The Global Adventurer

The Medieval Castle of Pafos, the Byzantine fort built to protect the harbor. The castle is  at the center of a busy history over many centuries of being built and rebuilt by Lusignans, dismantled by the Venetians, and rebuilt again by the Ottomans.

Pafos is a cultural hot spot this year owing to its status as one of the two European Capitals of Culture for 2017 chosen by the European Union. However, the whole island nation of Cyprus lends itself to culture with acres of archaeological sites to get lost in, the Greek mythology associated with its pristine waters, and wine that has been in continuous commercial production for the last 5,000 years.

CNN published 10 unique things about Cyprus in 2013. I only needed one thing to help us decide to visit the place: a marathon. There was one scheduled on March 5, 2017, a beautiful course that worked its way from Aphrodite’s Rock along the coast to vineyards before finishing right in front of the medieval castle.

We flew to Athens from Brussels South Charleroi Airport on Friday, March 3, 2017 on the 11:25 AM Ryanair flight. We arrived at 2:35 PM and waited at the business lounge for our connecting flight to Paphos at 6:05 and landed at Paphos International Airport at 7:40 PM. The hotel shuttle was already waiting to transfer us to the hotel which was 20 minutes away.

The breakfast area of the hotel overlooked the meadow on one side, and the resort complex on the other. I got my first taste of the famed haloumi cheese grilled to perfection. Just like champagne, this particular kind of cheese can only be called haloumi if it is made in Cyprus.

The bib pick-up was at the exhibition hall next to the castle. The sturdy goodie bag included a Cyprus Marathon coffee cup, the race shirt, free unlimited access to public transportation for the weekend, Biofreeze pain balm, and an Isogel.

We took the taxi to pick up the bib but decided to walk back to our hotel which was only a mile away. We stayed at Amphora Hotel and Suites with its own beautiful beach. The one bedroom suite was designed with stark minimalism but it was huge and had a balcony, perfect for moon gazing, staring at the sea, or just chilling out.

Later that afternoon we came out again and walked around the tourist area. We visited the Tombs of the Kings and saw some of the roads marked for the marathon.

We also visited Saint Paul’s Pillar, an important site for religious pilgrims. Saint Paul was in Paphos in 45AD to spread the word of Jesus. He was successful in converting the ruler to Christianity but not before he was punished with 40 lashes for bringing the religion to the island. I was too late to attend the mass but did peek in and saw many parishioners who looked like British retirees. Paphos is popular with retirees from the UK. The island country has had a long history with the British Empire as a protectorate and a Crown colony up until the early 20th century.

We walked back to the tourist strip and had dinner at one of the restaurants. What’s interesting about the area is that by 7:00 PM, most of the restaurants are already closed. Not sure if they do this because it’s the off-season or if this is an island habit.

The start line for the marathon the next day was at Petra Tou Romiou or Aphrodite’s Rock, the fabled site where the goddess Aphrodite was born and rose out of the sea foam and the seashell.

Runners converged at the main bus station to be ferried to the start line by 6:20 AM for the 7:30 AM start.

There were less than 250 runners for the marathon. The bulk of the participants were registered for the half marathon, the 10K and the shorter races. Most of the volunteers at the aid stations were British retirees, further proof of their continued integration in local affairs.

Richard, as usual, found some interesting cars while waiting for me.

After the race, we walked along the coast back to the hotel. We stopped to buy from a British retiree vendor what is probably the best pistachio ice cream I have ever tasted! The hotel shuttle arrived at 4:00 PM to take us to the airport where we caught the 3.5 hour flight to Thessaloniki, Greece.

We took the bus from the Thessaloniki airport and got off at Aristotelous Square. We walked a few meters which brought us right to the front of the majestic Electra Grand Palace Hotel. We booked one night at this hotel since there were no direct flights from Paphos back to Brussels.

The square branched off  into many side streets filled with local markets.

We flew back to Brussels via Ryanair on Monday, March 5, 2017.

A black cobra awakened to the music of the snake charmer at Jemaa el-Fnaa, a bustling public square in Marrakech declared as a UNESCO intangible world heritage site.

Marrakech was our first foray into Africa so you can imagine our excitement at the thought of running a marathon here. Known as the Red City of Morocco for its distinctive red-orange clay walls and gates, Marrakech is one of the most cosmopolitan Islamic cities showcasing an interesting fusion of Arabian, African, and European histories while creating a culture uniquely its own.

Locals spell their city Marrakech the French way while Marrakesh is commonly used by the English speaking world. We landed at the Marrakech Menara International Airport late in the evening of Friday, January 27, 2017. The Royal Air Maroc flight from Brussels to Casablanca took 3.5 hours. We waited for 1.5 hours at the transit lounge before boarding for the 50-minute flight to the city.

The Marrakech terminal is very beautiful, modern, and considered as one of the most beautiful airports in the world by The Guardian. Immigration control was not done at our port of entry but at the airport in Marrakech. Richard took a photo of the old section of the airport.

Getting to our hotel was easy enough on hindsight. However, I did not want to hustle with the petit or grand taxis upon arrival so I arranged for the hotel car to pick us up for the preset price of 20 €. The exchange rate for the day was about 10 Morrocan dirhams (MAD) to 1 €.

The weather was cool but wonderful at 8 degrees Centigrade compared to the below freezing weather when we left Brussels. They drove on the same side of the road and we noticed that there were dedicated motorbike lanes on the main highways. What a great idea to prevent accidents and encourage smaller motorized vehicles!

The ride to the hotel only lasted 10 minutes. After breezing through the check-in process, we were tucked in for the night. We were served dinner during the flight so we were not hungry.

The exotic location of the race was immediately evident when we woke up in the morning. Dromedaries were grazing right next to our hotel!

Dromedaries grazing on the field right beside our hotel.

We ate a leisurely breakfast and had the pleasure of being served mint tea the traditional Moroccan way.

In no time at all we were off to get my bib at the open air expo at Place 16 Novembre. We decided to walk the three kilometer distance to see more of the city. The walk took us past the Bab Jdid, the new gate separating the medina or the old city from the new city, along Avenue Prince Moulay Rachid, the Boulevard Al Yarmouk lined with orange trees, and passing Place de la Liberté before reaching our destination.

Bib pick-up was in several locations inside the expo. My 70€ race registration was handled by the French travel company Escapades and the goodie bag contained the bib and the t-shirt.

Upon the recommendation of my friend Jim, we stopped by the historic La Mamounia Palace Hotel, the favorite getaway of Winston Churchill.

The start and finish line was along Avenue Prince Moulay Rachid so we paused for a photo in front of the stage.

We returned to the hotel to drop off the race accoutrements. Le Savoy Grand Hotel is a colossal five star resort and spa in the Hivernage district with its own Menara Mall. Our hotel room was lovely and overlooked one of the two outdoor swimming pools on one side, and the dromedary pasture on the other side.

We decided to do a little sightseeing in the afternoon. You cannot visit Marrakech without visiting the souks, the open-air markets or commercial districts that Morocco is famous for.

The first stop was the Kasbah, an area famous for spices. The taxi driver took us to a retailer who was obviously his friend. I already knew about the benefits of argan oil but I listened nonetheless to the sales pitch and bought argan face oil.

The next stop was the artisan cooperative of the Berber people with tons of home decors and carpets to choose from. Richard already has a massive carpet collection but he was this close to buying another one. Whew! We just looked at some of the beautiful lamps for future buying references.

We made a quick stop at Mellah, the Jewish quarter, to have a look at the commercial activities before making our way to the Jemaa el-Fnaa. This UNESCO world intangible heritage site is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Tahir shahs, the celebrated water sellers, were plying their trade alongside the henna tattoo ladies, food sellers, and the snake charmers. The street music gave the whole scene a surreal feel.

We walked back from the public square to the hotel, stopping to have our photos taken by the 12th-century Koutubia Mosque, the city’s largest mosque and its symbol. The Koutubia minaret is the inspiration of the Giralda tower of the Seville Cathedral in Spain which was also built in the 12th century.

The Koutubia Mosque in Marrakesh, Morocco.

The Giralda Tower of the Sevilla Cathedral in Spain.

The hotel concierge encouraged us to go back to the Jemaa el-Fnaa in the evening because of the performances that are different from those in the daytime but we just didn’t have time. We had dinner at one of the roadside cafes beside the mall. Richard had the traditional Morrocan chicken tajines while I ate chicken mushroom fettuccine.

The Marrakech marathon on Sunday started at 8:00 AM just a few meters away from the hotel. We arrived 15 minutes before the gun time and the place was already packed. The weather was cool at 8 degrees.

I made friends with a group of local runners who were waiting for the start time of the half marathon 30 minutes later.

We started right on time and while I ran by the stage, I thought I saw the king of Morocco Mohammed IV surrounded by many high-ranking military officials. The marathon is under his patronage after all.

The marathon course weaved through the Jardins de la Menara, the northern districts and the Palmeraie. The aid stations every 5 kilometers served bottled water and oranges. A few aid stations also served dates. The course was flat with a time limit of 5:30 hours.

Dromedaries waiting for customers at the Palmeraie, a palm oasis in the northern part of Marrakech.

Race markers were placed 2.5 kilometers apart.

View along the course.

Another view along the course.

The aid stations served bottled water and oranges, and some had dates.

There were spectators at the start and finish areas but we were largely on our own. A few local children were enthusiastic and gave us high fives. I evaded hugs from a group of teenage boys somewhere at the 25K mark.

Moroccan men dressed in traditional costumes provided some entertainment along the course.

A friendly boy waving at me at the aid station.

Spectators along the course.

The local children enjoyed the race as much as we did.

I was melting by the time I finished the race. By then, the temperature was 22 degrees, still cool by Moroccan standards but too warm for me who rarely trained because of below zero weather conditions in Belgium. Still, I was very pleased I finished the race. I got my finisher’s medal as well as bottled water and more oranges.

Richard took some photos of the area while waiting patiently for me.

We planned to go to a local hammam afterwards but I was too weary by then. I opted for an argan oil massage at the hotel followed by a relaxing pizza dinner at another roadside cafe. We were back in our hotel room early to catch our flight the next day back to Brussels. The taxi ride to the airport was 100 MAD or equivalent to 10 €.

It was an extraordinary experience and we hope to come back to see more of Morocco. I would love to run the marathons in Casablanca and the blue city of Chefchaouen.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa peeks behind the Pisa Cathedral.

The city of Pisa is the main gateway to the Tuscan region of Italy. However, it is more famous for its leaning tower located at the Square of Miracles, and a cemetery with soil brought back by Crusaders from Golgotha. Golgotha is the hill where Jesus of Nazareth was crucified, making its soil sacred and holy. Locals believed that being buried with this sacred soil will ensure their path to heaven.

We were back in Pisa for the marathon. We flew with Ryanair on Saturday, December 17, 2016. The flight at 7:05 AM took an hour and 45 minutes before landing at Galileo Galilei Airport. The 12 euro cab ride took us directly to our weekend accommodation, Hotel Rellais Dell Orologio. It was too early for the 2:00 PM check-in time and the sport expo so we decided to have a leisurely breakfast. The buffet selection was not extensive but they did serve caviar for breakfast. Nice.

I thought the expo location was the same as it was in 2014 right outside the walls of the leaning tower but I was wrong. They moved it to the Centro Universitario Sportivo (CUS), a twenty minute walk away. Richard and I decided to walk and see the area outside the tourist haven. The sport expo for the 18th Pisa Marathon was bigger this year, with Ricola as a special sponsor. This race requires a medical certificate valid within the last year.

This Saturday market was on our way to the sport expo. We stopped by and walked through on our walk back. This was not a Christmas market but a regular weekend one. They sold all sorts of merchandise at bargain prices: clothing, makeup, underwear, kitchen items, and flowers.

Tried a taste of the organic cheese this duo was selling.

The room was ready for us when we returned. I took a short nap before we headed out again for more sightseeing.

The hotel is located a few meters away from the start and finish line in front of the leaning tower. We had dinner the last time we were here at Trattoria Pizzeria Toscana, a restaurant off one of the side streets. I ordered seafood pasta while Richard had margherita pizza and we shared the grilled calamari.

The marathoners started at 9:00 AM together with the half marathoners on Sunday, December 18, 2016. They also added the new fit walking category which was possible with the generous time limit of 6.5 hours. The route was mostly flat, passing interesting old structures, housing areas, vineyards, and the Pisa marina.

There’s something to be said about crossing the finish line with the leaning tower in the background. I felt I am but a blip in time running by a structure that has existed for 600 years. The finisher’s medal has a colorful drawing of surrealist Spanish painter Salvador Dali, a nod to the exhibit of his artwork being held in the city.

I now have two Pisa marathon finisher’s medals, one each from 2014 and 2016.

2016 finisher’s photo

2014 finisher’s photo

I cleaned up at the hotel and rested a bit before attending Sunday mass at the Pisa cathedral at 5:00 PM. The cathedral has incredible ornate interiors and it felt good to be able to attend even if the mass was in Italian. There are throngs of tourists outside but there were not that many churchgoers inside. It was a quiet and peaceful celebration.

Being creatures of habit, we were back at our now familiar restaurant after the service. Richard ordered the same grilled calamari while I tried the grilled seafood plate and shared the vegetables. We really like grilled seafood so why not order them again?

We left the hotel early to check in for our flight at 9:15 AM on Monday, December 19, 2016 and were back in Brussels by 11:05 AM.

What would you do for love? People have been known to do crazy things in the name of love but Romeo and Juliet defined the classic idea of romantic love with their story immortalized by Shakespeare. Today, men and women mending broken hearts, hoping to find the loves of their lives, or in happy relationships flock to the House of Juliet in Verona, Italy to be inspired by the power and magic of love.

The Casa di Giulietta or House of Juliet is a favorite destination of tourists visiting Verona. We visited this beautiful Italian city for the Verona Marathon 2016 last weekend and serendipitously found out about this lovers’ pilgrimage site. Interestingly enough, people traditionally pose with the 1972 bronze statue of Juliet with their hands covering her breasts. Legend has it that touching the right breast of the statue will bring good luck and love. No, we did not pose with her like that.

The 13th century renovated house belonging to her family features the balcony where Romeo wooed Juliet. For six euros, you can go inside the house and immerse yourself in her world. The bronze Juliet stands in the middle of the courtyard with walls covered with gum used by lovelorn  and lovestruck men and women to leave behind letters and notes. More love notes and graffiti are scribbled on the walls of the passageway to the house.

We flew with Ryanair out of Brussels South Charleroi Airport and landed at Verona Villafranca Airport after 1.5 hours on November 19, 2016. A short 15-minute bus ride from just outside the airport took us directly to the main station Stazione Verona Porta Nuova for six euros per person. From the station, it was an easy and  short 10-minute walk to Hotel Gilberti.

After depositing our bags in our room, we walked to Piazza Bra which served as the expo site, start, and finish areas. The piazza was right next to the Arena di Verona, the coliseum used for opera festivals and other cultural events. I got my race bib, race shirt, plastic bag…and nothing else. Hmmm. . . I did not have a goody-filled goody bag this time.

Piazza Bra is also a Saturday market so we walked around and checked out what they had to offer.

There were several Christmas markets on the way to the House of Juliet so we stopped and checked them out on our way back.

We were already hungry so we did not make it to Romeo’s House or Casa di Romeo. A quiet dinner of pasta and chicken by one of the piazzas before calling it a night.

We woke up early to have breakfast and got ready for the race that started at 9:00 AM. The weather was cool but definitely warmer than Belgium at this time of the year so I was confident I would be okay with what I wore.

Richard walked around and took photos of a fancy Alfa Romeo parked at our hotel and the magnum sizes of the wines displayed in one of the shop windows.

The race was mostly flat and interesting with a six-hour time limit. I took some selfies along the way. They served water, energy drink, banana, and apples at the aid stations.

I crossed the finish line warm and cozy in my running outfit and posed for more photos in front of some of Verona’s historic structures. A band was playing for all the finishers and the last 100 meters was covered in blue carpet.

It was well worth to pay the extra 15 euros for the late checkout at 4:00 PM. I took a shower, got something to eat, and then made our way to the train station to catch the local Trenitalia train to Venezia Santa Lucia station in Venice.

It was dark at 6:00 PM when we arrived in Venice. We were booked at Hotel ai Mori d’Oriente, just a few minutes’ walk away from the main station. The hotel itself was very nice; we got upgraded to a superior room. It was the walk from the station to the hotel at night that got me worried. We crossed three bridges and walked several small quiet alleys to get to the hotel. I did not have to worry walking around in the morning.

We woke up late the following morning and had a leisurely breakfast buffet. Walking around the now familiar stomping grounds of Venice brought back recent memories when we were here after the Venice and Aquileia marathons. We retraced our steps to our hotel to check out at noon and caught the bus in Piazzale Roma to Venice Treviso Airport for our Ryanair flight back to Brussels Charleroi at 5:25 PM.

We ran by the Neues Rathaus  (the new town hall) in Munich, one of Germany’s most distinctive buildings.

Munich, or München, is the third largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. It is also the capital of the Bavaria region and one of the most popular cities to visit in Germany. The Munich Marathon on October 9, 2016 was the perfect excuse for us to visit the city for the first time. Of course, running a marathon in any city or town is always a valid reason for a visit!

We flew out of Brussels Zaventem Airport with Lufthansa at 9:05 AM on Saturday, October 8, 2016 and landed at Munich Airport an hour and 15 minutes later. We proceeded to take the S8 metro to Herrsching  and switched trains at Marienplatz for the U3 train to Moosach to arrive at Olympiazentrum 54 minutes later. It was a short walk from the metro stop to the Olympic Hall for the marathon expo.

The Olympic Park and its halls are located in an area that is expansive, beautiful, and peaceful. The 1972 Summer Olympics was held in Munich so these structures must be at least 45 years old but the clean architectural lines of the halls are timeless. The Star Wars exhibit was being held in one of the halls and there was a long queue of people waiting for their turn to get in. The BMW Museum located at one of the street corners caught Richard’s interest.

We were booked at Leonardo Royal Hotel Munich for this trip. It was a stop away on the metro and 18 minutes by foot. We decided to walk to the hotel so that we can stop at the Tengelmann supermarket along the way.

The hotel prides itself for its  modern architecture, tasteful interior and a harmonious colour concept.

There were three interesting art displays in the lobby that greeted the guests.

The 85€ race fee included the finisher T-shirt, a bag of dried fruit, waterproofing garment solution, pedometer, two energy drink mixes, and a neck gaiter.

The hotel is very close to the start and finish line but it was in a quiet street. We decided to just eat our dinner at the hotel restaurant instead of venturing out. Richard had scallops while I had chicken pasta.

I did not have to wake up too early because the race start for my corral was at 10:20 AM. We had the buffet breakfast before I changed into my running gear. The metro stop was only 50 meters away and in no time at all, we were back at Coubertinplatz in Olympiazentrum for the start.

The marathon route took us to the district of Schwabing, through Munich’s largest park, the English Garden, through the districts of Bogenhausen, Berg am Laim and Haidhausen. Then we passed through Schwabing again on the way back to the Olympic Park.

It was a mix of urban and rural scenery. We had to stop for a few minutes to let a huge flock of sheep cross the road.

The race support was plentiful. They had plenty of Taxisport drink and water, plus fruits and Gu gels towards the latter part of the course.

The spectators were encouraging and there were entertainment spots along the way.

We finished the race inside the Olympic Stadium. I took the metro back to the hotel to clean up. We were on our way back to Munich Airport for our Lufthansa flight to Brussels at 9:55 PM.

At the emblematic Torre de Belem in Lisbon, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

We’re only in the fall season but the days are getting colder in Belgium. I was excited at the thought of spending a weekend to run the EDP Rock ‘n’ Roll Lisbon Marathon in sunny Portugal.

I battled pneumonia for almost four weeks so aside from a half marathon in Basel, Switzerland the previous weekend, I did not do any long runs at all. No matter; the six-hour time limit was forgiving and the course promised to be gentle.

We were up early to catch our TAP Portugal flight at 6:20 AM from Brussels Zaventem Airport on Saturday, October 1, 2016. We landed at Lisbon Portela Airport after almost three hours and indeed, the weather was sunny as promised.

Our hotel, TRYP Lisboa Oriente Hotel, was three stops away on the red line of the Lisbon Metro.

Hotels in Europe had variable check-in times; our hotel listed theirs at 3:00 PM. We were at the hotel before 9:00 AM. Too early, but the receptionist allowed us to check in anyway. Yeah!

We lounged a bit in the room before we made our way out again to pick up my bib. The marathon expo and the finish line was located in front of the hotel at the MEO Arena. The arena, in turn, was in front of the mall Centro Comercial de Vasco de Gama.

There were no freebies in the race bag. However, they were giving out Halls candies and we got a lot!

The mall is a shopper’s paradise. They also had a great selection of restaurants. We walked by the waterfront to enjoy the view before getting on the metro to do more sightseeing.

Mosteiro dos Jerónimos

Mosteiro dos Jerónimos

Jardim de Belem in front of the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos

Jardim Afonso de Albuquerque

We were able to visit two UNESCO world heritage sites in Lisbon, or Lisboa in Portuguese. The 16th century massive Jerónimos Monastery was built to commemorate explorer Vasco De Gama’s 1498 voyage to India. He was commissioned by the king to find a naval route to the East and became the first European to reach India by sea. His tomb lies inside the church of the monastery.

We also visited the Torre de Belém located a few kilometers away from the monastery, near the mouth of the River Tagus. The tower with its elaborate Manueline architecture represented the golden Portuguese age of maritime discovery.

The race started in Cascais. Public transportation was free for all runners on the day of the race so I was on the red line of the metro at 6:30 AM, changed at Alameda to the green line to Cais do Sodre, and got on the regional train to Cascais. We were at the Cascais station by 8:10 AM and walked a few more meters to the start line.

The start line at Cascais.

Beautiful, peaceful views of the sea.

At the Praça do Comércio

The race route was beautiful! We ran by the water for the first few kilometers of the race. There were so many picture-worthy views that I just had to stop and take some. The water and the blue sky helped runners get into the zen mode.

It eventually became too warm during the race but there were enough aid stations to hydrate and energize us. They had plenty of bananas, oranges, water, and sports drinks. There were several pit stops along the race where firemen set up cool and refreshing showers.

This being a Rock ‘n’ Roll race, there were lots of bands to entertain us. One band was called Subic Bay, after the Philippine seaport. I wondered if there were Filipinos in the band but didn’t stop long enough to find out.

The race finished at the Parque das Nações, right in front of the Centro Comercial de Vasco de Gama. After crossing the finish line, we went inside the mall to get something to eat. I changed back at the hotel and we were off to the airport to catch our flight back to Brussels at 19:55 PM.