You want to do W H A T ?????

"I'm going to swim January 1." It's an Argelès tradition that a few crazies participate in a quick dip at 10:30 on New Years Day.

Thus with the air temperature at 2°C (a dite over 32 F) and the water at 15°C (just under 60 F) we were at the beach.

Rick enjoys a hot cup of tea prior to his dip.

Our friends P&P, H and their dog Rossi were there to route him on. (Rossi has a starring role in my just completed but not yet accepted novel Murder in Ely.) Neighbours Alain, Sylvie, Phillippe and the dogs Tintin and Muffin were also there. We even saw the dog butt that starts each Downton Abbey but I doubt it was the same dog.

 A few people went in before the crowd.

 Hot chocolate was given free to anyone who was dripping wet, but the rest had to pay

Rick is dripping wet after his swim. What is the worse that could happen, we asked: drowning, frostbite, pneumonia...a great experience???? We'll go with the latter.

He even got a diploma for his efforts. The videos I shot will be on Rick's http://lovinglifeineurope.blogspot.fr/ blog. That I actually videod him is almost as amazing as his dip since with the sun, I couldn't see anything I was shooting.