Roman Runs Days 1 and 2

The heat in Rome was intense coming, as I was, from a solid month of rain and colder than normal temperatures.  It was also glorious, originating, as I do, from the Deep South where this furnace-like weather in late June is the norm.

One of the things that helped over the 22½ miles I jogged the first couple of days was the ever-flowing, cold, sweet water from nasoni (I’m reliably informed this means “big nose”) all over the Eternal City.  I’d soak my hat, fill my bottle, cool my wrists and continue on the exploration.

About  200m from my digs the first night, the Piramide di Caio Cestio stands as a monument to Caius Cestius.  Built by the former slaves freed by decree in his final will and testament, it subsequently was incorporated into the city walls.

Porta San Paolo stands next to the PdCC but I’ve got this photo labeled as the PSP…doesn’t matter unless I hope to find it again (and I could refer back to my run maps, if it really made a difference).

This is all because drinking may have been involved (I know, you’re shocked that a run in this blog involved a bar stop or two).  In the Piazza Testaccio, I dodged the kids to get to the nasoni at the base of this otherwise dry fountain.  Off to the right, the umbrellas at L’Oasi della Birra can be seen:

Here, I stopped for refreshment and a few birri al spini with a Danish couple.  She works for an international food agency based in Rome while he works for the Danish Embassy in Addis Ababa (they met in Ethiopia).  Nice kids, they really encourage a visit to Addis and the surrounding countryside even during the current political unrest.

Back out on the run, I slowed a bit from the free nibbles and two pints (preceded, it can be noted, by a tall weißbier at the Dolce Bar in Trastavere.

My foray into the city centre on Day 2 initially had me wondering where the tourists were.  Never fear, they started to turn up with a vengeance after Circo Massimo, above.

Halfway to my work-supplied hotel, I looped back for a shower at my own-supplied one with the intention of settling into the short course and too much food (and no further running).  This was not to be, happily; don’t get me wrong: there WAS too much food and some sublime science, but I also managed to get out for a few, shorter treks around the north side of town (to be documented, later).

The pizza chef, not the ARSE graffito, was the subject of this pic.