My fourth year of wild swimming

As I am writing this, I am looking forward to my seventh year of wild swimming. What started as a return to my love for summer continued as a part of me.

 

How was my fourth year of wild swimming?

 

Month no. 37 – August 2023

Lake Pădureni-Moacşa, Romania

After a fantastic 4-person (Maya, Pauli, Marcel, and I) canoe adventure, we swam for a bit in Lake Moacşa before rain started pouring.

 

Month no. 38 – September 2023

River Trebižat, Bosnia and Herzegovina

This is a hidden treasure of the Herzegovina region. We chose to paddle all the commercial sections by canoe. During a break, I had a terrific swim!

 

Month no. 39 – October 2023

Mamaia-Sat, Romania

We decided to give it a shot. That day was a summer day by the Black Sea. The sun was bright, the sea was welcoming, we were all smiles.

 

Month no. 40 – November 2023

Batroun, Lebanon

At the southern end of the Phoenician Wall, the Mediterranean gets calmer – you’ll find a pool to swim and snorkel, and the view is fabulous.

 

Month no. 41 – December 2023

Tyre, Lebanon

Yes, we were lucky to be able to swim somewhere warm at the end of 2023. Tyre was a place I dreamt of visiting ever since I was a child. Snorkelling by the ruins had also been a dream. Sadly, it is now a harassed city – by the southern neighbour. People were so relaxed and Mediterranean there; it’s a pity what global interests do to humanity.

 

Month no. 42 – January 2024

Spiaggia di Pescoluse, Italy

I thought swimming in Puglia would be easier, even in winter. It wasn’t, but we were alone on the beach… and it did have that special turquoise colour. It led to the ‘Le Maldive del Salento’ nickname.

Top 5 

 

Month no. 43 – February 2024

Hărman, Romania

A kind lady helped me complete February’s wild swim and provided access to her property, where the lakes are located. It was a very warm end of February (19°C, if I remember correctly). The water was cold, though, but Kara was there, and I couldn’t disappoint her.

 

Month no. 44 – March 2024

Feredee, Romania

We were on Marcel’s birthday trip, after sunset, in the mountains (Metaliferi Mountains, part of the Apuseni Mountains). Several Roman baths remain. We chose the farthest from the road and enjoyed it so much! We swam for about 20 minutes!

Top 5 

 

Month no. 45 – April 2024

Plage de La Mansourah, Tunisia

This beach in Kélibia exceeded all my expectations! It is wide, wild, and beautiful – one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve seen! And the waves were spectacular!

Top 3 (my second favourite) 

 

Month no. 46 – May 2024

Achmelvich Beach, Scotland

Long dreamed-of. Long-awaited. Easter Sunday. Icy water. But perfect in all aspects. And deliciously turquoise!

My favourite.

 

Month no. 47 – June 2024

St. George Branch, Romania

It was the end of our paddling day (we were on our way to Sf. Gheorghe from Mahmudia) and we needed to feel refreshed. So, we took a swim.

 

Month no. 48 – July 2024

Marmaritsa Beach, Greece

The sunset was almost there. I told Marcel: ‘I’m not going down that rope!’ Of course I eventually did, and I managed to climb it back, too. This beach was different from any other beach I’ve seen in Greece. I’ll always keep a fond memory of it.

Top 3 (my third favourite) 

 

I say that every year, but there have been many more swims (and I now have a brook and a river in my life, near my future home, where I swim whenever I feel like it, and I’m grateful for that). All in all, during my fourth year, I’ve had

 

6 swims in the sea (1*Ionian Sea, 1*Black Sea, 3*Mediterranean Sea, 1*Thracian Sea)

1 swim in the ocean (Atlantic Ocean)

2 swims in a river (Trebižat, Danube)

2 swims in a lake (Pădureni-Moacşa, Lempeş)

1 swim in a hot spring (Feredee)

 

I’ve had two of my most difficult swims this year due to the cold water, but I stuck to my promise and did them without neoprene. One was my January swim, in Italy (17°C in the air and windy; however, the sea temperature wasn’t above 7 or 8°C). I kept telling myself it was a torrid Puglia summer day of 40°C, and that’s how I got the courage to swim. The other one was my May swim, in Scotland. The ocean was very calm and probably even cooler than the Mediterranean in January (the Atlantic is such a cool ocean, anyway!). I survived! And I even survived the rope descent to Marmaritsa beach!

What are people capable of doing these days for a good swim!