Category: Swimming to China
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At the Cafe Mabillon
We are sitting under the awning of the Café Mabillon. It is raining in Paris. Not the gauzy rains depicted in the sofa-sized painting that hung in the French-Provincial style living room of my youth, but a torrential rain. With the awning fully extended, Diane and I are dry and snug as we sipped our…
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My Penn Station
In 1964, there were two main ways to travel from New York to Florida; by airplane or train. Airplane was of course the preferred mode. But if one traveled by train – there were two options: Seaboard and Atlantic Coast Lines (these were the days before Amtrak and the last gasp of private train companies).…
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Weekend in Latvia
It sounds like the title of a 1940’s movie, doesn’t it? But I did recently spent a few days in Latvia participating in the 1st Stage of the 2016-17 International Winter Swimming Association World Cup in Jelgava. The world of winter swimming is highly organized and there are events (in cold climes of course) from…
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Summering in 19th Century Russia
Not much swimming There is only one reference to swimming to Tolstoy’s War & Peace. It is when Prince Andrei returns to Bald Hills, his family estate, after battle. The French, under Napoleon, have devastated the countryside and the fields and houses have been plundered. The men in Prince Andrei’s outfit are exhausted and take…
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My Problem With Donald
In February I was invited to dinner by some high school friends. I wasn’t able to attend because I was going to be in Sweden for the Scandinavian Winter Swim Championships. I had planned this six months prior when I saw an ad for a $400 round trip flight to Stockholm. So I rounded up…
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Liberte! Égalité! et Fraternité! in Boynton Beach
My father called a few weeks back to tell me that the French government was going to give him an award for his World War II service. As I wanted to visit him – he had just moved into a new apartment – I figured the timing was right. I’m a somewhat responsible son though…
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Last Month
I did plan to post something to this blog last month – in April. And now here we are at the end of May. I was thinking of originally titling it “Last Sunday” and write about the last Sunday of the Coney Island Polar Bear Club winter season which ended on April 26. But like…
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Vermont – More than just a place where they make Cheddar Cheese
When most people go for a sporting weekend in Vermont in the middle of winter they pack skis, sleds, and snowshoes – all taking up a lot of space. But my sports equipment took up a small nylon bag consisting of a swimsuit, goggles, a cap and earplugs. That’s all that was needed to participate…
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The Excellent Adventure…
Welcome to Beijing As we were going to China to swim outdoors in the middle of winter it was appropriate that we were delayed one hour at Newark Airport by the first snow of the season as the plane was de-iced. After the 13 hour flight we were met at the airport by Regina, a…
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The Journey Begins…
There is a Russian tradition about leaving one’s home prior to a long journey. When all the bags are packed, the lights are off and your coat is on you take a seat with everyone in the house, close your eyes and spend a few moments relaxing. Diane and I will do this today. This…
Swimming to Jerusalem 