So you've made the jump from running in shoes to running barefoot, but you just can't convince the wife and kids (the older ones) to embrace your passion. Well how about taking them on a barefoot holiday. Yes, a barefoot holiday.

I've just discovered there are these really cool barefoot parks all over Europe (predominantly in German and Austria) that are open to the public and offer you the opportunity to go for barefoot walks. These parks actually encouraged you to take off your shoes and get one with nature (you'll have to go elsewhere if you want to really get one with nature ) and feel the earth below your feet, feel the cold water between your toes and the pebbles under your feet as you walk through streams and rivers. Some even offer playground areas specially designed for being bare foot.

What a great idea, and what a great way to get the whole family involved in your new found passion for going barefoot. Who knows, maybe after one of these holidays your wife or one of your kids will want to join you on one of your barefoot runs, barefoot.

It's been a bit quiet round here over the past few weeks as I've been away from all computers, work and stressful stuff on a fantastic two week camping holiday in France.

We had a fantastic time, but more importantly, it was two whole weeks for me barefoot, or nearly barefoot, and it felt fantastic. I tried my hardest NOT to wear any shoes whenever possible and succeeded. In fact, today is the first day in 16 days in which I've had to put on a pair of shoes and socks (for work) and I must say I can't wait to get them off.

I spent most of the time barefoot whilst milling around the campsites and driving. I wore my Vibrams when out and about sight seeing (because barefoot isn't always appropriate) and cycling and I wore my cheap aging flipflops when the grass outside the tent was wet - my wife would go nuts if I even contemplated walking into the tent with muddy or wet feet/Vibrams .

All in all it was fantastic, and great fun to see the looks on people's faces as I wondered around barefoot or in my Vibrams. The French kids loved the Vibrams, though surprisingly the Dutch kids didn't seem to fussed.