#58 Serpentine Swim Club, Hyde Park, London, England

A quick trip to London was in order post Channel swim. Tim and I took the train up from Dover and stayed at the Marble Arch Marriott.  We walked through Hyde Park to Buckingham Palace and then met my friend Colby and Tim's friend Kevin at a pub and had some beers. I was craving some proper curry so it was off to some Indian. It was very good and my head sweated! Post dinner Tim and I grabbed a beer and bumped into two mates from the Water Buffalos.

I was up early the next morning to hit the Serpentine in Hyde Park the venue for open water swimming in the 2012 Olympics. Some investigative work beforehand led me to the Serpentine Swimming Club that meets between 6:00am-9:00am on week days. It's a club that has a very small co-ed changing room and a roped off area of the Serpentine that you can swim.  When arrived I found out from a nice elderly lady that  it was "membership only". Feeling a bit boastful I said I had swam the English Channel the day before and I was in need of cold water and she quickly registered me and took me to the changing room and introduced me around. Fame!  I then went for about a 45 minute swimming the Serpentine. Feedback from an elderly English woman said my entry into the water wasn't very graceful. 

Lots of swans milling about quite close up during the swim. Not ideal but a great swim nonetheless.

Cheers to the UK and open water swimming!