Swimming in the Med.

One of the most wonderful things about sailing around the Greek Islands was the opportunity to swim in many beautiful bays along the way. The landscape was always stunning; sometimes it was stark and barren and at other times it was green and verdant. The water, however, was always reliable with clear colours of turquoise and azure and a perfect temperature. The most breathtaking part was the visibility - at one time we were in a bay where the depth was thirty metres and we could see right to the bottom.

Traveller and RF are still in training; this time training for a 3/4 triathlon which starts with an ocean swim in freezing Cornwall. They used their time in the bays to explore and then to complete some swimming training, goggles and all. The salt levels in the Mediterranean make you unbelievably buoyant; there is no struggle to float and you feel like an Olympic swimmer with each stroke. We swam around 2-4 kilometres each day and barely broke a sweat; it was the most satisfying swimming that T has ever completed and was hands down the most beautiful group of islands T has ever visited.It's going to be hard getting back in chlorine-filled, pool water!

30.

The age 30 is quite a milestone.

For some, it can be an age that comes exactly as they have all their so-called ducks in a row.

For others, it can be a flashing beacon highlighting all the ducks that aren't in a row... or anywhere near a row, for that matter.

For Traveller, it was a very good excuse to get together her lovely London friends and enjoy a weekend in sunny Spain.

Last weekend, T and a few friends headed to Majorca (in the Balearic islands) for four nights of sun, surf and yummy Mediterranean food. T and RF spent many hours trying to find the best possible spot in Majorca and together they found a villa in Cala Santanyi which was beyond perfect and close to many beautiful, sometimes secluded, beaches.

One of the best moments was when they saw the villa for the first time and spent quite a few minutes jumping around, ecstatic at how pretty it was (it even had a pool which lit up at night!).








Another was the amazing fresh produce we found at the local farmers' markets - there was an endless supply of fresh fruit, vegetables and cheese.









The beaches were, needless to say, phenomenal.
Traveller and her friends spent the majority of their time swimming and laying by the beautiful beaches.



The most memorable moment?
A late night game of Marco Polo and Battleships and Submarines in the pool - fully clothed.

If the weekend in Majorca is any indication - 30 is going to be the best decade yet!

Tri-hard.

Traveller has come to the realisation that she may be, well, just a little crazy.

Scratch that.

She's definitely a little crazy.

You see, she has signed up for a sprint-triathlon; a race which requires her to swim, cycle and run one after the other.

The run is definitely manageable; at only 5k, it's much less than the half-marathon she completed last year. She's trying not to think about the fact that this will mean that people will be running quickly, leaving Traveller for dust.

The swim's distance (750m) is not too bad; T is a little nervous, however, about drowning at the hands of crazed triathletes who may swim over her, dunk her or pull her little ankles. T's watched women's water polo - she knows what girls can be like in the water!

The ride, however, is a major cause for concern. Problem number one being that Traveller doesn't even own a bike! Problem number two: at twenty kilometers, it is the longest leg of the competition and T's least-experienced-area.

Other matters keeping Traveller up at night:

sports bras under a swim suit - yes or no?
{she's thinking yes}

dry off or start cycling wet?
{brr!}

bike pants over swimmers in water?
{remember afore mentioned drowning concerns...}

and

How will T's little legs even be able to run after riding for twenty kilometers?!

It should be interesting.

Luckily, T has a few months to prepare (the race isn't until May 22nd) and she's already thinking about how bikini ready she'll be by summer...
there has to be some benefit to all these hours of training, right?

Anyone out there crazy enough to have completed one of these races before? Do tell!

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London for a Fiver: Swimming with Ducks

Hampstead Heath is one of Traveller's favourite spots in London.

It is a vast expanse of gorgeous green fields and once arriving you feel completely out of the city.

The Heath has various bathing ponds; and, as the weather in London reached 'hot' this weekend, T and RF headed to the Heath in search of a tan and a swim.

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We picnicked, swam and enjoyed the sunshine.

The water, however, was beyond freezing!

The screams coming from the pond should have been enough to warn Traveller, however, sometimes she likes to think she's tougher than she is...

Let's just say it took about five minutes to regain all feeling in her hands and feet.

{too cold..too cold}

The best part? The pond only charges £2 - so it is a beautiful and affordable day out!