People walk for fun just because of how beautiful their city is and because of the number of things there are to see. “Dar un paseo” could mean walking for minutes or almost hours. In Spain, time is not money unlike in the U.S. Here time is gold: in other words, something to be savored and enjoyed, rather than spent, so there is never a rush to get anywhere. A beautiful cultural difference is that many first dates here are to “dar un paseo” - simply walk around, enjoy the beauty of nature, and finish by having a drink like coca cola or tea.
One of my favorite hobbies in Granada is to run by the río (river). Many people run by the river daily because it has an amazing view and it is a safe place to exercise. Since physical appearance is important in Spain, many people go running, go to the gym, and wear fancy fashionable clothing every day.
In Spain, people eat bread every day but it doesn’t make them gain weight because of how much they walk every day (sometimes more than seven miles in a day!). Living in the United States, I was told eating bread makes you fat, but now living in Spain, I realize that it is all about maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle.
Another reason many people walk, use bikes, or motorcycles is to reduce the pollution in the air. In fact, due to local efforts to be environmentally-conscious the air in Granada is cleaner now than it was forty years ago. In addition, the city has developed a concrete recycling system to be even more eco-friendly.
