ROME, ITALY

Two words: river run. The Tiber river winds through the heart of Rome, offering wide sidewalks as well as outdoor cafes and bars in the summer months. The sidewalks are accessible by staircases every quarter mile or so along the river. I descended to the riverbank by way of a staircase near the Ponte Mazzini bridge. I then began jogging to the north (towards the Vatican). Closest to the downtown neighborhoods including Trastevere, the pathway is very wide with dedicated areas for walking and biking. About two miles from the city center the sidewalk narrows out, the buildings alongside the river become shorter and the riverbanks appear less groomed. This section of the run was my favorite. I felt like I had truly jogged out of the city and I was overjoyed to finally escape the popular sites. The path will peter out into grassy hills, which I decided probably weren't best to explore in the evening. Turning around and going back the way I came made for a roughly six mile run, round trip. This was probably one of my favorite jogs of my time abroad.