A taste of freedom. And pandemonium.

After 7 weeks, the Spanish government finally lifted the lockdown for exercise between 6 am-10 am. I went out at 8 am to witness pandemonium. The entire population of Barcelona was out for a jog or bike ride, intent on burning up 7 weeks of calories.

The serious life-time joggers were there stretching their legs and lungs, searching for their previous pace. The part-time joggers were there sweaty and red-faced. The new joggers who had made their fitness resolutions in lockdown, were there in their new Nike attire, heaving up their guts on the sidewalk. Then, there were the crazy ones, who would never dream of doing anything as daft as jogging but were there running down the street in their jeans and t-shirts or pyjamas and slippers, unlocked from their homes like a scene from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. It was wonderful and mad and maybe not the greatest idea to keep that curve flat.