You can stroll and get lost for days in Paris. That’s exactly what Matt and I have been doing – strolling around and seeing the sights. Running is a bit different.
It’s pretty easy to get lost. That’s part of the charm with strolling but not so much with running. The sidewalks are crowded and there are numerous traffic lights. Start. Stop. Start. Stop. I had hopes of running along the Seine but we are staying about 1.5 miles from it which makes for a lengthy start-stop-start-stop journey. You don’t even see many runners. We saw a few yesterday at the Jardins des Tuileries – perhaps they were celebrating National Running Day?
So today, while Matt is at the French Open with his nephew, I found the nearest park and headed out to get my sweat on. It finally stopped raining and blue skies appeared out of nowhere.
I didn’t just walk out the door and run. There was some preparation involved.
Survival kit – phone, address of the apartment, keys, directions to the park (in case my phone didn’t work), and some money in case I desperately get lost and need a taxi home. All contained in a baggie just in case it rained again.
ready, set, go
Within a few minutes I was at Square Saint-Lambert, a small park close to the apartment. It had a gravel “track” so I decided to do 10 fast-ish loops to get the most out of my very short run.
I spy the Eiffel Tower
Even though I only covered 3 miles (?), it was good enough to break a sweat and get a small dose of endorphins. And allowed for more baguettes to be consumed.
When you visit a new city do you prefer to stroll and see where it takes you or do you plan out a firm itinerary? We do both. We have a game plan for each day but it includes plenty of strolling time. We love to visit little neighborhoods and see how the locals live.