Swimming in the rain, I've just been swimming in the rain. Quebec City has created something special at the docks this summer: L’Oasis. This an Olympic-sized swimming pool in the port, where you bathe in the water of the St Lawrence River. It is quite the most exhilarating urban experience I have had in a long time. An entire dock has been filled with the essentials for a top-class swimming pool: boardwalks, proper lanes and a children’s area. It’s a little rudimentary, but the water is tested each day for cleanliness and the temperature is entirely agreeable. Let’s hope it becomes a summer regular – and that other cities pick up the idea.

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