Girls, Interrupted

Today will be the first of many Mondays when the Mermaid and I won't be able to indulge in our favourite Monday-night-routine. Our Stadthallenbad swimming pool closed for major renovation work on May 1 and won't re-open until autum 2011. It's really hard to find a replacement that's easy to reach with public transport, has a decently sized pool and is open long enough to be able to go there after work. Amalienbad will be the most likely replacement (and has the added attraction of being located right opposite TICHY ice-cream parlour!) but is not open to the public on Mondays (when it's reserved for physically handicapped people, presumably so they won't be stared at by the rest of the swimmers). Whichever pools we go to, none of them is near either of our homes, so I won't be able to rush home after work, grab both the Mermaid and my swim gear, prepare our favourite fuel of diluted Mango juice (Happy Day brand, in case you were interested) in a 750 ml bottle and then return back to my place after swimming, watch Desperate Housewives and stuff our faces with crisps or other calorific goodies. It just won't be the same!

Here are some pictures of Stadthallenbad as we know it, designed by Roland Rainer:

the status quo

retro sign

me, doing a "final exit" (for now)

the keys to the tiled kingdom

the Mermaid in her natural habitat

grand plans

Admittedly, the changing rooms and showers ought to have been refurbished years ago and are hardly a stylish environment, but I do hope, they won't change the brilliant hair-dryer (not the handheld ones pictured above), a kind of long tube with outlets in different heights that dry your hair really fast and interestingly also make it really sleek and straight at the same time.

I'll keep you posted.