Fran on Holidays last year

Fran on Holidays last year
Vino at Mercatello

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Arriving at La Maddelena

The fun has begun . Swim trek has started.

Our  hotel is fine. Just by the sea about a Km out of the town . 
View from the hotel

Beautiful bay views

Our terrace

We met the group last night and had a dinner together with our guides Francesco and Glenn. Let me describe.
Three couples from Sydney. One couple from London. All friends. Turns out there are multi coincidences. They are ex-water polo players (with their wives) from Sydney Uni and although in their 50's know Rob from Syd Uni water polo. Then turns out one of the ladies knows my sister Catherine as her children went to Catherine's school and even got the Library prize! Liz also knows my niece Helen because they swim together at Bronte swim club where they live!
So many coincidences from the Sydney crew.
The others are Emily - 30's from UK; Clare - 30's from Canada, Isabella - 30's a Swiss doctor. All 3 have done swim treks before. In fact there are 3 doctors, a nurse and a radiographer, so medically we are fine.
Then there are 3 brothers one from Paris,one from London and last from California - they are half French and range from 30-40. All married, but on a brothers bonding week. This is there 3rd swim trek. Last swimmer is the class clown Chris from London. Very funny, very pale and now quite red from sunburn .

We started with a 300m test swim, to group us. I got a yellow hat! Then breakfast and we were given our hats. I'm naturally in the slowest group with Isabella and Liz. So off we went for our 1.7 km swim around the beautiful bays to our picnic spot - an unused convent only reached by swimming or by boat. Had lunch and rested and wandered around then at 2.30 we set off for a 4 km swim. I cleverly stayed on the rubber duckie with Francesco and dropped in half way through the swim. We finished at a jetty then had to dress and walk 2-3 km back to our hotel. Talk about tired! And it's only day 1! Poor Chris our one Englishman -turns out he is a very good swimmer but so pale he burns easily . He has burn marks on various parts of his pale skin.
Small local  beach for a little training!
When we finally got back to the hotel we had to swim 4 short laps by ourselves to be videotaped for analysis of our stroke! More swimming!

We cleaned up had an hour off then walked a km to our restaurant for dinner.
To bed by 10.30 and a Sunday sleep.

Tomorrow start at 7 am for a crossing from island to island.

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