Wednesday 20 February 2008

Winter Swimmers


Falmouth is hellish when an easterly blows – you go out of the house and it feels as if someone has thrown a bucket of iced water in your face. It trickles down your neck, gets up your nose, in your eyes and up your sleeves, whips all the heat from your body. And because our flat faces east, all the heat is sucked out of our living room windows making the flat freezing.

But this morning, after over a week of gusting easterlies, the wind has dropped and we all heaved a sigh of relief and headed for the beach this morning where the tide was out and the sky and sea melded together in a haze.

Six swimmers were in the water. The winter swimmers are stoic, mostly over sixty or seventy, and swim every morning, regardless of the weather. This morning I spoke to Dominic, a poet who shared the moments of TV Fame back in December and asked him why he did it.

“It gets me going in the morning,” he said, pulling his jumper on over salt sticky flesh. “I can feel the salt on me for the rest of the day. And I seem to have avoided any colds or flu.”

His eyes are dark and bright and his skin was glowing, so he must be doing something right. I remarked on how many people there were this morning and he grinned.

“It’s a sign of global warming,” he said. “You used to measure the swallows in your garden. Now it’s winter swimmers.”

So now you know - want to keep fit? Get swimming. Personally, I'll wait until it warms up a bit.

12 comments:

wakeupandsmellthecoffee said...

Bet he's got a very high sperm count.

Chris Stovell said...

Oo-er to the above! We went to our nearest indoor pool this morning - definitely not ready to brave the great outdoors (just as I clicked this I saw your post below so am going to have a read of that too).

Flowerpot said...

wakeup - I didnt ask him that. Next time perhaps...!

chrish - I think I could handle an indoor pool but definitely not outside, or the sea.

the rotten correspondent said...

I'm catching up. So sorry for my absence.

The PSA news is wonderful. And I'm so happy for the smile on your face! (you did put that quite delicately).

Is there anything in the adverse effects warnings that the meds may cause you to buy innumerable cornets?

Just wondering.

Elaine Denning said...

It doesn't matter how warm it gets, it's still bloody freezing in there. Give me a pool and a pina colada any day!

Anonymous said...

OMG! I can't imagine swimming in the sea if was like a swimming pool never mind in the middle of February!

Crystal xx

Akelamalu said...

I don't think it would ever be warm enough to entice me in! I'm more of a mediterranean girl. :)

Flowerpot said...

rc - i love that about the meds and cornets - so that's the problem!!!

Flowerpot said...

MissU - I agree - it's got to be very hot to get me in there!

Crystal - I went in last year but certainly not at this time of year.

Flowerpot said...

Ak - yes the mediterranean has a much greater pull!

Aoj and The Lurchers said...

OMG! Are they mad!!?

Flowerpot said...

AOJ - I fear so!