An American in Provence

Megan Age 27: I would do anything to take a shower!

So gentle readers, we still do not have a shower. I look back at this line from my post from our trip to San Remo (which has no hot water, no flushing toilet, and no shower)

"There is only so many days of sponge baths and washing of hair with cold water in a sink a woman can take before going nuts. That number is 2. We stayed a week."

And laugh. Try three months in winter.

When I was seven, (or maybe six) we stayed several months in a cabin while our house was being finished (we had to move out of the rental place). The cabin only had a shower. I refused to take a shower. I much preferred baths. So what did I do? Took baths in the (quite large) kitchen sink every evening. I remembered this anecdote from my past, and carefully sized up our kitchen sink. I don't think even my seven year old self could take a bath in it now. Pity.

In other news, I joined a gym nearby my work. Partly for the reason of taking advantage of their showers. The gym is fairly standard, 49 euros a month, two month's advance notice to quit. They also have a pool, but that is an additional price. And since really, the only pool I like is bathtub sized, I decided it wasn't worth it.

So far I have gone twice. And am quite sore now. Did a Body Pump class on Wednesday, then some running/weights on Thursday. Takes a while to get the old body back into gear.

This is the first gym I have actually "joined". In high school and college I could use the school ones for free, though I think at UVA one had to pay for the aerobics courses. At my two workplaces the gym was free (oh how I miss that!).

Anyway, am semi disappointed with the showers. The first day I slipped and fell, bruising my knee badly. The showers are the kind that are set on a timers so you don't get in there and waste all the "hot" water. I think the water goes for about ten seconds. And it isn't hot either. I wonder if I pay more whether I can get semi-warm water for 30 seconds at a time?