A Correr

“No one runs in Barcelona,” someone told me upon my arrival.

I hadn’t seen many runners in my first week in the city, but I’d signed up for a group run with other IES students, so I laced up my running shoes and tied my hair back, ready to test this theory.

Our run was led by Giuseppe, a staff member from Barcelona. He pointed to a map and showed the three of us the route, a seven-mile loop around the city.

We started in Placa de Catalunya and ran down sidewalks, weaving in and out of pedestrians, then turned down narrow streets and breezed past shops and little cafés. We ran past the Arc de Triomf, a grand-looking red arch, and into a park. We continued on until we’d reached the ocean, pausing to take it in. The sunset made for stunning views as its colors reflected on the calm blue water, and the cool air made for perfect running weather.

Beside the sea was a path full of walkers, roller skaters, and yes, more runners. We ran toward the W Hotel so we could stay beside the beach, then made our way back through Barceloneta. We ran by two churches, Santa María del Mar and Barcelona Cathedral, and Giuseppe explained the historical significance of each of the buildings we passed. We ran passed parts of the city I didn’t know existed. As we cooled down at the end, we all decided to meet up and run each week.

Perhaps there aren’t as many joggers in Barcelona as I see at home in Austin, but the city that supposedly has no runners gave me the most wonderful run I’ve ever had.