinyards, however, were a huge redeemer. For two of my three runs, I was able to climb up and out of the village and then run back and forth along the terraces.

For this reason, I think I will have to give Florence the title of most difficult place to run. For one thing, the sidewalks (if you can even call them that) are so narrow that people literally walk in the streets. When a car comes though, everyone moves such that the car has just enough space to pass. It's fascinating. As I run, I am constantly having to jump back and forth to get out of the way of cars, as well as dart around ambling tourists. Florence is also a maze of spiraling narrow, crowded streets which makes it very, very easy to get lost. After my first run, I got so lost that I spent more time trying to figure out where I was than I did running.

Other difficulties I've experienced have more to do with the nature of the trip. I'm tired from a day full of walking. I'm anxious because I'm in cities I don't know very well in foreign countries. It's also been difficult to find the time to run, given all the things we are trying to do/see. On a few occasions, I've literally taken off to run after meals while Alex watches our stuff. In Nice, we had lunch in a park overlooking the city. It was a great area to run, but I hadn't planned ahead so I had to run in jeans.

All in all, though, I've still been able to get in my daily run. We'll see if I can make it through the final leg of our trip in Rome.

Ciao!