I did it! I was able to find a pool and swim while in Rome!!
Many thanks to all who made suggestions. Glenn, swimmersguide.com was very helpful.
I showed the listing to the Concierge at the hotel. He only recognized Roman Sport Center at Villa Borghese. He called to double check and made sure I knew that a guest pass was 26 Euro. That is pretty high, even for a full day pass, but I really needed to swim. The Concierge also warned me that the Sport Center is underground. When you approach, it seems you are going into an underground parking garage. The facility is very nice. The pool is 25 m with 5 lanes, with lane lines but no flags. When I arrived there were 1 or 2 in each lane - none were very fast. I picked a likely lane mate, and it worked out well, even when a third person joined us. Everyone was very polite, swam in circles, and let you pass on the turns.
I finished up with the hot tub, but I didn't use the weight room. There was also a water aerobics class going on when I arrived (the pool was L shaped). I took a taxi to the pool, but did the 25 minute walk back to the hotel. It was a great outing. The person at the desk when I entered spoke some English, but no one else. I did my best to at least greet people and thank them in Italian. It was a unique experience.
I did it! I was able to find a pool and swim while in Rome!!
Many thanks to all who made suggestions. Glenn, swimmersguide.com was very helpful.
I showed the listing to the Concierge at the hotel. He only recognized Roman Sport Center at Villa Borghese. He called to double check and made sure I knew that a guest pass was 26 Euro. That is pretty high, even for a full day pass, but I really needed to swim. The Concierge also warned me that the Sport Center is underground. When you approach, it seems you are going into an underground parking garage. The facility is very nice. The pool is 25 m with 5 lanes, with lane lines but no flags. When I arrived there were 1 or 2 in each lane - none were very fast. I picked a likely lane mate, and it worked out well, even when a third person joined us. Everyone was very polite, swam in circles, and let you pass on the turns.
I finished up with the hot tub, but I didn't use the weight room. There was also a water aerobics class going on when I arrived (the pool was L shaped). I took a taxi to the pool, but did the 25 minute walk back to the hotel. It was a great outing. The person at the desk when I entered spoke some English, but no one else. I did my best to at least greet people and thank them in Italian. It was a unique experience.
