My trusted friend

Slight change of routine: back exercises, swimming, chanting ... my friend Paula (not an early bird!) and I usually chant together on a Friday morning around 9.30am which meant that I left the chanting to later.

All the better for getting to the Lido as early as 7.40am - mind you, I wasn't the first one! There was already lots of activity. One can always count on "The early brigade" - also known as "the 7am lot" to be getting their fix way before me!

The weather looked promising and I decided get my swimming, sauna, swimming as well as taking photos to a T today. I really got too cold yesterday!

I got a good 6 length swimming in before grabbing my camera. The water felt surprisingly "warm" although still at 13 degrees Celsius ... throwing arms and legs around in the water does make a difference, I guess :)

Also, what I had decided to do was to reacquaint myself with my Canon IXUS 70. I bought a water proof housing for it last year and had such fun with it. The results were superb!

It felt really good to be holding my trusted friend again! And off I went. It immediately felt so much easier to use than the mask - I could actually point at something and know that it's in frame! Time delay is still something to consider when catching an action shot... but with a bit of anticipation I am quite used to getting the shots I'm after.

Not many leaves in the pool today and not many swimmers either :)

Just caught Vince on his last lap! He's of to the Sauna while I prolonged gratification by having a play with the only leaves I could find.

We meet again in the Sauna and had are customary natter. All part of the schedule! However, the feel good formula would be incomplete if I didn't have another splish after the sauna.

Wow! that really is the best! Swimming another 2 lengths after sitting in 40+ degrees Celsius for 10-15 minutes! Now the rest of the day just simply flows

I have a plan

It is official. I NEED October to come along. Fast!

The quality of morning light at the Lido is just simply out of this world! I don't know what it is about this place? Simply enchanting. And, I'm itching like no body's business to take photos, photos, photos and some video footage of course.

Unless you swim here, you cannot image what it feels like to be gliding along and at each breath one takes to be catching a glimpse of the light reflecting on the surface of the water .... combined with the view of the famous multicoloured doors in the background. Stunning!

Last year I took underwater stills as well as video footage with my IXUS 70 - I had invested in an underwater housing specially designed for that model and got some really lovely stuff.

But what I was missing is being able to use it while swimming along.

For this year, I have a plan. I'm researching options right now and hope to be fully kitted out by the time October opens its doors to the world of Elizabeth's underwater photography :)

While I'm on to my to my next project, let me sign off with a taster of things to come.