The piscina at Villa Rossi Mattei in Arezzo

One week of our recent six-week sojourn in France, Italy and Spain was spent at the Villa Rossi Mattei in Arezzo,Tuscany. With the weather sunny and hot each day, it was great to be able to cool off in the villa's pool or piscina as the Italians would say.

Not everyone braved the water as it was a bit cold at first but as six-year-old Braden and almost five-year-old Patrick would say, "just jump in".  Once you were in the 7x14 metre piscina the water temperature was very pleasant.

It was a great way to revive after a day exploring one of the many hill-top towns nearby and historic places like Sienna and Assisi.

The pool area was also popular for a bit of reading and relaxing on the deckchairs and for enjoying a Prosecco or two as the sun set over the Tuscan hills.

Bronte baths featured in photographic exhibition

Tomorrow (2 July) is the last chance to catch an exhibition of photos taken at Sydney's Bronte Pool on show at the Iain Dawson Gallery in Paddington.

As the blurb says: "Wayne Fogden's painting-like photographs capture the quieter moments, in which lone swimmers do their laps or rest on the edge of the pool, pondering what lies beyond its walls."

I dropped into the exhibition during the week. While there's only 10 photos on display, if you are in the area they are worth a look. The Iain Dawson Gallery is at 445 Oxford Street, Paddington, near where Paddington Markets are held. 

Alternatively you can view the beautiful photos on the gallery website.

Blue skies and cumulus clouds over Leichhardt Pool

It was nice to see the sun return today after quite a few days of heavy rain.  Wet weather doesn't stop me heading to the pool as I love swimming in the rain. I particularly like the outdoor Leichhardt Park Aquatic Centre (LPAC) when it's raining as it's usually a nice temperature in the water. The other good thing about swimming in the rain is that only the diehards turn up so you are usually guaranteed a lane to yourself, which all lappers know is bliss.

It was lovely looking up at the spectacular cumulus clouds and bright blue sky at Leichhardt Pool this morning as I did a few laps of backstroke.

The sun glistening on the water also created some nice underwater shots.

Leichhardt Pool is at Mary Street Lilyfield, just near Leichhardt Oval and the bay run.

The healing waters of Moree's artesian baths

There’s lots of sitting, sunbaking and hanging around at Moree’s hot artesian baths in north-western NSW. The 38 and 40 degree pools are full of bodies; mainly ageing bodies seeking healing in the mineral rich artesian water.

Mature women mingle in their colourful cossies covering ample bosoms and broadening middles. Gold chains with crosses and emblems hang around their necks as they let the spray jets massage their arthritic limbs.

Their husbands with their hairy chests and moustaches are there too soaking up the curative powers of nature’s magic, and renewing friendships made from years of visiting the spa town.

The water in Moree's two spa pools is drawn from the Great Artesian Basin, 900 metres underground. The mineral rich artesian water was discovered by Canadians, Crawford and McCray in 1895.  While searching for a reliable source of irrigation water, they sunk a bore into the Great Artesian Basin.

Soon after, 2,700,000 litres of hot water gushed from a depth of 951 metres, flooding nearby stores and the newly constructed Victoria Hotel which still stands across from the pool today.  Following the sinking of the bore, a makeshift pool surrounded with railway sleepers was constructed so that residents could start 'taking to the waters.'

The natural artesian mineral waters are believed to have curative powers. Just ask Ana Bulic, who moved to Moree with her husband and two sons 27 years ago to be near the spa baths. Born in the former Yugoslavia, Ana says spending time in the hot water takes all her tiredness away and makes her feel very light, alive and energetic.

"I've had two hip replacements and a knee replacement," says Ana. "If I didn't come here I'd be bent over and terrible. But now I am like a 15-year-old!"

Stayed tuned for more on the history of Moree's artesian baths and meet the 'bard of the baths'.

The last days of Petersham Pool

All the regulars were at Petersham Pool this morning. Many of them were having their last swim before it closes on Sunday. They were also enjoying the pool in its original state, possibly for the last time. While plans are not yet approved, it is envisaged that over winter Marrickville Council will redevelop the nearly 50-year-old complex.

The locals admit their pool, officially called the Fanny Durack Aquatic Centre after the gold-medal winning local, is in need of some work. At the same time they say they will miss the unpretentious, 'daggy' place, which opened in September 1962.

Lu Bell, who has lived in Petersham all her life, started swimming there in 1965 after returning home from a number of years backpacking around the world and living in Canada.  She remembers the days when there would be queues of people lined up in Petersham Park waiting to get into the pool.

With her family well-connected with the local council, in the late 60s and during the 70s Lu had a key to the pool. This enabled her to swim at 5am each morning before heading off to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital where she worked  as a medical secretary. 

"My parents were very keen Labor people. There was only Labor here in those days - no Greens or Liberals. And so they knew councillors. I can't remember the opening time of the pool but it was a bit late so they gave me a key at the start of the season and I returned it at the end. They were different times and things change."

Petersham resident Matt O'Neill has been swimming at the pool in park since he and his wife moved to the suburb in 1975. His four children spent their childhood there. He says it was great having a pool so close. "You could just roll out of bed and head down. I remember one fellow used to walk down to the pool in his dressing gown.

"It's sort of hidden; people don't know it's here and we like it that way," says Matt.  "It is definitely one of the best pools in Sydney. It's so quiet and you can always get a lane to do your laps."

Joe from Summer Hill calls the pool paradise. He swims there seven days a week and loves gazing up into the large trees in Petersham Park that overlook the aquatic space. As he very leisurely breast-strokes up and down, the Portuguese-born 69-year-old says he expects to see monkeys in the trees.

Sunday is your last chance to experience this inner-west beauty. It may not be as peaceful as usual on Sunday as the council has organised an end of season open day with free admission (between 10am and 2pm), jumping castle and great family fun.

At the pool you can view plans for the upgrading which include reconfiguration of the existing 6-lane, 33-metre pool into an 8-lane, 25-metre pool. Other changes include a a new children's wading pool, new splash deck, a new cafe, modified landscaping and outdoor seating area with additional shade structures and introduction of a new filtration system. The pool's amenities and change facilities have already been refurbished and are very smart. Stay tuned.

Swim into history at Australia's heritage pools

A story I wrote on some of Australia's heritage pools entitled 'Treasured pearls of the past' is in the travel section of The Weekend Australian, 26-27 March, 2011.

The featured pools are Manuka Pool, Canberra, Spring Hill Baths, Brisbane, Tobruk Memorial Baths, Townsville, Wylie's Baths, Coogee, Newcastle Ocean Baths, Dawn Fraser Baths, Balmain, North Sydney Pool, Melbourne City Baths, Edithburgh Tidal Pool on South Australia's Yorke Peninsula, Fonty's Pool, Manjimup, WA and Anastasia's Pool at Gantheaume Point near Broome.

As I say in the story: "... these pearls of the past are full of history, character, artistry and atmosphere. They are living illustrations of the changing fashions of architecture and design.

"They also tell stories about the evolving role of pools in Australian society, from an early focus on hygiene and health, to sport, recreation and pleasure.

"Not all have survived the test of time but where they have they are much-loved and treasured."

Austinmer's double ocean baths

The Illawarra area, south of Sydney is blessed with many beautiful ocean baths. Between Coalcliff in the north to Shellharbour in the south there are around 24 pools built into rock faces by the sea.

One of these beauties is the double ocean pool at Austinmer. With my good friend Marg and her son Zac, I recently visited Austinmer's twin pools, which sit side-by-side at the south end of the beach. Built about 1919 and 1930, a concrete walkway connects them down the middle.

Mid-morning when we dropped in for a dip, the pools were very popular with local retirees, senior ladies in sensible one-piece costumes, and mothers with young children. With the swell pumping, Zac and I had our exercise swimming towards the deep end of the longer, more narrow pool. The force of the waves tumbling over the steel rails at the edge kept pushing us back towards the calmer, shallow water.

Austinmer has been a popular place for holiday-makers since the early 1900s.  Being on a train line allowed Sydneysiders to travel easily to the beach-side spot, which aspired to become the 'Brighton' of NSW.  Travelling on the train from Campsie, my father's family had a number of holidays there in the late 1930s, staying at one of the town's many guest houses.

I wonder if Dad and his sisters were some of the people who were prone to walking around the shops in their bathing attire, which in the late 1930s and early 40s was the ire of the town's Women's Christian Temperance Union, Methodist Ladies Church Aid and the local Reverend R Brown.

If members of these groups were alive today I'm not sure if they would approve of the name of the unofficial swimming club formed at the baths in 1989. Called FYBROS (Freeze your balls/boobs off) the members swim there on Saturday and Sunday mornings.

Austinmer Baths is below the surf club change rooms off  Lawrence Hargrave Drive, north of Thirroul and south from Coledale.