First day back in the pool today but unlike the last time I hadn’t been swimming for a while, I decided that this time I wasn’t going to dive straight in (so to speak) and attempt mega laps. So, today I floated, stretched, kicked, changed strokes and did half a mile, plus the obligatory double dilapidated moth. It was lovely to get back into the water, it’s an all-around sensory pleasure. Submerged in this strange substance that envelops your body and makes you weightless, it really is a magic fluid. I basked in it, sank into its arms, and let it embrace me, I dived below the surface and raised myself up back into the oxygen, took a deep breath and dove down again, brushing the ultramarine blue at the bottom of the pool. Refreshed, invigorated and the whole pool to myself, what a luxury afternoon.

(Yes, Americans tend to say dove, Brits dived.)

On the way, I walked my usual route across Marquês park but the last couple of days the stone tables have been surrounded by old men watching other old men play cards. I’ve seen the players here before but not the surrounding spectators. Who are they? Other players? Friends? It really was the feeling of Southern Europe, a warm day in the summer in the park, septuagenarians and octogenarians but probably sexagenarians too, although I try not to think too hard about that.

I forgot to mention yesterday’s T-shirt watch. First, it was a ten-year-old in a Guns N’ Roses shirt and then a twenty-something in an AC/DC shirt followed by a forty-something in a Foo Fighters shirt and a fifty-something in an Ozzy Osborne shirt. I wasn’t quite sure what the wearer ages in relation to the shirts they chose to wear was telling me, but one thing is for sure, kids like noise. I don’t suppose anybody has ever wondered about the apostrophe in Guns N’ Roses, that would be pedantic, but (haha) in the case of rock & roll, it’s usually rock & roll or rock ‘n’ roll, so if there’s a rule there somewhere isn’t Guns N’ Roses missing an apostrophe? Who knew they were grammar rebels?

After the pool, I had three seshes, Craig in Atlanta, Fred in Minneapolis, Noel in Surrey and then Serena and Ajla in New York. Also, today is the first episode of the much anticipated Lord Of The Rings series. I’ll be hoping to watch that this weekend. I haven’t watched House of the Dragon because I stopped watching Game of Thrones (one too many decapitations and overall cruelty over dinner). The reviews have said that this lavish production is amazing, but who reads reviews?

Music today has been Aftermath (1966), The Stones‘ fourth British and sixth US studio album. Like The Beatles, the UK and US albums were not the same releases till later. Which reminds me in the shower today was a beetle and I thought, the only way it can survive is if it goes back down the drain. It was on the other side of the changing room, but suddenly it was by my feet and I helped it down, to save its life, an escape route to the outside world.

Music Of The Daze