walking

they say you walk a lot in europe, that being (they say) why everyone is skinnier. i suspect that genetics is involved in the weight issue (and there are plenty of large people here as well) but i do find that i walk a lot. the beach is about 3 or 4 km away, a leisurely 45-minute stroll. i find myself saying things like, "oh, it's only a twenty-minute walk"...halfway across town, that is. or running to the beach and later walking there and back in the same day. many causes lie behind my increased walking, which could or could not be due to the european location. one: no car. two: undependable, semi-costly bus system. they have a lot of buses but each direction costs at least a euro (the lightrail is 1.30) and after waiting the extra 20some minutes for the bus i think, "i could be halfway there by now!" then there is the time. what else am i going to do when i don't have television in my language (and spanish television, well, the less said the better), no dvd, no computer in the house. i do read a lot but when the sun is shining, well, i'd rather dar un paseo so i go out. sitting in a café costs so i walk. a lot. and it's enjoyable, although i think the sun shines brighter here (my eyeballs hurt after just a few moments) and i do manage to turn a few heads (you'd think they'd never seen skin so white, hair so long, and women so tall before! stop staring. stop whistling. por favor.).
anyway, i do walk more in europe. and so should you. es bueno para la salud.