Yesterday, I posted a photo of the bay, devoid of cruise liners for the first time in almost a year. They weren’t gone long. Assuming they were ever really gone at all. They may have simply been hidden by the sea mist that has been swirling about for the last few days. Or they may have temporarily moved a little further out to sea to recycle their grey water. I don’t know, but either way, they’re back.
But you’re probably not looking at the boats, are you. You’re checking out the lady going for a swim. You’re probably trying to work out what on earth she thinks she’s doing. The English Channel isn’t warm at the best of times. And early March, for the avoidance of any doubt, is not what anyone would consider ‘the best of times’. It’s very much the opposite.
She’d left her clothes and towel unguarded on a bench. So I don’t imagine the icy plunge was for a dare. She’d need a witness. Or perhaps she had spent several days willing the lockdown to be over, and was so successful that she’s fooled herself into thinking we’re in late June. Perhaps. But I suspect this is also wide of the mark.
Cold water swimming and wild swimming have been all the rage during the pandemic. Maybe they were popular before, but lacking the publicity. I don’t know. What I do know, is that I find cold water swimming as appealing as self-immolation, parachute-less skydiving and crocodile wrestling. It’s not my cup of tea.
I didn’t chat to the lady, but I have a sneaky feeling that she’s new to this cold water swimming lark. She marched up to the water full of confidence and dipped her toes in the water. But her confidence drained away as quickly as her body heat. She got knee deep, then backed out, arms shaking. She steeled herself, and walked back in. She got waist deep this time, before again retreating.
She walked tenderly along the shoreline, perhaps hoping to find a warm spot. She stared at the water. I continued my walk. And eventually she disappeared from view, still standing at the edge of the water.
The Mexile 
Perhaps you could Edith the firsth word and delete myne?
In the 70’s and 80’s my Californian aunt Peg adored going to the beach. Once she arrived she shed her clothing, donned her swim suit and cap and dived into the frigid Irish Sea. After twenty minutes of whizzing around she strode out like a rather plump Ursula Andreas with a conch and just as quickly dived back in. Mum said it was a smelly old thing and shoved it into a plastic bag. I never saw it again! She always said that the Irish Sea was a lot warmer than the ocean in California
My aunt was a trail blazer of sorts, when she was very young she joined a convent in England and after several years decided it wouldn’t work for her she left and became a photographer for an Irish newspaper. But wagging tongues got to her and on a whim she went to New York. In the forty or so years afterwards she married three times.
She was very lucky at the casinos and paid for forty one European vacations with her winnings. On one of those trips won a bundle on ladies day at Ascot with her three sisters.
She was a hoot!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s funny how ocean currents turn warm parts of the world that should be cold. You know that if the UK were flipped to the south Atlantic at the equivalent latitude, we’d have icebergs out in the bay, not just cruise liners. And of course, when Mrs P and I go to Chicago/Milwaukee to see her mum, we head south. You’d not guess that from the change in weather in December.
Your aunt does sound a hoot. Sure she didn’t inspire the Hangover movies?.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wait, I have done exactly as the lady in the photo. Usually at the start of my beach outings here in April, or at the end of the summer season. I dip my toes in, then, “knee deep, then backed out, arms shaking. She steeled herself, and walked back in. She got waist deep this time, before again retreating.” Yup, I resemble that remark 😬
I even then walk along the shoreline, but not so tenderly because I’m freezing! 🤣
LikeLike
You’re both substantially hardier than I. I stand a good distance away, fully dressed and still shiver just at the thought of the water temperature.
LikeLike
Thing look so much different from a distance. Spy glasses come in handy.
LikeLike