Today I braved the
drizzle, (forgot my towel, headed back to my chambre-de-bonne, collected
my towel), & made it to the swimming pool.
I'd promised myself
that I would get into some kind of regular exercise routine, and
buying a new swimming costume (it's not quite as bright as this in real life!) was the guarantee that I would have to get my money's worth in the
pool!
At a 15 or so minute walk away, I picked a municipal pool which promised it would only be a €3 swim at the full rate, and about €1.70 for a student in Paris - one just off the rather
lovely street of Le Boulevard St. Germain in the hope that the pool
might be a little nicer!
In the grey rain, I
walked past two famous cafes, Les Deux Magots and Cafe de Flore which
I've seen already on postcards during my compulsive browsing of
papeterie shops & newspaper stands for cards to send home! Wikipedia does a
better job of detailing the historical importance of this boulevard,
but after my philosophy studies I was happy to see a square named
after Sartre and De Beauvoir (this Haussmannian street was the centre
of left-bank life and Existentialist thought - De Beauvour, Sartre, Hemingway & other literary heavy-weights frequented these cafes).
The swimming pool was
great! The water wasn't too cold, the staff not too bemused when I
asked if it was obligatory to wear a swim cap & then
blurted out: “this is completely new to me, I'm English!”. After
a shortish swim, I exited & the increasingly bemused staff told
me that the swim was free. As to whether it was free simply for me,
or free in general, I am still none the wiser.
I wandered back after
a brief browsing round some 'librairies', 'papeteries' and Gap. The
road has some lovely shops, from Emporio Armani to children's toy
shops - so check them out if you have the chance.
Delighted with my new discovery!
More about the Cafe de Flore and Les Deux Magots when I (hopefully) pay them a visit!
À Bientôt!
x
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