Foro Italioco parkrun - an Italian experience!

'Applauso, applauso', was today's catch phrase as Philipo celebrated each parkrunner as they arrived for the briefing. A wonderful Italian welcome with everyone being greeted by name. It was a flat, 3 lap course along the Palermo coast.  In theory you couldn't get lost, but I managed to take an extended route with a detour on my second lap. Fortunately another parkrunner called me back and I continued to join the course. We had a fabulous view of the port and mountains beyond.  The rain did not dampen our enthusiasm but served as a means of cooling us down, so an easier run than last week. Delighted with my time of 30:39. G walked the route and enjoyed the experience too. We shared news with an Irish, Welsh, G (the Scotish representative) and myself the English - all parkrunners. An international bunch of tourists.  We all had a health check by the medical volunteer before the run. It was quite surreal. Not sure what knowing our pulse told him? He gave each one of us a detailed description of how we should run the parkrun based on his analysis - in Italian. See extra for G's pulse check. The whole community were so welcoming - they included us in the volunteers photo (see blip) - absolutely fab... so Italian!

We went to the market for lunch/dinner. We had a fish platter; basically you selected the raw fish from the counter, and then they cooked them and served you the fish ... all fresh  - probably swimming the previous day. Our platter included prawns, sword fish, anchovies, octopus, tuna ... all delicious.