2 steps, 4 steps or 3 steps?

週末、いつも寝坊な私が珍しく早起きしたので、旦那と二人で散歩にでかけた。前日の雨のあかげで気温も低めなので、歩くにはもってこいの朝。行く先はテキトー、とにかく水辺に向かって歩こうということに。
いつも騒音いっぱいの車道から離れて運河沿いの歩道をしばらく歩けば、河の合流地点に出て整備された遊歩道になり、ジョガーも増えてくる。このあたりから埋め立てられた新興地であるのは確実、整備の程度があまりに違いすぎる。

爽やかな風が心地いい。先日までF1で使用されていたスタンドが解体中の現場を横目に見ながら、ボートの練習する掛け声を聞きながら、ダックツアー（水陸両用車）の観光客の歓声を聞きながら、時折ベンチで休んでOREOを食べながら、散歩を楽しんだ。いい散歩道を見つけたなあ。

夜には、ディーパバリと呼ばれる新年を祝うお祭りのライトアップをリトルインディアに見に行った。オレンジ色の腰布を巻いて枝を持った人が行ったり来たり。いつもの週末のように、まわりはインド人だらけ。

ところで、イタリア語では散歩することを"fare due(quattro) passi"＝「２（４）歩する」という。奇数が好まれることが多い日本や中国と、こんなところでも文化が違うのだなーと面白いと思う。

On the last weekend, I woke up early for a change. So I went out for a walk with my husband. The temperature was rather low thanks to the previous day's rain, which was good for taking a walk. Without deciding where to go, we just headed to the waterfront. Walking away from the bustling streets lead us the junction of rivers and a well-maintained walking trail with many joggers. Around here, it must be a new reclamation area, with the far better condition than the other areas.
Brisk breeze made me fresh. Walking along the dismantling site where the stand for F1 was there until the other day, hearing the orders from the regattas and tourists' glee from duck tour(amphibious vehicle tour), sitting on a bench and munching OREOs, we had fun from them. We've discovered a good walkway for weekends.

In the evening, we went to Little India to see the street illumination of Deepavali, a Hindus festival to celebrate the triumph of good over evil and of light over darkness. Many men with orange-colored dhoti and a branch were strolling up and down. The street was  filled with Indians as usual weekends.

The Italians, by the way, say "fare due (o quattro) passi (do 2 or 4 steps)" in the meaning of to take a walk. It's interesting that the cultures are so different from China and Japan where odd numbers are considered to be preferable. And, well, if I daresay it, "a walk" in Japanese is "sam-po" which is the same sound of the term meaning "three steps".