Strava - cycle, run or just walk 

First of all as you can see from the 'time' of the above route - I'm not a runner ! I was introduced to Strava by one of our holidaymakers who is. She told me she'd uploaded a running route to Strava that other runners may like to follow. I didn't think much more about it until just recently when, like many others, I made yet another new years resolution to get fit !!

I love to walk and there are so many lovely tracks and quiet country lanes straight from our front door, I thought it might be a good idea to track these walks that I take so our holiday makers who love to run, or cycle or, like me, just walk would be able to enjoy these routes too. Strava was the answer.

I've only just started and still have a few longer routes planned but basically to access them you just need to download the Strava app (free) then search for my profile 'Wendy Blakeman' and the maps will be there to follow.

Of course not everyone's a runner or even a big walker and all our holidaymakers have children, so I'll be adding some much shorter routes which are ideal for taking the pram to get baby to sleep, or just for a stroll with your toddlers to explore. We have some lovely woods just 500m away - I often take the children I am child minding for a picnic up there and when my own boys were small it was one of our favourites - going on a bear hunt ! or playing poo sticks over the bridge in the village.

Just recently a good friend has shown me some super new routes as she has explored further afield on her horse. They are a little further, so from 8 to 12km walks round trip from La Grange du Moulin holiday cottages but you could easily hop in the car and just do the walk around the woodlands instead, which are really lovely.

I'd love for some of our regular keen cyclists to share their serious cycling routes too as I won't be walking 50km ! We live in a beautiful part of France and our holiday cottages are in the heart of the countryside. We are surrounded by wheat fields, vineyards and woodland too; the lanes are quiet and safe and you have the right to roam along any of the tracks - perfect for a gentle stroll with the children, or an early morning run on your own.