A spot of fitness at Camping Manjastre

We all did very well this year, regarding keeping fit.   This did mean getting up early before the sun rose over the hills, otherwise it became too hot.   And we noticed there were many people from the campsite out walking, running or cycling, which was very encouraging to see.   Keeping fit certainly seems to be catching on.

Emma and Steve went out running most mornings, for quite some distance too.   One day Steve started out following a track, which led into another one, and then ended up without any track at all.  He finished off completing a cross country run amongst undergrowth.   He returned after one and a half hours with scratched legs.   Luckily Google Earth maps helped him find his way home again,.

Rachel tried running but gave up and walked instead, although she got lost on her first day, when she followed a track through the grape vines, and ended up somewhere high up on a hill.  Luckily she used her running app, which had a map attached to it.   

Emma and Steve swam laps in the pool too, very seriously and at great speed.  In between the Dutch women who leisurely swam breaststroke as they chatted among themselves.   I have always admired these swimmers, as I was never taught breaststroke, and cannot talk and swim at the same time.   I managed to swim a few laps, slowly, and I think I increased my laps to 8.

Walter and I kept up our morning walks.   My favourite was a loop walk, half on a track through the bush, and half on the back road, where Walter met me.   He kept to the back road as it was easier on his knee.

The end of the track met a fire track, which was probably used by the pig hunters' vehicles.

A pile of cork bark beside the track.   There was a considerable amount of undergrowth in the bush, left over from a wet spring.  Definitely a fire hazard as it was very dry looking, as there had been no rain since May.

The vineyards beside the back road.

When the sun comes over this hill in the morning, the back road becomes very hot and quite unpleasant.

The family of donkeys. mum, dad, older brother and the new baby.   Such a cute baby too, and very fluffy.  A very well loved family.

Early one morning Emma, Rachel and I clambered up the hill opposite the camping ground.

We walked along the ridge.   One morning Emma and Steve went for a run along this track and found a family of pigs, mum, dad, and piglets, who run off quickly into the trees.

Part of the walk was on the road which leads to Bormes-les-Mimosa, but early in the morning we came across only one cyclist.   We then crossed over the D98, which runs from Toulon to St Tropez.   A very busy road.   We quickly crossed the road, and started walking down the fire track into the valley.

Emma and Rachel striding quickly along the valley track towards the camping ground.    This track is a very popular walking area in the morning as it stays cool until about 8.30 a.m.

The children, being young, just kept moving, and swimming and generally being busy.  But I think even they increased their fitness levels somewhat.   And for the rest of us, we certainly found the morning running, walking and swimming a great way to maintain our fitness levels in a different type of environment.

And believe it or not, it was also fun.