Leisurely days

I starting saying that there was nothing much to report on from us at Camping Manjastre.   Well there is plenty to report on, but no travelling to any village, town or beach.   The only trips out were made by Walter when he went to the supermarket to buy groceries.

The weather has been absolutely gorgeous and who wants to leave a beautiful campsite on days such as these, especially as it is madness everywhere, due partly to the good weather and partly to an influx of French holiday makers taking advantage of the good weather on a long weekend.    Thursday was Ascension Day, and a public holiday, so of course people took more time off and made it into a long weekend.  

The number of people in the camping ground has increased quite a bit, partly due to the French families taking advantage of the long weekend and partly due to many retirees coming down here, now that the weather is better.   June is a good month to be here.

The bar and restaurant have opened and a new approach to menus being offered.   Pizzas will feature mostly during the week now, plus frites and salads and at the weekend a chef has been organised to cook a special dish each evening.   Tonight it was duck, which we ordered and it was very delicious.

Now that the bar was also opened in the evenings, they have been very social occasions.   We have managed to spend quite a bit of time and money there during the past two evenings.

We have  both spent much time reading during the afternoons, mostly in the shade.   Since I have moved back to Adelaide I have not been so keen to sunbathe, a bit late in the day really, seeing as my skin has already been damaged.  But the hot sun of Australia has taken the edge of being tanned.   I am also looking after my lips after my experience on Australia Day this year.   No more sunburnt lips, with the resultant cold sores and infections.

It is also a bit late in our holiday to start walking and swimming, but I have finally got myself motivated to get out of bed early and go for a walk.    Two mornings so far, followed by a few laps of the pool, very bracing when first in but wonderful afterwards.   I have managed to get up to about eight laps today.  

A view of the towels and bathing suit, drying in the sunshine while we have coffee.

Looking down the road from our caravan, all the grass has been cut and everything looks very fresh and ready for the influx of people in the next three months.

This photograph was taken early evening, but there have been plenty of people lying on the sun loungers and in the pool, during the day. 

The new pizza menu, ours was Pizza Camping Manjastre, half each with salad and frites.  It was delicious.   The bar and restaurant were full of people last night, and there was a very merry atmosphere.

I forgot to mention about the influx of spiders, once the weather became warmer.   Margaret, you will especially like this.   The first one was in the roll of toilet paper, which of course I did not notice and carried it all the way to the toilet block.   I saw it while in the toilet area, and actually did not freak out, but calmly carried the roll outside afterwards and allowed the spider to climb out on its own.   The second spider was on my bed, and again I calmly gathered it up in my towel and deposited it outside. I am learning to be brave!

Walter said that the spiders were in actual fact very tiny.   It all depends on a person's perspective of size, of course. 

Anyway it started me thinking about how wonderful it is to be able to sit on stone walls here, to lean against fences, and to not have to check under the arms of our chairs, or indeed worry generally about spiders, or snakes for that matter too.   I know people have been bitten by spiders here, but problems arise due to the bite becoming infected rather than due to the spider being a poisonous one. 

Only a few more days to go now, and we will be very sad to leave.