Today was my last day in Florence and I began it with a run along the Arno. During my stay home, I headed up to the Piazzale Michelangiolo for each of my morning runs. However, because it was a little chillier than it has been, I decided to stick to the centro (downtown area). When I arrived at the end of Ponte alle Grazie, I turned right and headed toward the Ponte Vecchio, which looked like it was lit up by the sun that was just coming up.
On my run, my iPhone lightly tapped against my hip. It felt like it was reminding me that it was there so I wouldn’t forget to take a photo or two. I had seen other runners stop abruptly to take a picture, but I couldn’t imagine doing it myself. I am generally pretty focused on my run especially since I also have to look out for pedestrians and cars while still admiring the view.
After passing through Borgo San Jacopo, I turned right toward Ponte Santa Trinita and was reunited with the sun. I ran across the crosswalk and thanked a man for stopping to let me go by. I couldn’t wait to get close to the Arno again.
I looked up from the narrow sidewalk with cars zipping past me on one side and the Arno river on the other. I kept running farther along the Arno so that I could get a view of the Ponte Vecchio. I turned my head around a few times to catch a glimpse of it. I passed the Ponte alla Carraia and went to the Ponte Vespucci to get an even wider perspective of my beloved city.
I must have stopped about six times to take pictures of my beloved city. I loved seeing the sun in front of me, the city almost in the shadows with the hills behind looking more like a flat backdrop than the luscious Tuscan countryside.
Running for me is always a joy and mixing it now with taking photos along the way is like a double whammy. I’m definitely going to find a way to bring my iPhone with me on my runs from now. I used to not like stopping when I run, but I actually felt freer and more fluid for allowing myself to just be, to do what pleases me, and to capture the beauty I see.
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