Walking…is good for you and for the dog but the cat will give it a miss thank you very much…

As you may know I tried to keep fit by using the gym for a few weeks but sadly (and you told me so) I didn’t keep it up. I found the, getting in the car, driving to the gym, working out etc., all a bit too much. It also made my elbows and knees really ache and I felt 103 instead of 36 (I know the numbers might be the wrong way round!!) We live in such a beautiful area and on the whole the weather is clement so the ideal exercise is to walk. The Man prefers a bike and he has got me into cycling, just a little bit, but I don’t like the hills, more about bike riding next post.

I try to do a good walk at least three times a week and this morning I set off for Montevidon Combate and back which is about 7k in total. I know this because I use an App on my phone which gives me all the  information.  Jpeg trots along just in front of me stopping every now and then for well…you know…the things dogs do when they go for a walk…but her meandering on the verges makes us a bit slow – so the App tells me. Of course I stride out as much as possible in between intermittent pauses. When we get to Montevidon we take a break and if the café is open I have a cappuccino con orzo, (its made from barley but don’t ask me how)  I’m not too keen on coffee. I actually took a croissant this morning too, in sympathy with another blogger Here’s to Appetite who would definitely encourage the taking of food during breaks.

It’s a lovely walk and this morning was no exception. Above my head the sky was blue and in the distance it was just a little hazy over the mountains. I tried to be more observant of my surroundings as I walked, appreciate the views and just…enjoy.

The route out of town takes me past the flower shop and the Venetian house which is being renovated, it’s close to the theatre. Then I pass the Petritoli cemetery, which is on the outskirts, a tradition that dates back to the Roman times, I believe. They always took the dead outside the city walls to bury them.

The walk out, is all uphill but only a slight gradient – total elevation 80m – according the App. The higher I get the further I can see. Although not crystal clear this morning the Sibillini to the west, or is it the north? They seem to move as I walk…Conero and the sea to the east…yeah I’m pretty sure that’s right.

I saw a combine harvester that was off to cut sunflowers, I met some horses, I could see the sea in the distance. Along the way I glimpsed lizards darting for cover, birds in the hedgerows and on the wing.  All very back to nature….

The best thing of all?  As people drove past several of them tooted their motor horns, waved and shouted, ‘Buongiono!’ or ‘Ciao Ninette!’ or even ‘Ciao Jpeg!’ How lucky to be walking on a warm October morning, stunning views and with so many people making me feel safe and at home.

Love you Le Marche… only thing is, miss my family and wish they could visit more often. Not too often mind!