For years, Ron and I kept a "Wish List" of things we would like to do if we ever made it to Germany for an extended stay. The list included bike trips, visits to family and friends, even a few real stretches, like trying to trace the steps of my distant relatives who immigrated from tiny villages in Germany to Ohio in the 1800s. Full disclosure: I am a list maker. I have found that I tend to accomplish in proportion to what I attempt.
When we first arrived in Erfurt, I started another list, a Plan B for our time in between our Plan A (the Wish List) goals, particularly for days when the weather was too lousy to bike or to explore on foot. Plan B included among other things yoga and swimming. Ron and I were pleased to find a beautiful indoor pool in Erfurt near a Trolley line, and we made a recon trip to learn if we could use the facilities as non-residents. No problem, we were told. At least, that is what I think we were told. I picked up a schedule with hours and rates on our way out, and promptly tucked it away for a proverbial, if not literal, rainy day.
It is hard to justify swimming in an indoor pool when the weather outside is outstanding, but FINALLY we encountered a less-than-perfect--weather day. Wow, I never expected to write THAT sentence on THIS trip! The indoor swimming facility is named the Roland Matthes Schwimmhalle after Roland Matthes, a German swimmer and arguably the most successful backstroke swimmer of all time. Fun Fact: Between April 1967 and August 1974 Roland Matthes won all backstroke competitions he entered - he won four European championships and three world championships in a row, and swam for19 world and 21 European records in various backstroke, butterfly, freestyle and medley events. Ron remembers him from the 1972 Olympics - I think I was more focused on the equally handsome but closer to home swimmer: Mark Spitz.
On this grey, weekday morning, the "schwimmhalle" was thankfully not very crowded. Our first challenge came at the entrance window. When we tried to pay for two adults, the clerk wouldn't take our money. To be clear, the screen reported Ron as free of charge, and me at a greatly reduced rate - the clerk mistook him for "over 80" and mistook me for his aide! This could not be helped. I simply did not possess enough mastery of the language to fix this misconception. Onward. We did not have to wait long for our next challenge: getting from the lobby through the turnstile and into what we hoped were the locker rooms. We had each received a wooden nickel. They were important (this we also gathered from the clerk who refused our money). I put my wooden nickel in the slot, but the turnstile would not turn. A line began to form behind us. We waited for someone else to go through so that we could see the procedure, but our fellow swimmers were either too polite, or too disciplined, to go around us, even as we motioned them ahead. Finally, a "Grandmother" from the crowd that was now forming took pity on us, and showed us how to put the wooden nickel into the slot, then WAIT FOR IT TO COME OUT, retrieve it, then go in. Ahhhhh. That was the problem. Got it - Danke!
We were through, and into the next room. One wall had a row of sinks where women were applying make up, and men were combing their hair. Another wall had hair dryers mounted on the wall, again with men and women drying their hair. We looked for the signs for the "Men" and "Women" locker rooms. Nothing. Like English, there are many German words for males and females: men/women; gentlemen/ladies; boys/girls; etc. But I could see no signs in this room even remotely suggesting gender. There were what appeared to be entrances on either side, but neither Ron or I were willing to take that 50/50 risk! Finally, the "Grandmother" who had helped us in the lobby motioned to us - either side was fine. Yes, there was one big locker room for everyone. Around the perimeter of the locker room were changing cabins, tiny closet-like rooms with a door on either side. The idea was to enter, change into a swimsuit, then exit through the other door into the room with lockers.
Our next challenge was how to work the lockers. I have lost count as to what challenge we are on... I followed a woman wrapped in a towel to her locker to watch. She eyed me suspiciously. "Konnen Sie helfin mir?" I asked in a most pathetic plea. She hesitated. I then asked in German "can you show me how?" and she motioned how to put the wooden nickel in, turn it, and take the key that comes out attached to a bracelet that you wear while you swim. Excellent!
If only we could find the pool. I wish I were joking. I will spare whoever is still reading this the details. But we eventually found the pool, and had a glorious, long swim.
We then sat in the hot tub, and finished our adventure by reversing our steps first to the locker room, then the showers (we missed them on the way in - oops!), next the changing cabins, and finally the lobby. The last step was to put the wooden nickel into the exit turnstile, which did NOT give it back, and we were out.
Next time, we will be pros! That is, if the weather ever again turns too lousy to bike....
Editor's Note: The Schwimmhalle has a strict policy prohibiting the taking of photographs. The photos in this blog are from the public domain and were not taken by the author.
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