ROLI'S CORNER
Running to a better life...
Correr en Barcelona!
Leaving the freezing weather behind!
Correr en Barcelona, I bet you are wandering what the heck that means, well it is spanish for Running in Barcelona! ... Yeap, I just got back from a long weekend in Barcelona and of course I went running there. It is an interesting city and I lurved it... I was not expecting to go and it was not planned.
My husband had to go there for a week on a conference, he left very early on the sunday morning. After he left I dragged myself out of bed at 9.00 am and headed straight for the coffee machine and then my laptop, and lo and behold, there was a letter sitting next to the laptop. I yanked it open and inside was a ticket to join him in Barcelona on Thursday! ...God! I had never been there before, so I was gobsmacked and excited. Anyways, on Thursday afternoon, I set off for the airport and happily left the freezing weather of Belgium behind.
Running in Barcelona
"There are clubs you can't belong to, neighbourhoods you can't live in, schools you can't get into, but the roads are always open," according to advertising copy for a Nike running shoe...and this is so true, anyway, let me get back on track.
On the morning after I arrived in Barcelona, I put on my running shoes and I was out the hotel door. I headed straight for Avenue Diagonal which is the name of Barcelona's most important boulevard. It cuts the city in two from West to East hence the name. It is very wide about 50 meters and only for pedestrians, runners and cyclists. It is fairly flat but nothing too gruelling so I was able to absorb my surroundings.
As I ran, I did a lot of 'people watching'. The temperature was about 12 celsius, so it felt like being in the tropics especially after having just left freezing weather behind. I noticed that people were dressed like it was minus 10 degrees outside, but I guess thats very cold for the locals. The boulevard was lined with palm trees and street lights. I ran past other runners and people going to work and their daily business. It really opened my mind to all the different lives out there and all the different people, cultures and all the possibilities there are in life. Running makes me so open minded.
Tapas!
What I love most about running in new places is experiencing the different smells, people and the feel of the place. On the way back I stopped for a few minutes just to take everything in. I must have run for about 9km that morning. I ran one more time before we left. I am glad I experienced it, however, I am also happy I experienced the best tapas I have ever had. If you are ever in Barcelona visit Irati, Taverna Basca. See http://www.gruposagardi.com It truly has the best tapas in the world.
So, the climate was warmer, pleasant surroundings, interesting architecture and people. Barcelona was an interesting place to run in, but I had to watch out for the traffic! ... I will be back!