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....