My Sunday Run to Mondello Beach, and NEW New Years Resolutions

Today (6 Jan 14) was Sunday, with no planned jaunts and no jobs to do and no real agenda at all, and so a nice little run to Mondello, for me! (for the first time!) was on the cards. Another Mauri idea! We had originally thought about a centralised joining together for a mini jaunt - involving a car, a dog, a baby, a Papi and a Mummy, walking running and car-ing. But as it happened and with the weather, Mauri looked after Babacino and they did dancing and reading and playing and visiting Tata, and I ran to the beach and back! Mondello's beach lies between two cliffs called Mount Gallo, and Mount Pellegrino. (which is our family mountain by the way, just to mention!) King Ferdinand of Bourbon called it "a corner of paradise" just to give you an idea!
And so, one more last run, before we go back to London, for my feet and my soul to store and remember, for soul sustenance. 
Also, I know myself, I’m a bit of a tortoise in many respects (to do with the of the workings of the mind!), when it comes to change and endings and new beginnings, of which we have a lot right now. While I relish the adventure and look forward to the story, regards the future, I also need to make sure I keep grounded and devote time to pondering and mulling and just generally playing with Lego in my brain.. Running of course, as we know, does the trick! (and drawing and making, but for now and for this story my hands and my feet choose running!) 

And of course, given the time of year, this means that lately I have been thinking quite a lot (as you do) about my ideas of how I'd like the colours and shapes of 2014 to be, or at least start off, before it gets too much of a mind of it's own. I don’t know if anything could ever be quite as extraordinarily as 2013, but you never know! And for sure I think 2014 will be extraordinary too, in it’s own way. Everything to do with Babacino and Mauri, I have come to realise, is extraordinary! 

(To explain about the endings and beginnings thing: Soon our family goes back to London and I return to work, after a wonderful 6 months of maternity leave, most of which we've spent here in Sicily. Part of this has been the amazing gift of having Babacino’s Papi with us all of this time! I feel as if I am saying goodbye to this most remarkable time of my life, with all sorts of feelings and emotions, and in truth, with some sadness. But I also know that there are wonderful times ahead too, and no doubt in a week or two we’ll be fully into the next exciting chapter. 
But for now, perhaps this little story [and my series of 'last runs on this island' - for now] is just one of my rituals in saying goodbye to this time of Babacino’s first 6 months of his life, and hoping that we have done a good job in being his parents and helping him develop in the best way we can)

Back to how I’d like to envisage 2014! 
In grown-up speak, I suppose these ideas I’m playing with, (which hopefully will somehow emerge more coherently by the time I have finished writing this!) might also constitute 'New Years Resolutions'. 
In the first instance, this has been proving quite interesting for me, because normally when it comes to the end of a year, and preparing for a new fresh one, I would start off by scouring the net for all the new races I would like to run, where ever they may be, venturing towards longer distances, or higher mountains, or more remote destinations. Then, I would fit my life and my work holidays around that, and at the same time and in between, indulging in creating and making and colours, and they'd all be linked and it would be wonderful, but, it would be me, mostly, pretty much a solo entity. At least that is how I have made my life, for quite some time. (even though I come from a family of 6 kids!)
Now, I have a family again, I have Mauri and we have Babacino. Wow, a family, who I love and who make me feel more grounded and more human and more connected and more excited, and where I feel I belong! … but more later. 

This whole concept of ‘New Years Resolutions’ and plans and goals becomes different: it’s softer, with more fuzzy edges, and less of a defined list. Perhaps there is lots more room for wandering and exploring and a whole new space for deciding and exploring things together. 
I remember some months ago, when Babacino was still a Beetle, Mauri and I were nibbling and munching on the idea and the image of “The Axiom of Maria Prophetissa”, which is this:
“One becomes two, two becomes three, and out of the third comes the one as the fourth” and this loops back on itself repeating the process again and again, becoming richer and richer. Essentially the axiom is a precept in alchemy, which I think is how we should aim for life to be, so that we give ourselves a chance to live more fully and more creatively and to feel more deeply. This way, hopefully we choose the paths that are as true to our soul as we can get and we live life and hopefully contribute too, more fully. 
Jung actually used the Axiom of Maria as a metaphor for the whole process of individuation. ‘One’ is the original state of unconscious wholeness; ’ two’ signifies the conflict between opposites;’ three’ points to a potential resolution; the third is the transcendent function; and the one as the ‘fourth’ is a transformed state of consciousness, relatively whole and at peace. 

You can think about this for ages and ages, like a little puzzle in the picture and ideas part of your brain. In fact, here is a wonderful blog post which explains it far better than I can and gives lots of food for the soul http://www.laranewton.com/my-first-blog-post/ 
I like to think of our family of 3,which it’s always been, and then with the arrival on earth of Babacino, we get the 4th! So something intangible and magical enters the space of all of our lives. And I am reminded that this magic of the Axiom and of Alchemy are both synonymous with synchronicity in some ways, another thing Mauri and I spoke about and enjoy to play with. I think it’s all about noticing the patterns and seeing what the eye can’t see. It’s like circles or waves, coming and going back and forth in different guises. We can never see them all, and some of them just tick along in the background doing ‘work’ for us, and when we are ready, we see them. We hope! Time for a Little Prince Quote I think: (The little Prince is another little family landmark in the territory of books and stories and pages, but that’s for another day…)

“The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or touched, they are felt with the heart.” 
― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince

To take this to an even more radical stance, which is always fun or at the very least a valuable excercise.. delving into both the light and the shadows, I have another few little ideas to float.. If we consider this magic of the Axiom, and Alchemy and then we think about what James Hillman talks about in his book ‘The Souls Code’ where he introduces the ‘Acorn Theory’. This is a myth really and he explains it in this way. In conjunction with this myth, he talks about each person being born with a “Daimon”. This is an ancient Greek word, which supercedes the word ‘demon’ and is synonomous with the Roman word ‘genius’, and the Christian word ‘guardian angel’. They are all a little bit different, yet each expresses something that you are, that you have, that is not the same as the personality you think you are.

Hilman says that ” the daimon motivates. It protects. It invents and persists with stubborn fidelity. It resists compromising reasonableness and often forces deviance and oddity upon its keeper, especially when neglected or opposed. It offers comfort and can pull you into its shell, but it cannot abide innocence. It can make the body ill. It is out of step with time, finding all sorts of faults, gaps, and knots in the flow of life - and it prefers them. It has affinities with myth, since it is itself a mythical being and thinks in mythical patterns.”

So you can see why it’s important to look at both the shadows and the light in our living. Each holds gravity and has it’s gifts.
"The “Acorn Myth” says that the roots of the soul (which is intrinsically linked to or IS the “Daimon”) are in the heavens, and the human grows downward into life. A little child enters the world as a stranger, and brings a special gift into the world. The task of life is to grow down into this world….Of course, parents have a strong role. The myth itself says that the soul chose your particular parents, and so they are part of your destiny, ... But that's not the be-all and end-all of existence. .. The story of the acorn is that you have your own destiny, and that your parents' tasks are to provide a place in the world where you can grow down into life and to help make it easier for you to carry the destiny you have, which as a child is hard to carry."
So Hillman is proposing that our calling in life is inborn and that it's our mission in life to realize its imperatives. This "Acorn Theory" — is the idea that our lives are formed by a particular image, just as the oak's destiny is contained in the tiny acorn.

I like playing with all of these images and myths, particularly now that we are 3, Babacino me and Mauri. I think the Acorn myth is such a creative way to look at life and our ‘roles’ so to speak on this planet and in the greater existence of humankind. It is a comforting feeling to know or believe that there is some greater power working for the better good of us and all people, if we choose to believe in it and pay it heed. Of course there are many more of these very delicious ideas and myths and stories, we discover them when ever we are open to them, and they tend to land when we most need them! At least that has been my experience, when I have been listening to my ‘daimon’!

And so, after all of that perhaps it makes it easier to understand how the universe can actually totally turn our world around on it's axis, and present us with something utterly of another place, so far out of the realms of even our imagination, and yet it can happen. For me I guess I can say, It HAS happened. I think I can probably say the same for Mauri. Think Terry Pratchet Disk World type turnaround! Ok, I have played a role and made some decisions and actually taken steps along the road, but it feels to me, as if the universe has given me a surfboard and a big wave and said: GO, RIDE!
(ps - perfect for a run to Mondello, wouldn't you say?? Synchronicity strikes again!!)

About the photos, these are, of course, pictures from my run today. I included one or two of things that are part of our life with Babacino here in Palermo, in case they seem out of place in the run to Mondello Beach. They are places - of types - that have become little landmarks of our life here, at this time, and now they are sort of visual symbols of happy memories being made. As usual I explain these next to the pictures. And then right at the end are some other pictures not from the Mondello run, just from our days of playing of late!!

Ok, finally, I get to the ‘NEW New Years Resolutions’ of the more traditional type! Here goes, this is some of how I would like 2014 to look, for me, in the context of our little family and our life. Sorry if they seem a bit corny but sometimes corny is good! (I’m copying them from my phone where I wrote them before New Years Eve, so they are real McCoy!) This does not include some of the more practical life living matters! Nor does it include running, that is coming later, never fear

• Be settled and grounded as a family where ever we may be (Me Babacino and Mauri)
• Always talk about our values, our directions, our wishes – the together ones and the individual ones, because they all make up the whole
• Consciously decide each day how I want to live my life (for me and Mauri and Babacino)
• Be excited, be courageous, take risks, be connected, be empathic, choose my paths
• Play and be creative at least a little every day
• Skype my family around the world at least every now and again
• Be the best mummy I can be for Babacino (attuned, attentive, listening, serious, fun, gentle, guiding, patient, allowing, encouraging, and being a constant secure base, with Mauri, for Babacino to explore and grow from)
And those are those! For trying my best!

Ok, running, yes, I need to add my running goals, these I am just writing intuitively without any real research, and also I havent given it a great deal of thought really, partly because a lot is in flux. And of course partly because I need to keep them flexible for Babacino, who always comes first. AND I need to chat to Mauri!
In no particular order:
• I would love to run the Mount Etna trail in August, the 64km one, but if that is not possible, then I would be still very happy to run the 24km one.
• I cant wait to run with Babacino in the Baby Jogger in London, but only if he likes it!
• To keep exploring and learning from running, no matter what the distance is or where it is
• To enjoy running and keep challenging myself, being open to new and different ideas and experiences, especially now that my ultra running needs to take a back seat, rightly so.
• Before Babacino turns a year old, I would like to run a trail marathon, just for fun
• I would love to run through the finish of a race, with Babacino, if the right race presents itself.
• To run in the mountains and in trees and nature, at least sometimes!
• For me and Babacino, but also on behalf of Mauri, that we can continue to go to some more lovely racing jaunts for Mauri to do his magic with photography, running stories, and linking up with all our lovely Sicilian running buddies!


Ok and that’s that for now. 
"My Sunday Run to Mondello Beach, and NEW New Years Resolutions." 
I hope it makes some sense, I think maybe I've tried to include too many ideas and so they are a bit rough and perhaps not quite formed enough, but there we go, maybe there are some clues to explore, certainly for me, it works that way when it comes to things being a bit all over the place!
As it turns out, it wasn't a lot about my run, but, for sure the run must have written a lot of this! And as usual, and with gratitude and love, my ending must be to thank Mauri and Babacino for being so kind as to read and play and wonder so patiently while I go running and writing stories!

(Quite a lot of the James Hillman stuff is quotes, which I got off the internet, but I cant remember where, so just to say, in case it looks as if my vocabulary has tripled over night)

Note to myself in public to write about my thinking and ramblings about what I thought it would be like to be a mummy, before Babacino was born, compared to what it is like! (although, one is still very much a mummy for the whole 9 months of carrying but its a different kind of mummy-ness) There wasn't time or space to put that into the NEW New Years Resolutions and really it is very linked. Next time!

Here is the link to the FB photo album, which has little explanations next to the pictures and of course is what this blog is about sort of!
Mondello Run FB Album

But just in case here are a few little pictures from the Album, just for the non FBers

On my way, one of my favourite local streets, you'd think it was still summer, its so green and there are even flowers!

This is the church where Mauri and Tata go for Mass once a month, where they remember people the people in their lives who they've loved and cherished and who have passed away. The actual church is being renovated and so the Mass is held in the hall next door, see the next picture














In Italy, (the Catholic) Mass happens every day, sometimes even more than once a day! In the summer time, me and Babacino played outside when Mauri and Tata go to the Mass, because we like to go along too, but we make too much noise when all the grownups are trying to concentrate! so we play on the steps outside. But in winter its a bit cold!

Here are the pillars again. During the week, there is a lot of traffic, so you have to be careful. I often run up this little road in the mornings to get to the mountain, or to run in the Riserva Naturale orientata Monte Pellegrino

Some stairs in the park that I often run up just for fun! They look quite majestic in real life. I am sure they were intended for something rather important when they were built, or perhaps they are just a sort of a symbol for ' A Stairway to Pellegrino and Saint Rosalia,

I often run past these, I think they are meant to be for bees, but I have never seen anyone actually go and do anything with them, but something does get done, that's for sure. It's a mystery

This is part of a goat farm, and this must be their house. If you go too near the goats or stand there too long, the dogs bark like crazy, protecting the goats I presume!

Who would ever have thought that you could put your feet in the sea on the 6th of January, without living in the Southern Hemisphere!

In the distance you can see the little harbour town, where we sometimes go for a walk and some coffee, with Tata and Raul and Frida.

And now its time to head back home, interesting how different things look from the opposite side!

Every where you look in Palermo, and Sicily you will see immense beautiful mountain ranges and most of the time blue blue sky. Sometimes it's nice to see the city with some clouds, it and different light, it makes it feel altogether like a different city in a way!

Proof that we do get autumn in Palermo , even if 'winter' is debatable, there is definitely autumn!

This is the shop where we get all Babacino's gear - eating and wearing and playing! The shop is on both sides of the road, this is just one side.

Home!! There is Frida!!  The End!

---------------------------------------------------------------
And now for a few non-running ones ...

Mauri and Babacino working!

Our recent acquisition of the soundtrack to the film - to be released 'Long walk to Freedom' which is based on Mandela's autobiography. It doesn't have Morgan Freeman acting as Mandela this time. That was the other film about the world cup rugby in 1995

Me and Munka Punka Babacino being South African! (probably laughing at something Mauri is saying!)

The Dudes!

Me and my monkey, I love my monkey!

Until next time... ciao!!

My New Years Day Run, and other thoughts and happenings of the Scricciolo family!

Running on Capodanno, and about Mauri and our Scricciolo

The (above) link goes to FB where there are all the pictures and writing next to the pictures too, and those link into the introduction writing, which is this:

Il Capodanno di Corsa. This is my new years day run, a very important run in the calender of peace and grounded-ness of the mind. 
And, because we can always learn something from every time we run, then, a new years day run is a good place to start, full of good omens to discover, for the coming year (and for life sometimes!) ! 

So, it started off a bit rainy and was sunny by the time I got home. The route was was a choice between my favourite run of running up the old pilgrim road of Mont Pellegrino and seeing the city from above, or adventuring into the city to see it in it's unfolding new skin. I chose the second, which is what Mauri suggested. I thought, because this is Mauri's city and me and Babacino have loved being here these last few months, then it would be apt, and a pleasure, to run through the quiet streets of this beautiful ancient city. And the thing is, that soon we need to go back to London, so these pictures can be little reminders of Palermo! Luckily Mauri is coming with us to London, and that's the most important thing really, for our little family to be together as much as we can, no matter where it is.
And, talking about good omens, there are also some pictures of Babacino sleeping. Babacino turned 6 months a few days ago, and as it happens right at this time, he is finally starting to actually sleep in the day time. It is good,for him, so that he has energy for playing! I am happy that our approach of taking queue's from Babacino has paid off (rather than trying to impose sleep routines (etc) on such a tiny little scricciolo!) Also we decided not to do the thing of letting him cry himself to sleep or 'cry it out'. We always always pick him up if he is crying. And so, I do think he is learning that he can depend on us and be secure in his felt knowledge of this, because we will always be there for him. In his own time, he will become independent, slowly but surely. Each day is a little unfolding mystery when you are with a little tiny growing growing person! 

So, here we are with a little scriciolo of 6 months and 4 days, who has had his first Natale (Christmas) and his first Capdanno (New Years). He's been hanging out in London, Sicilia and South Africa, where he met his South African cousins and his granny!, he's been a photo journalist at LOTS of races, and met lots of runners, he's played on the beach in the sand, he's been up lots of different mountains, he's been swimming, he's been to ancient temples, and up ancient pilgrim paths, he's been on the London Eye at 8 weeks!, he's met his big brother and they are becoming best buddies!, he's had lots of family feasts with yummy Sicilian specialties, and lots of family supper and lunch times at Tata's (Salvatore Crispi)! and lots and lot of family jaunts, especially around Sicily, seeing Etna and Palazzo Adriano, where 'Cinema Paradiso' was made and where Mauri's family came from 100's of years ago when they arrived from Albania.

I definitely think, that 2013 has been the best year of my life so far, thanks to my two favourite boys Mauri and Babacino, and here's to some more! ROCK AND ROLL 2014!! Lets see where our feet will take us!


And, as a little addition to my running pictures, here are a few from last week's little family jaunt to the beach! (after the 10km run of fun!)

Circles and Olive Trees and Oranges and Lemons

Here are some pictures of some of the little things we have been doing and seeing in the last week since getting back from South Africa. But not including our trip to  Tempio di Segesta and the race in Balestrate, which we went to on the same day. That is for another page. Same with South Africa, where our visit also coincided with Mandela's passing away. They are both still floating down to earth and cant quite enter the realms of letters and sentences yet... And so, for now this is about olive trees and circles, and oranges and lemons..!

First, this is Mauri's post with lots of pictures and something about circles. It's on FB but hopefully still opens ok: HERE

Olive trees need to be pruned at least about every 3 years or so, in order for them to bear fruit. If there are too many branches all growing leaves and little offshoots of new branches then the tree puts all its energy into the new bits and doesn't have enough for the olives. Also the olive trees are often hundreds of years old, and have quite thick chunky bases, which generate 'new tree's' from that base, so you could have a few trees growing from one base, and that can also take a lot of energy. Olive trees are beautiful and majestic and just full of character. Each one is totally different and they seem to almost be moving in slow motion right in front of you, they look as if their limbs are doing a slow beautiful dance. You don't really get furniture or planks made from Olive trees because the branches and the trunk are never straight, I think they grow the way they dance!  The wood seems quite dark on the outside, but inside, it is actually quite light, like creamy butter, but it's very very dense. If a branch is cut with a saw, then you can see very delicate little circles, on the buttery wood, which look as if they've been drawn with a pencil lead. I have some pictures!

So Mauri had arranged for some expert olive tree cutters to come and trim the tree's, and that has taken a few days because they haven't been cut for quite a few years. Now it will be easier to maintain them. It is hard to explain how they cut the trees and what is involved, but there is a saying that says you need to prune your trees so that 'a swallow can fly through them' meaning that the shape to aim for is one that allows light and air into the center of the tree. From what I could see when I was watching them, it definitely seemed like a fine art, involving a sort of intuitive sculptoring of the tree, and I am sure they were carefully sculptoring both the tree and the light and space around and through the branches

Now the men are almost finished, they just have a little bit more to do, and hopefully next year, olives will start growing! In Italy, or at least in Sicily, there is the option of a wonderful sort of arrangement between locals where if you have Olive Trees, but you are not in the business of farming, then what you can do is: You can come to an agreement with a local Olive Tree Harvester, who will harvest your olives for you, during harvesting season, and then as payment, you give him half the harvest. So there is no cash exchanged, its a kind of a bartering system. I think it must be quite ancient and I do like the idea. (and certainly nowadays, with Italy having one of the most excruciating tax system in the world, especially for small businesses, then it makes sense to use alternative methods of earning your keep, where possible!) Maybe Mauri will do that next year, we shall see! it will be amazing if we can harvest olives and make Olive Oil. Mauri told me that some years ago, his family used to do this, and they had enough olives to have olive oil for the family for a whole year! imagine, home made virgin olive oil from the land!!

While Mauri was working on the land tidying up the cactus's, building steps and walls, me and Babacino went and collected some nice oranges and lemons from around and about, for pudding. Delicious, once we added a little bit of sugar! 

I also made a little Mandala, to celebrate autumn and the olive trees. I think my hands needed to express something. And I also had circles on my mind, as I often do, these days.. or at least in the last year! I am still sort of swimming around the images and the experience of the olives trees. It is a strange concept to think you know a colour quite well, like olive. But until I had actually see an olive tree in real life, in its true setting, and was able to touch and smell the leaves and the tree, I don't think I ever understood the colour olive. It is a strange retrospective realisation, and now I understand why some people travel the world to write books about colour!

This is a little thing I wrote to one of Mauri's little writings.. that I'm putting here to store it, and because it links in, circles do that it seems!

I think that circles don't really break, they just have a rest or turn into new circles. Maybe each season has its circles, some we see, some we don't, and the best are the ones we make or the surprise ones we find on our journeys if we keep journey-ing. Jung: “In the products of the unconscious we discover mandala symbols, that is, circular and quaternity figures which express wholeness, and whenever we wish to express wholeness, we employ just such figures. ”

So, for now, I am learning about how to feel about the colour Olive! 

Here are some pictures, and of course, you can see how Babacino has been growing. He is now 73cm and 7.3kgs!! Thats 5cm and 500 grams in one month, not bad for a little rainboy boykie!

Tomorrow we are going to Ficuzza, me Maur and Babacino, to the Eco Trail.  And, cousin Aldo is coming along, Tata, Adriana and also Vincenzo and Titziana, and then we are having lunch. It will be a memorable jaunt day for sure. Yay! 

I think the pictures explain themselves but if not, just imagine!:) 

About Half Marathons and the Palermo Half Marathon of 2013

Sometimes in life, there are little happenings and things we try or do, that seem at the time, to stand on their own.  Sometimes we remember one, or even two of them and reminisce, and sometimes we forget about them all together. Until one day, suddenly there is a little thread magically joining them up, the remembered ones and the un-remembered ones. And ‘hey presto’ a new little story pokes it’s head out of the web of life.  For a moment in time, when that happens, it feels the way it does when you put your feet into real earthy soil, or stand next to a mountain, after having been in an expanse of concrete city and buildings for a time. I think, as it turns out,  the ‘half marathon’ has been a little bit like that for me, like a little found bracelet of shiny collected things!

 After all, the ‘half marathon’  is certainly not a distance that I’ve regularly run,or concentrated on at all, and so its not been something I’ve particularly pondered over. But then again, as it turns out, this little half marathon story thread is all linked into the story of Babacino and Mauri, and so, in a way it is no surprise that it’s a surprise. And for that reason, I would say it’s worth writing down the story!

On Sunday morning, just gone, at about 8:15 in the morning, our little family: Me, Mauri, Babacino and Tata (and in spirit: Raul, Signora Maria and Franci!) – headed off on our little jaunt for the day, as we do.  Wheels and Feet, Feet and Wheels. Stai Attento! Camera’s at the ready!  Annnnnd, all together now:

C'era una volta un piccolo naviglio

che non sapeva non sapeva navigar e dopo una, due, tre, quattro, cinque, sei, sette settimane e dopo una, due, tre, quattro, cinque, sei, sette settimane e dopo una, due, tre, quattro, cinque, sei, sette settimane il piccolo naviglio incominciava a navigar

cu issu e senza issu
cu issu 
cu issu
cu issu e senza issu

Avanti u peri cu issu

It was the day of the Palermo Marathon and Half Marathon, the 17th of November 2013 and the 19th edition.MARATONA DI PALERMO 2013 The races start and finish at the Palermo Athletics track, which is right at the foot of Monte Pellegrino, where you can find the ancient pilgrim’s path leading up to the beautiful Church of the Saint Roselia (built into the mountain) Santa Roselia is the Patron Saint of Palermo and much loved by Palermonites. [ Monte Pellegrino and the Sanctuary of Santa Rosalia ] We had already visited the stadium the day before, on a little jaunt to the expo and to collect my race number. And also the other fun bit, the collection of the  ‘pacco gara’ which directly translated means ‘person race’. But what it is, is (usually) a bag containing, various goodies like chocolate bars, maybe some pasta, a drink, and some other little suprises from sponsors of the race, or even locally made produce and of course very often a t’shirt to commemorate the race. In Italy, it is very exciting getting the ‘pacco gara’ as you never know what you will find!  I think it is a bit like when you are a child and you get buy a lucky packet from the sweet shop, all excited to see what you get. The Palermo Marathon and Half Marathon certainly lived up to the reputation of the ‘pacco gara’ of Italy!

Back to Sunday: It wasn’t long before we were warmly greeted (ESPECIALLY Babacino!) by many of the running fraternity who know Mauri from so many years of running and taking photographs and writing about everything to do with running and the human spirit.  Likewise the stadium was a buzz of excitement. Bouncing and jogging runners meeting runners; families with kids (of course, this IS Italy!) and music; the smell of coffee, warm weather; bright colours,  all of the things I’ve come to love about Italian running events. But this was my first real true Sicilian Italian running event AND in Palermo our home town.

When Babacino was still a Beetle, before he got born, Mauri and me used to talk about a lot of things to do with the Beetle child Babacino, like how we’d take Babacino to Villa Sperlinga, and do some running around the park, taking turns and being close to Babacino at all times. For me, this would be my gentle re-entry into running. In real life, it soon became  a cherished little family ritual. I think the first few times I ran 3 or 4 laps of the park and then step by step we built up our distance as Babacino grew and grew.

Somehow out of that the idea of running the Palermo Half Marathon emerged, but with the very distinct caveat, that ‘we’d see how Babacino was on the day’, and decide to run or not to run. Babacino needs his food and lots of hugs first and foremost.  But on the day, Babacino was right on form and running was on the menu!  And so, with special thanks to Mauri, the running of the half marathon came true and Babacino got his first real life medal and he got to cruise  around with a press pass and his Papi, taking pictures of all the runners starting and finishing, and no doubt interviewing a few!  

And this made me think, it is indeed a good thing to have dreams and to talk about them, that way, they are more likely to come true! I think Babacino must have a huge amount of dreams in him, because the dreams about Babacino, even the ones that are still pictures and not even words yet, just seem to come true. Bravo Babacino Bravo!!

My first half marathon was when I was in school, in Johannesburg South Africa. Johannesburg, also known as: Jozi, Joburg, Joni, eGoli or Joeys, and JHB! As I recall, I managed to catch a much coveted lift from my (most idealised by me!) big brother. In my memory, that was probably one of my hardest races ever. Up until then, running was just putting on some shoes, and running, being free and going where ever my feet took me. Of course that was also long before the days of Garmins and GPSs where we had the 'luxury' depending on how you look at it of being able to analyse everything about running. Johannesburg is about 1800 meters above sea level, it’s dry and hot. The race was fairly rural,  taking in some out of town potted roads with lots of dry red sand on either side blowing up in plumes like smoke, every time a car drove past. I’m not sure how much I walked or ran, all I know is that I finished, I think I got a packet of iwisa (maize meal eaten in South Africa),  some toothpaste and some mens deodorant at the finish, and I was hooked on ‘long distance running’ from that day on.  Little did I know that running and that taste of ‘long distance’  would take me on quite some journey around the world

Forward again to Palermo 2013.  I admit to having felt a bit nervous before this half marathon.  It was to be my first race (apart from a little taster of a few kms in Villabate a few weeks ago) since Babacino got born, a little less than 5 months ago. Since then, I haven’t run more than 12km’s at a time. Nor have I been away from Babacino more than the time it takes to run 12kms! Luckily I knew that Babacino would be ok with Mauri, who was fully armed with passagino, baby carrying sling, banana  and mashing implements, ‘choocho’,toys and hats!

The start of the race was  right on the athletics track on the side where the spectator stands are. This meant families could be near by, and there was as usual a lot of animated banter, along with music and announcements and talking over the loud speaker. I had wanted to wait until literally when the gun went off before going to the start, but Mauri sent me off, and off he and Babacino went taking pictures of the start and the runners and I went to soak up the atmosphere of being in the midst of the runners of my first Palermo Sicilian race. What really strikes me about Sicily and of course this was totally prevalent at the race, was how proud the Sicilians are of their country and the Palermonites of Palermo. Most runners were dressed in their brightly coloured club gear or else in t-shirts from local or Italian races and this seems to emanate a real feeling of celebration.

There was a bit of a delay in the start of the race, but with glorious weather of about 23 or 24 degrees C, it just meant a slight continuation of the enjoyment and anticipation before the gun and the start. I found myself thinking about the last half marathon I had run, which was also the last race I ran before Babacino was born! That was the Richmond Half Marathon, in London, on the 31st of March 2012, when I was precisely 6 months pregnant with Babacino. At the time, I guessed it would be my last race, and it was quite a moment for me, because having run most of my life, I knew I was entering into a new phase and wasn't sure when I would be in a position to run again, especially as this was my first baby.  Also it would be my last race of running with Babacino so close and so attached to me. I really enjoyed my running when I was pregnant and often wondered whether all the running would be going into my little boys feet making him a runner before he even got born!  And so, little did I know at the time, that I had just added another Half Marathon to the Half Marathon Story!

At about 09:30 the race finally started and off we went out of the stadium into the road heading for Della Liberta, and the first long stretch into the Old Town of Palermo.  Feeling quite fresh and quite relaxed with no time to aim for at all, in fact I had forgotten to even put on my Garmin, I immediately settled into the race at an very manageable pace, enjoying the sites and saying goodbye, for a little while, to Monte Pelegrino. By now all nerves were gone, although it was still rather strange not to have Babacino in my arms or in the next room with Mauri.  

Fortunately all the roads had been blocked to cars, so it was easy pleasurable running in that sense. In Italian road races, there is a rule that stipulates water stations at least every 5km’s, which was perfect for a warm day.  In true Italian style, the people manning the tables were as friendly and convivial as ever.
There were also plenty of spectators especially given that the race went through some really beautiful historical sites within Palermo. We were even fortunate enough to run through Palazzo Abatellis (also known as Palazzo Patella) which is actually a palace, located in the Kalsa quarter of Palermo. It is home to the Galleria Regionale della Sicilia, the Gallery of Art for the Sicilian region. Mauri took e to visit this gallery on my first visit to Sicilly, so it was wonderful to run through it with the lovely Sunday morning sunlight bouncing off the ancient stones we were running over.

Of the other sites, I found myself wishing I had a slightly better memory so that I could recall more of the history and information about the rest of the sites that I recognised and which Mauri had told me about whilst on our little jaunts. There is something wonderful about walking anywhere with Mauri. He either knows the entire history of a place including how it got it’s name and how that was derived from Greek or Latin or the Normans or the Byzatines etc, Otherwise, if it’s somewhere he hasnt visited before, he generally has a pretty good idea of what it is all about just because of the vast travelling library in his brain which he carries around with him. I think it is also a common trait of runners that they are explorers and love to travel to new places and experience the essence of a place by foot.

Palermo is definitely a most beautiful city full of surprises. I am always struck by how you can arrive at an 11th or 12th century building, with almost no (signed or visual) announcement or introduction. In England such an ancient site would probably have ropes around it preventing anyone from going too near and you’d almost certainly have to pay an entrance fee. But here in Palermo these buildings are dotted around the city, often in the most unexpected places, eg right next to a derelict building, or a very modern building or just next to an ice cream shop. In a way, they almost feel MORE authentic because you can imagine that they probably haven't changed much for 100s of years, and the experience is definitely a visceral one, if you allow yourself to feel! You can even touch the stone walls and stand as near to them as you like! Perhaps a bit like how Stone Henge used to be before they built designated pathways around the stones and installed ropes so that not only can you not go near the stones, but their view is obscured by these crowd controlling ropes as well as spotlights to make them more ‘visible’

The race snaked around some of these beautiful sites in the old city with the route backtracking on the same roads, so that, in this part of the race, you could  almost continually see runners coming towards you and away from you. Again, this definitely facilitated more joviality and animation amongst the runners, and that part of the race wizzed by.Before I knew it, we were already on the road headed back to the stadium. There was Monte Pelegrino again, and it felt comforting to be running along it’s side, watching  the sunshine warming the majestic rocks.

By this stage, I was suprised to be still feeling quite ok, not at all needing to walk and managing to keep a steady pace. Although looking at the Marathon markers, I did think to myself that a marathon at this stage would require walking and I dont think I am ready to be away from Babacino for that long, yet.  I focused on enjoying the last bit of my Half Marathon.

The week before, we had happened to be at a press conference held in a beautiful building and surrounding gardens, just near to the Chinese Palace.We’d had a lovely walk through the gardens and the palace grounds, again a fascinating little gem of Palermo.Here you can see some information and photo's about the press conference:  Supercoppa Italiana 2013 WheelChair Basket. Press conference This is one of the many amazing things Tata is involved in, in Palermo.
Mauri had said the gardens would be part of the race route so I knew we still had this to do before heading back into the stadium.  Once again, I found myself trying to remember all the bits of information Mauri had told me about these places, and thinking how lucky I am to be able to walk around and enjoy these places with both Babacino and Mauri and then, a few days later to be able to run along the exact same paths. What could be better!

Finally, I headed for the finish, and the Half Marathon Story was saved into my heart, waiting to be written. Excited to find Mauri and Babacino and Tata again, off I went in search of our little family, and I found them! I gave Babacino his medal and a BIG hug and Mauri too, and ciao to Tata, and then we had the rest of our family day!

AND BABACINO IS NOW OFFICIALLY ITALIAN AND ENGLISH AT THE SAME TIME! Guarda!!

And finally, here are lots and lots of pictures of the race, taken by:

Mauri Crispi and Babacino Crispi!

The Photo's!  - click!

This is what I made! with Babacino and his Papi posing beautifully for the unveiling!

and another one!