I have so many photos and stories to post about our trip so far! We’ve traveled through London to Paris to Arcachon, with a weekend in San Sebastian, and back to Arcachon for 2 more weeks. Then, we’ll head to London for 2 months for an internship! My biggest blogging hurdles? Busy, fun-filled days and an internet connection circa 1997.
I plan to catch up on travel posts (and do a review and giveaway of Lug travel products!), but today I’m going to try to take advantage of the working internet to talk a bit about our experiences walking through Europe so far.
I joked on the my Facebook page recently about my new “retro” exercise routine:
I’ll be the first to admit that my exercise routine at home in the US is lacking, especially during the long winter months. The amount of walking we are currently doing would be challenging in my standard health, but pregnancy clearly prevents a new dimension to the challenge. Ultimately, though, I’m grateful for this new opportunity to walk – to the store, the train station, the metro, the beach, bus stop, and more. When walking is the only option, you have less excuses and you discover what your body can do when pushed. And it feels great and exhausting all at once.
France (and the small area of Spain we visited a well) also doesn’t have fast food with tall, icy, cheap drinks on every corner. Coca-Cola definitely has the market here, but a simple bottle of coke is pricey from a restaurant. Your best bet is to fill up a water bottle and keep yourself hydrated throughout the day. I still crave caffeine, but we are saving money and our sugar rations for things other than juice and soda. And our bodies are thanking us for it.
Plus, walking teaches additional lessons about making wise choices, reducing waste, and appreciating what you have. When you have to carry your groceries uphill to your hotel and the kitchen is limited, you are less likely to purchase filler drinks and snacks or demand variety (although the kids still try).
Walking to the store won’t always be practical in Iowa winters or when heavy items are needed, of course, but Kai and I love to make quick trip for a few things. What if those quick trips became a walk with the new baby in a carrier and a pulley bag at our side? The three of us could keep our list short and enjoy a venture out for the day. Maybe we’ll even become mall walkers in the winter when we want to walk, but don’t want our noses to fall off in the cold!
The other benefits of walking? The view. Oh, the views.
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