stroll

A short stroll after lunch

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JOYFUL GRATITUDE #144

I wrote about lunch time walks way back in JOYFUL GRATITUDE #10, and now as the weather begins to shift with autumn just around the corner, I want to highlight my gratitude for going on short walks after having lunch on work days once again.  I want to keep up this good habit and continue going out for a breather through the next seasons, even as the temperature drops and when it is windy or raining.

I’m thankful for these pockets of freedom, even if they are to be found along a rather busy road in a neighbourhood where roadworks are rife.  Those ten or fifteen minutes, help to get my limbs moving and clear my mind, making it easier to concentrate in the afternoon. I also realise after a day where I stay in the office non-stop, that those strolls help me to feel less like I am nine-to-five captive in a glass cage. Also the fun conversations with my colleagues make it a nice chance to connect and get to know each other better.

After-dinner walks

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JOYFUL GRATITUDE #76

I love this time of year when the evenings are getting longer, with beautiful light lingering later and later, allowing for after-dinner walks in the neighbourhood. It’s amazing how much good a short walk will do to clear my mind and boost my mood after a busy day at work.  I know this, however on automatic pilot at the end of the day to relax I will mostly just sit at the computer or on the sofa with a book, rather than go and get some fresh air.

Since I am noticing this, I would like to change this habit and make a conscious attempt to go for a stroll after dinner more often, however brief. I know it is always worth the effort of putting my shoes back on, leaving the dishes un-done and heading out.  On a recent post-dinner walk, I enjoyed watching a small brown puppy excitedly running in the evening light, took the time to observe the fresh new leaves growing in people’s gardens and even saw a gorgeous sunset…

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For previous evening walk adventures see: magic hour bird watching and spotting the perfect hideaway.

 

Relaxing walk

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IMG_3454JOYFUL GRATITUDE #41

The great thing about working from home once in a while, is that on those days I don’t need to cycle back through the bustling city and instead as soon as I finish work I can take a relaxing walk around the neighbourhood to get some fresh air.

I’m grateful for a lovely stroll with Paolo, along our usual route (a.k.a. la via Fannigena) that is bathed in sunlight in the early evening.  As we walk and chat, we have our tiny habits like stopping to look if there are any treasures in the free little library, people-watching and checking on the tiny fruit garden by the canal. It’s always such a nice way to reconnect after a busy day:)

Enjoying an evening stroll

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JOYFUL GRATITUDE #32

In these days close to the solstice, after-dinner walks in the lovely soft light are a real pleasure. As Paolo and I stroll around the neighbourhood, we mostly have the streets to ourselves apart for a few joggers or people walking their dog, and it’s perfect to chat and process our day with each other.

A few weeks ago on our way home from of one of those walks, we came across this heron, quietly poised on a trunk by the canal. It seems to me as if he was also enjoying a moment of calm in the dusk. Unfortunately our arrival disturbed him, and just a few seconds later he took flight…