Running through Time

Paris was hot and steamy in August, 2001. My wife Vicki and I had stopped there for a few days before traveling onto Corsica, where we would meet our hiking group from Mountain Travel/Sobek, the adventure travel company, to begin 6 days of hiking on that rugged island.

Our first afternoon in Paris was tough as the temperature was over 90 degrees, and we were jet lagged.  We did some walking, took a nap, and had an early supper at a restaurant near our hotel. I was glad, when it was time to go to bed, as I was tired. At three in the morning I woke fully energized! The thought occurred to me that I might go jogging, but I said to myself, “You don’t know the terrain; you don’t speak French, and are you crazy?” shortly thereafter I pulled on my jogging shoes and headed for the hotel lobby. No one was around, so I let myself out the front door and began running.

I went a few blocks to the River Seine and headed toward the city. I didn’t expect to see many people, since it was the middle of the night, but I was mistaken. People were everywhere. Patrons were streaming out of bars, lovers strolled along the river, and groups of young people sat on the Seine’s banks smoking and talking.

I was feeling good now, as I ran smoothly along the river. The whole scene was energizing me, and I felt I could run for hours. At one point I crossed the river and headed in the opposite direction. Eventually I came to the cathedral of Notre Dame, so imposing in the night. The grounds around it had a spooky feel so I quickly moved on, heading for the Isle of St. Louis. There were fewer people now, as I ran over the cobblestone streets. I felt free.

Eventually I headed back toward the hotel. At one point I became lost, but I tried to control my anxiety, since there were so many landmarks in the area. Finally I worked my way out of an industrial section and found the street I was looking for. I rang the bell at our small hotel, and headed to my room, after the night clerk had let me in. I rested for awhile before rising again and heading out to see the sights.

Later we hiked in wild Corsica and explored the wonderful, rural island of Sardinia. After spending time in Sicily, we headed for Rome. There were many adventures in these fascinating places, but I’ll never forget that night in Paris, when I ran through time.