Where The Rain Can't Get In

When it rains, hardly anyone goes to the swimming pool. You have the lanes free to yourself, but you also have less to see, less to imagine. Too much water makes you aware of the laps ahead of you, of how tired your muscles become after 500 metres. The lifeguards watch, circling the pool like kindergarden teachers.

The weatherman showed a giant cloud of rain approaching Britain, covering Wales (and the Hay Festival) during this weekend. Things are moody and morose, unlike summer. But we have a warm hotel to stay in, bookshops to explore, and even a castle to take pictures in. Plus, pubs & booze. I'm curious to see what kind of crowd goes to a literary festival.