Crazy swimming project

While swimming this morning, I was thinking about a 16th C swimming treatise (as one does) and thought it would be really fun to try and recreate all the instructions. The electronic version I have access to does not include the illustrations, so someone needs to make this information available to the broader medieval recreation ist swimming public, right?

It feels a bit like redacting a recipe book. I cook a lot so can usually translate medieval instructions into useable modern recipes. I swim a lot, so why not do the same with swimming instructions? I have tried doing almost all the things in the treatise already, so it’s just a matter of matching technique and instruction, then recording clips of it all. There will be a couple of other anachronisms besides electronic recordings: there are virtually no records of women swimming, and the images of swimmers (male and female) show them either naked or in underwear. I‘ll wear my modern suit (maybe with a short chemise over top). I may even use a cap and goggles.

I need a new project like I need a hole in the head, but at at least it is one that is time bound (will need to be done outdoors while the weather is warm), and doesn’t require bringing more stuff into my house.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Shedding junk in my work space

Image
I probably shouldn’t use my bedroom as my workspace, but it is big, with two large windows and a little balcony. Plus, I share the open-concept main floor with my daughter, who is doing her university courses on-line, so we often need to be in different areas to be able to concentrate to conversations on our computers. My bedroom is also my favourite crafting space, and it is where we store things that need to go to the charity shop, So it can get pretty junky if I’m not disciplined (and frequently I am not - have you ever met a crafter who didn’t have a stash or two of yarn, fabric, or whatever?). Today, though, I made a serious effort to deal with both my bedroom and my back-up work space, the kitchen. I took down my old curtains and hardware an installed a new rod and curtains that have been sitting in the bedroom since I bought them before Christmas. Now the stepladder, the curtains, miscellaneous screwdrivers, and the storage bags can go away, while the old curtains and hardwa
Read more

The COVID-19 new normal?

Image
I went to my second-last swim practice for a while. There was more social distancing than usual as we didn’t all crowd into the showers afterwards - opting instead to wait our turn while talking about measures being taken in our workplaces. That’s when you realize just how complicated running an economy can be. One colleague works in government procurement so her office is scrambling to acquire everything from medical equipment to additional secure bandwidth so employees across the country can work from home. Friends from the barn where Fancy lives have posted that there are lots more walkers on the streets and hiking trails. It appears that families are looking for things to do that allow social distancing while getting some exercise, especially for the kids. The introvert on the hiking trails found it a little crowded for her comfort, but the extrovert said the neighbourhood felt much friendlier than usual as everyone passed greetings as they walked. Local media are even starting t
Read more

The World Without Us - Thoughts for Earth Day

Image
I walked down the street to get take-out food tonight for the Wednesday Canadian Kitchen Party in support of Canadian restaurants (it’s happening again next week on Facebook, with some well-known Canadian musicians - join if you can). It was at the end of what would normally be rush hour, and it was eerie. There were few cars and fewer pedestrians. I could hear leaves rustling along the street, papers flapping on a construction site and even the sounds of bicycle chains against the gears as cyclists went by. There were lots of bird songs on a street where birds are rarely heard (though over the years I have spotted a woodpecker and a sharpshinned hawk). The sky was clear. It got me thinking about The World Without Us, by Alan Weisman. It’s a frightening but beautiful exploration of the earth’s recuperative powers after various disasters that take humans out of the equation. As I work towards next steps for my own staff, and for development assistance programming in hard-hit countries
Read more