Summer nights

I have just returned from my daily (or should it be nightly) run. Since it is light until late - about 9.30pm, I tend to head off for my run later. This is because it is cooler and less busy - fewer cars and people. It is also less likely for me to get sunburnt in the dark!! I usually begin my run in the light but end it in the dark. It is more comfortable running in these cooler conditions. As I am running, I notice many things going on around me. I run up onto the mountain in my "back yard" and run past the Palau Reial (Royal Palace), the Annel Olympic (Olympic circle - with all the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games sports facilities) and several museums. Most of the sports facilities are still being used for sports activities or concerts or other events. There are also many green areas (parks) on the mountain. During the day time there are many tourists at all of the above mentioned places.

This is the climb up the hill

When I run in the evening I pass other runners on their runs. Some of them are being pulled along by dogs. I also see couples sitting on benches in the lamplight or lovers strolling hand in hand along the pathways. Many people are on their way home from work or the shops, armed with briefcases, laptops and shopping bags. In some places I see groups of teenagers have gathered to chat and socialise. Then there are some tourists and avid photographers who visit places in the cool of night or who try to get that perfect "night shot". I have also seen people walking their dogs - the final bathroom outing for the the day I guess. I have seen people sitting on low walls having al fresco picnic dinners. Once, an amateur musician was in a quiet place playing his trombone. He obviously could not practise at home or in a flat because the sounds he was making would have caused others to complain... There is one special place I like to go at night. The edge of the mountain has a viewpoint from which you can see the city lights spreading for miles, the sea in front and the working harbour below. The peaceful atmosphere is interrupted only by the sounds of the landing aircraft which are coming in fast and furiously. It seems like they are bumper to bumper in the landing formation...

Green areas on the mountain