In the UK, unless you swim in a public pool with chemicals constantly cleaning the water, it’s called ‘Wild Swimming’. For instance, if someone pops into a river or a lake and swims about. In Australia, that’s just swimming. No need for the ‘Wild’ bit. And it’s the same here, in Sweden. If you were to mention to a Swede that swimming out into a lake was ‘wild’ they’d put their head on the side and ask you to explain.
That was possibly the main feature of today: Mirinda went for a swim in a nearby lake. It was at the end of a lovely walk. She suggested we take tea in a flask (rum for me) to have after her swim. Which she would have after our walk.
Gisesjön is in the Nynäs Nature Reserve and is gloriously beautiful, particularly from Prince Alexander’s Viewpoint.
The walk around the lake, through ancient forest, is amazing, particularly at the end of a sun-drenched day. In fact, sitting with a drink as the sun slowly sinks, spreading sunset light over the water of the lake, is pretty close to heaven. As I said to Mirinda “I never want to leave this.”
As we sat drinking in both the view and our drinks, we watched another couple, far off at a rock that reached into the lake. He appeared to be reading a map while she stripped down to her swimmers and gradually lowered herself into the water before swimming off.
One of the things Mirinda has wondered was how people find a rock that allows for exit as well as entrance. Today she went in from the small beach below the lookout but other times she has had a problem finding purchase on submerged rocks. The woman in the distance showed how it was done.
She ignored the tempting sloped rock that goes straight into the lake. Instead, she scrambled down towards a rock pool where she sat before slowly dropping completely into the lake. After her swim, she merely lifted herself back into the rock pool and gradually made her way back up.
Of course, Mirinda just walked up the beach.
Given how much Jud loves a swim, we wondered if it will be warm enough for him when they arrive in a fortnight. If he’s game, this is a great place to submerge.
