Running along the Arno River, I couldn’t help but notice the grimaces on the faces of many onlookers. Some women seemed amused, as if I were loping by in a pink tutu, but the men seemed to take my public exercise routine as a personal affront. Some bristled at the sight of me, twisting their faces in disgust. Others walking with partners pulled them closer and parents called out to their children to keep close. It seems that running in public is bad form beyond simply breaking the no-shorts-in-public rule. It was strange to find that people could react so harshly to a guy going out on a run.

            It seems the sublimated urge to run has found an outlet here in wheels. And Italians love their wheels. As constant a sight as the Arno were the cyclists and roller-skaters whizzing by. When I reached a pedestrian walkway that had been closed off from cars to make a kind of walking park, children were all around me in roller skates, razor scooters and skateboards. One group I found particularly hilarious were the small children on roller skates weaving remote-control cars through the pedestrian crowd in front of them. I made the mistake of laughing and watching for a moment too long, though, and caught a death stare from the parents trailing behind. Here’s a picture of the Arno where I was running:

Location: Florence, Italy