Wednesday, August 22, 2007

lengths

The worse thing about the dismal weather over here is that I can't wear sunglasses to hide the devastation wrought around my eyes by my swimming goggles. Or would it be better to get scornful or bemused glances from people for wearing shades in 16 degrees and rain than to receive pitying glances for having such saggy baggy weird lizardy googlie rings around my eyes?

Nonetheless I was down at our local leisure centre and in the pool by 9 am yesterday, doing lengths. Are you impressed? I was impressed with myself, you can probably tell. Particularly given the contrast between the nature of this experience, and my time in and around the pool in France.



The water temperature was 27 degrees on our arrival, we enjoyed a simply delicious evening dip after a scorching day of driving. After 2 days of greyness and drizzle, the sun returned and the temperature fluctuated between about 23 and 26/7 degrees. Luxury for those such as me who have been known to shiver swim in Yorkshire waterfalls and scottish lochs. There were a number of starlit dips. No skinnydipping unfortunately - not quite the context for it.

Lots of sitting by the pool reading. And watching the swifts which did regular fly-bys, skimming, dipping and sipping the water.
In the water at least once nearly every day.

Not many lengths were swum. Plenty of larking about occurred.






High points were the pushmepullyou-with-inflatable, 5-on-a-lilo and synchronized swimming. Blimus those synchronized women must have muscles of steel. Except that then presumably they would sink.

I've not laughed so much for a long long time.

And here is the house where we stayed, the Ancien Ecole


which had this photograph on the wall


and this dining room




and some of these



and these views.












I do like living in London, really I do. But....

19 comments:

Akelamalu said...

First of all you can wear sunglasses in any weather these days - just look at POSH!!!

Second - you lucky lady that cottage, the pool, the views!!!! Fabulous.

I'm starting Aquafit sessions next week - wish me luck!

Pod said...

love the photo a la maison chez lette. and your photos of course. swallows are great. perhaps so because of the happy prince (a story i love to read to folk). they often swoop around me when i frollick across meadows. my dream that somehow they knew me was totally shattered when some evil tool told me they were merely after the insects that i stirred up by walking through the grass.....it was like 1980 all over again, when i found out about santa....

re the eye problem, simply wear the sunglasses with a gold effect velour leisure suit and people just won't even notice the eyewear

tut-tut said...

What an amazing place! I wish I could climb up those stairs and stay a while. Good luck in swimming laps!

Reya Mellicker said...

Oh it's so beautiful! It would be a crime to get in the pool and swim lengths. Gosh!! Love the way even the sky has that perfect cloud placed exactly in the most harmonious position.

You and your lizards! They are one of your power animals, aren't they?

Lynne said...

oh my! It looks wonderful! Did you have the whole maison to yourselves? Was it really an old school? I hope you ate lots of leisurely meals in the courtyard, sipping glasses of wine.

How I would love to be able to drive to France for vacance! Bit of a problem with that trans-Atlantic tunnel though ...

mouse (aka kimy) said...

appears to be they type of relaxing (and beautiful!!) holiday that can sustain one for a nice long time (and through whatever dismal weather's around) thanks for the pictures. love the house you stayed in...and the pool...divine

Shammickite said...

Oh lovely lovely.
And the weather sounds like it was exactly right for poolside lounging.
And I think sporting sunglasses on a dull rainy day just gives you that "Who is that celebrity?" edge, don't you?

lowenkopf said...

And for all this you gave up peanut butter?

Dumdad said...

Fab fotos - love the lizard (check out my latest post for more lizard pix).

herhimnbryn said...

Sigh.
Thankyou for that. I wanted to sit at that table outside that open door, a Ricard in my hand.......

Donna Flower said...

Looks lovely Letty. I'm so glad you had some reading and reflecting time. I long for that! I never seem to have any head space as I have small people around who talk non-stop nonsense from dawn til dusk!

lettuce said...

maybe lulu, but thats not an incentive, is it? and yes, Good Luck!

love that story too pod, i can never read it without crying. (and the Selfish Giant). thanks so much for the style tip - i'll get one, and then when you visit, we will match.

ta TT. i'd like to have stayed there.

i do love lizards Reya. But what do they signify d'you think?

lynne, we did have the whole house - there were 8 of us, and just about enough space. Much sipping of wine went on

Kimy - yes, i'm hoping it will. Going through all my photos at the mo - helps sustain the holiday vibe.

Shammie - i think thats the problem!

Haha shelly. I did indeed and not only that, but also Marmalade. !!!

dumdad - happy to find another lizard fan.

hello hbb, nice to see you here. Yes, sigh. The Ricard was very good.

oh donna, i remember those non-stop-chatter-nonsense days.... Sometimes i used to want to tell LG to just SHUT UP!!! and would feel so guilty cos she was just being happy chatty.... Do they notice if you're plugged in to your iPod?

y.Wendy.y said...

A semi-drunken Sat night 'pssst!' from France - where the sun still shines and the wine is good. xx

lettuce said...

psssssttttt yourself wendz. Are you?
(do you mean Friday night?) xx

Pod said...

deal.....you best get a white shell suit for the rink too...unless you're already equipped? or is it equipt? oh! i just don't know....

Gary said...

Some of these photos literally took my breath away. Ah, the good life!

la bellina mammina said...

Lucky you!!!! What bliss!

lettuce said...

i will if you will pod.

the water sometimes took my breath away gary. :D

bella - yes i am, i know it.

call me betty said...

O, what gorgeous pics!

And here I am, getting ready to head off up norff to the sunny delights of the Lakes & Scotland. :-)