Aegean to Coniston in Two Days!
September 9, 2013 3:53 pmLast week we spent the week swimming in the beautiful blue Aegean sea around the Greek Island of Thassos where my parents live.
The beaches were lovely with idyllic white sands and deep blue sea. One day we hired a powerboat (practice for driving the safety boats at Harthill) and took off around the coast, dropping the anchor on a secluded beach which could only be accessed by boat and diving in to the clear waters with our snorkels 🙂
The waters were clear, blue and warm although there were hidden dangers in the form of very spiky sea urchins, the spines of which are still embedded in my right foot. We swam at Golden Beach, Tarsanis Sands, Skala Potatamia, Skala Marion, Pefkari Beach an unnamed beach which was deserted and we found out why when we tried to enter the water over the painful rocks hiding the even more painful sea urchins.
Sadly our week in the Aegean sea had to come to an end and we returned home on Friday. However the adventure did not end there as the very next day we repacked our things and set off to the English Lake District to accompany our friend Leon Fryer on his challenge to swim the length of Coniston. This was a swim in memory of a little girl who sadly lost her life and a tribute to her life.
Two days ago we were in warm waters, when we got to Coniston and checked the temperature it was reading 15.5 degrees. I would normally find that quite acceptable for a swim and didn’t realise quite how quickly I had become accustomed to warmer climes. We grabbed a quick buttie in the cafe next to the boat centre, got changed and hired a little electric boat for the day as our support boat. (£90 from Coniston Boating Centre)
As we were just a little down the coast from the end of the lake, Leon swam from there to the top (adding around a third of a mile to his distance). We then set off at a gentle pace for the boat and Leon’s speed averaging just under 30 minutes per mile. He kept up a good pace for the long distance down the lake to the bottom, passing sailing boats, kayakers and the steamer on his way. Towards the end of the swim I had plucked up the courage to join him and maybe even help encourage him along. Wetsuit clad I jumped off the boat and swam along for a very short distance before realising that I am very out of practice with wearing the wetsuit to swim after the freedom of the warm water. I decided to get back on board the boat which was extremely difficult and not at all gracious!
As Leon neared the end of the lake the cold, distance and waves from passing boats was taking its toll and I decided to join him again for the short swim to the jetty at the end where the boat was going to pick him up (no climbing on board needed, thankfully!)
It was a tremendous achievement for Leon, a tribute to Olivia and a shock to the system for me.