Poolside Percy

My compañero and I are on another thrilling adventure. Here's the challenge: to gain access and swim in this private and abandoned looking sea pool in Puerto de la Cruz.   The pool is 'owned' by the vast hotel which overlooks it. To get to the entrance we take a twenty minute walk down a steep road. The only access from here is down some steps which are barred by a large, locked steel gate. I'm up for climbing over but my compañero isn't too sure, she may be brave and cheeky but she's not stupido. What we gonna do? At this point a German tourist strolls up the hill, looks at us, says 'Guten morgen', produces a card from her pocket, inserts it in to the lock and opens the gate for us. What a stroke of glücklich. We're in. We're immediately greeted by danger signs in three different languages and a warning that we're in a zona videovigilada. Great, place to ourselves then I reckon.   We make our way down the crumbling steps. ...

'Walk in like you own the place' is her advice. I'm visiting an old amigo in downtown Santa Cruz. She teaches English to Spanish kids in a local school. She's agreed to accompany me on an errant swimming quest, to visit as many pools in an afternoon before we get bored, cold or arrested for trespassing. Rules: pool must be entered with a dive; one length each; climb out of the pool, no steps; have fun. So, taking not much more than the spirit of adventure with us, we set out on our merry quest.   Piscina uno: Canarife Palace We stroll in unchallenged. Easy, facile, peasy. Pool is unheated and deserted.     Dos: Bonanza Palace A mismo, ídem. Place to ourselves.     Tres: Hotel Teide-Mar Warm and curvy.     Quatro: Hotel Semiramis   Five star hotel with boring unheated pool. Think saga holidays.     Cinqo: Bella Vista Apartments   Reminds us of the penguin pool at London Zoo. Our favou...

I've been hanging out at the outdoor Olympic sized swimming pool, home of Club Natación Martiánez. It's a decent jog, most of it downhill, from my hotel to the pool. Entrance fee is only €2.50, I wonder what Spanish is for bargain? It's lunchtime so the pool is pretty deserted. I get changed quickly and bag myself a lane. I swim 30 glorious lengths in the warm water under the sunny Tenerife sky. Bliss. As I finish the pool quickly starts to fill up with the kings and queens of siestas. A kids' swimming lesson starts in lane eight and lane one is now an aqua disco kick your legs thing. The place literally comes alive. I thank myself for making the effort and start my jog back up the hill to my hotel. Half way up the hill I spy this amazing sight, a piscina del mar. I must swim there. The only problem is that it's private and looks abandoned. I shall return soon for a proper look/adventure.

Greetings from Las Islas Canarias. Working holiday. I'm with DW who unfortunately has a cast on his leg, no swimming for him then. The harp shaped 'heated' hotel pool is not heated, the water temperature is similar to The Lido in June or July. No-one uses the hotel pool apart from me.

The men's pond in the very early 1900s, 'boatman' Walter May is on the right: Water temp: 4 degrees It's a bit bloody windy this morning. Despite the gales I managed a respectable Parkrun time this morning. All my favourite people were there so it's been a fab day so far. I'm off to the ponds with Northern Swimmer Lites Graham and Dan. Graham has shot ahead with his new playmate Charlie. I bore Dan by extolling the virtues of my shock stopper heel pads. It's a brief but exhilarating swim. We're all as high as a proverbial kites. I'm going to Tenerife tomorrow for some warmer outdoor swims.

Water temp: 4 degrees Lunchtime dash and dip. Lovely sunny afternoon in Hampstead, bit windy cold, but it is February after all. Not a soul in sight (apart from the lifeguards) as I make my way across the pond. 'Tis great to be alive you know, I think I should reread Pondlife very soon, I need some inspiration. My stint of working in Hampstead is coming to an end tomorrow. I feel I have made the most of The Heath and The Men's Pond. Will hopefully return tomorrow. Looking forward to spring and having swum right through the winter. Could get colder.

Me at The Men's Pond Primrose Hill Me at The Serpentine  Match report from Katie entirely surrounded by water Many thanks to Jonathon and Will. Great photos from @iciclepete

Monday morning delights with The Swimmer regulars Graham and Dan, aka The Northern Lights (Winter is Coming). We meet up in Fleet Road. Graham immediately asks bewildered strangers if they want to come swimming over the ponds with us. Come to think of it, that's how I met Graham in the first place. We run to the top of Parliament Hill then onwards and upwards to The Spaniards, Kenwood and our first port of calling, The Men's Pond. Lifeguard Dan waves at me from the warmth and sanity of his hut as I tiptoe across the jetty. Swimmer Dan wastes no time getting in the water closely followed by Graham. Last again. I perform my customary, if not legendary, sprint to the perimeter rope, pausing briefly to take in the beauty of it all, then return to shore in a huffy-puffy-breaststroke kind of way. We're not satisfied with one swim so it's off to The Lido. Water temperature? It's a balmy 5 degrees, cool. Dan's in first again. Graham and I opt for a maj...

Water temp: 4 degrees It's another beautiful Saturday morning on Hampstead Heath and another Parkrun under my generous belt. GB is busy being a run director so I head off for adventures with Dan and James from The Swimmer. There are a lot of people milling about the changing rooms as it's Ladies' Day at The Men's Pond. My hands are already numb from walking gloveless across The Heath. Dan is in first, speeding off to the perimeter rope and he's back before I've had time to put on my swimming cap. Without any time to reflect on what I'm doing, I'm in the water heading towards the rope, my poor hands aching in the cold water. I'm struggling to find a stroke, the jetty looks miles away. However, I'm enjoying the beautiful surroundings and I'm disappointed when I reach the jetty where I'm greeted by the all-smiling Dan. Despite my numb fingers I quickly change and help myself to corporation croissants and a slab of marb...