I am about to head to Paris for two months. (I know, I know, rough duty.) Staying in the Marais district, 4th Arrondissement. Have never been. Has anyone ever swum in Paris? I don't really need Masters' workouts, as I swim alone mostly. Just need access to pool for workout purposes. Eager for insights if you got 'em. Thanks!
I am about to head to Paris for two months. (I know, I know, rough duty.) Staying in the Marais district, 4th Arrondissement. Have never been. Has anyone ever swum in Paris? I don't really need Masters' workouts, as I swim alone mostly. Just need access to pool for workout purposes. Eager for insights if you got 'em. Thanks!
As a competitive swimmer who lived in Paris for three years, I can tell you that attempting to practice as a fairly advanced swimmer is a tremendous challenge. Paris has a deceptively long list of pools, but pretty much each one is only open at certain hours of the day (for example, 7-8 AM, 12-1 PM, 7-9 PM) which means that everyone is piling in to the pool at the same time. Add to this the fact that many Parisians apparently enjoy a leisurely swim workout (mostly dry-hair breaststroke with a kick that spans the entire width of the lane), so the pools can get extremely crowded. In particular, I'd avoid the pool in the St. Germain district which is nearly impossible to swim in.
Lane etiquette is also something to watch out for. In Paris, people who are resting at the wall normally tend to wait until you approach - and then they push off to start swimming. This can be annoying and detrimental to your workout if you swim more than 25 meters at a time. People will also get aggressive if you do flipturns while they are waiting at the wall. They often refuse to let you have some room at the wall to continue your set. It can also be difficult to pass slower swimmers due to the number of other people in your lane - I finally started swimming underneath of them to pass when I could.
Another potential culture shock could be that some pools have co-ed showers. Most of the pools also have co-ed locker rooms but you have your own private changing room. After you change into your suit and get ready to head to the pool, you will have to step through a mini-pool of standing water for "sanitation" purposes. The water is apparently chlorinated, but the number of people dipping their feet in the same pool of water, chlorinated or not, makes me question the original hygienic purpose of having it there in the first place!
After putting up with this for awhile, I finally decided to join a swim team. It wasn't perfect, but there were less people in the pool and I was lucky enough to be able to do my own workouts. You might be able to temporarily join a team for the two months that you are there. Here's a list of the clubs in Paris: paris.ffnatation.fr/.../annuaire.php
I would recommend visiting a few pools and figuring out which ones are least crowded, and which would work for you.
Other than the difficult swimming scene, Paris is a lovely city that I enjoy returning to as often as I can! If you're in the Marais, I recommend Etamine Cafe - delicious food and very friendly service :) Enjoy your time in the city!
Julia Galan
www.swimspire.com
I am about to head to Paris for two months. (I know, I know, rough duty.) Staying in the Marais district, 4th Arrondissement. Have never been. Has anyone ever swum in Paris? I don't really need Masters' workouts, as I swim alone mostly. Just need access to pool for workout purposes. Eager for insights if you got 'em. Thanks!
As a competitive swimmer who lived in Paris for three years, I can tell you that attempting to practice as a fairly advanced swimmer is a tremendous challenge. Paris has a deceptively long list of pools, but pretty much each one is only open at certain hours of the day (for example, 7-8 AM, 12-1 PM, 7-9 PM) which means that everyone is piling in to the pool at the same time. Add to this the fact that many Parisians apparently enjoy a leisurely swim workout (mostly dry-hair breaststroke with a kick that spans the entire width of the lane), so the pools can get extremely crowded. In particular, I'd avoid the pool in the St. Germain district which is nearly impossible to swim in.
Lane etiquette is also something to watch out for. In Paris, people who are resting at the wall normally tend to wait until you approach - and then they push off to start swimming. This can be annoying and detrimental to your workout if you swim more than 25 meters at a time. People will also get aggressive if you do flipturns while they are waiting at the wall. They often refuse to let you have some room at the wall to continue your set. It can also be difficult to pass slower swimmers due to the number of other people in your lane - I finally started swimming underneath of them to pass when I could.
Another potential culture shock could be that some pools have co-ed showers. Most of the pools also have co-ed locker rooms but you have your own private changing room. After you change into your suit and get ready to head to the pool, you will have to step through a mini-pool of standing water for "sanitation" purposes. The water is apparently chlorinated, but the number of people dipping their feet in the same pool of water, chlorinated or not, makes me question the original hygienic purpose of having it there in the first place!
After putting up with this for awhile, I finally decided to join a swim team. It wasn't perfect, but there were less people in the pool and I was lucky enough to be able to do my own workouts. You might be able to temporarily join a team for the two months that you are there. Here's a list of the clubs in Paris: paris.ffnatation.fr/.../annuaire.php
I would recommend visiting a few pools and figuring out which ones are least crowded, and which would work for you.
Other than the difficult swimming scene, Paris is a lovely city that I enjoy returning to as often as I can! If you're in the Marais, I recommend Etamine Cafe - delicious food and very friendly service :) Enjoy your time in the city!
Julia Galan
www.swimspire.com
