Running has always been our family’s approach to explore a new duty station’s surroundings, or a new travel destination. A few assignments ago, we were stationed in Europe— what an incredible opportunity this was! We often ran with our children through our little German village, as well as the other small villages nearby— making stops at the local Bäckerei, or at the neighborhood market to buy a special German treat. Finding stroller friendly sidewalks and running trails on our travels was something we would often do too— from mountain trails in Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland; the bustling city sidewalks of Berlin; through the tulip fields of Holland, bursting with color; to the craggy lakeside trails in Killarney, Ireland…running with our kids was always an enjoyable way to sightsee, and to absorb the local culture.
Strollers Warriors launched its Ramstein chapter a few months after we began our assignment in Germany. I was able to explore many other German villages with my running friends and their children— these people became my tribe/family…we traveled together, hiked together, and ran together in other European cities. The thing about Europe— it was very uncommon to see a tandem BOB stroller…sidewalks and doorways were narrow, sometimes too narrow for even a single BOB! Furthermore, one rarely saw an individual running with a jogging stroller through the streets of European cities (especially in Paris). There is shared solidarity with friends when taking jogging strollers onto a crowded Bernese gondola to a mountain-top Swiss village. So, having friends share similar stories about their BOB strollers rolling through streets all throughout Europe, to enjoy a scenic run…that’s running buddy love and solidarity!
I mentioned Paris above. Our family visited Paris multiple times (I am a history lover, specifically French Revolution history) and waited until one of our last visits to Paris to finally run with the stroller. This Parisian run with my husband and kids in the double BOB is one of my most beloved running memories:
We began our run at the Louvre and ran into the Jardin des Tuileries (Tuileries Garden)— zigzagging our way through its packed-dirt paths, loudly chatting with the kids about the sculptures, trees, and fountains until we made our way to the opposite side of the Tuileries, overlooking the Place de la Concorde (serious French Revolution history happened at this location). We then worked our way across the heavily trafficked street to the sidewalk that ran along the River Seine to stare and admire the Eiffel Tower! There is always more than what meets the eye…we smelled aroma of delicious French food from the plethora of streetside brasseries, and we heard Parisian conversation at every turn. We crossed the gorgeous Pont Alexandre III Bridge— Les Invalides was straight ahead (hello, Napoleon), then down a ramp down to the river’s walking/running path. We discovered a neat athletic area along the river— “exercise parks” (as my kids call them) for adults and kids, small playgrounds and climbing walls…all along the way to the Eiffel tower sans traffic! After letting the kids play and some box jumps, we made our way over to Trocadero to enjoy another view of the city. It was a chilly February day and I found it odd to find an ice cream cart at Trocadero. Living in this magical moment though, we bought ice cream for the kids, which they enjoyed while we then ran to the Eiffel tower to take one last carrousel ride in Paris.
I mentioned Paris above. Our family visited Paris multiple times (I am a history lover, specifically French Revolution history) and waited until one of our last visits to Paris to finally run with the stroller. This Parisian run with my husband and kids in the double BOB is one of my most beloved running memories:
We began our run at the Louvre and ran into the Jardin des Tuileries (Tuileries Garden)— zigzagging our way through its packed-dirt paths, loudly chatting with the kids about the sculptures, trees, and fountains until we made our way to the opposite side of the Tuileries, overlooking the Place de la Concorde (serious French Revolution history happened at this location). We then worked our way across the heavily trafficked street to the sidewalk that ran along the River Seine to stare and admire the Eiffel Tower! There is always more than what meets the eye…we smelled aroma of delicious French food from the plethora of streetside brasseries, and we heard Parisian conversation at every turn. We crossed the gorgeous Pont Alexandre III Bridge— Les Invalides was straight ahead (hello, Napoleon), then down a ramp down to the river’s walking/running path. We discovered a neat athletic area along the river— “exercise parks” (as my kids call them) for adults and kids, small playgrounds and climbing walls…all along the way to the Eiffel tower sans traffic! After letting the kids play and some box jumps, we made our way over to Trocadero to enjoy another view of the city. It was a chilly February day and I found it odd to find an ice cream cart at Trocadero. Living in this magical moment though, we bought ice cream for the kids, which they enjoyed while we then ran to the Eiffel tower to take one last carrousel ride in Paris.
Once the ice cream was finished, the carrousel ride ended, and we began the final leg of our run, it almost seemed like a movie as a large group of Parisian school kids (all donning matching blue blazers), cheered for us as we raced to the end of the Tuileries Garden! It was a brilliant run!
Oh, the places we run...make incredible memories!
Happy Running!
-Rose
Oh, the places we run...make incredible memories!
Happy Running!
-Rose
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