Two mornings, two runs
My run on Friday morning was hilarious. Both for me and for all the residents of Osuna. This tiny Spanish town has one main thoroughfare -- it is a one-way street wide enough for one car and one vehicle parked halfway on the sidewalk. Barely. By the time I got out of bed Friday, seriously jet-lagged and a bit hungover from our first night of tapas-hopping, it was late even by Spanish standards. I knew I'd get lost running the labyrinthine side streets, so I ran back up the main drag, the way we drove into town the night before.
I had two options: I could run on the sidewalk and dodge the little old Spanish ladies and the younger women pushing prams and the older men smoking cigarillos. Or I could risk my life and run in the street. So I did a little of both, doing as much sideways leaping as forward running. I got quite a few funny glances, and I was certainly the only person wearing Lycra in Osuna that morning. I ran a grand total of 25 minutes, and it was hot and dry and smoggy as a massive chimney belched brown smoke down the valley.
That afternoon we arrived in Sevilla... and Sevilla was another run completely. Dave and I got up at 8am Saturday morning and went out for 40 minutes. Our hotel was close to the river so we found the riverfont path and ran up to and across the absolutely stunning Puente del Alamillo. This bridge is a jaw-dropping work of art. To run across it in the middle of the two traffic lanes was spectacular. It was 8am on a Saturday and it felt like 6am -- just past sunrise, fishermen out along the river, hardly any other people out on the path. We saw a total of six other runners on this beautiful, traffic-free trail.
It was the beginning of a wonderful day. I am completely in love with Sevilla. We have already arrived at our next stop, but I can't wait to go back.
November 10, 2007 3:38 PM
