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A family trip to the pool…

We had more beautiful weather today, so Bill really wanted to get out and do something fun. Yesterday, someone in the local pets group on Facebook posted that a Freibad (public pool) in Mainz was going to allow dogs to come hang out and swim. Bill and I had experienced this very German custom in Nagold back in 2018, a few months before we moved to Wiesbaden. At that time, we had Zane and Arran. Neither were fond of swimming and both were kind of old, so we opted to go without them. It was a lot of fun watching all the athletic dogs enjoying the water. You can see some of the photos from that outing by clicking here.

This activity is fun for many, but not all, dogs… I wondered how Noyzi would do.

This year, we have Noyzi and Arran. I was curious about how Noyzi would like the pool/dog park like environment. But Noyzi hasn’t yet been with us a year, and Bill still has trauma from our unsuccessful bid to adopt a more local dog. Initially, he wasn’t too keen on going to Mainz with the boys. So we were going to come up with an alternative plan. I suggested we visit either the Mainz or Kastel “beaches” (Strand), which are Biergartens on either side of the Rhein. Bill was okay with that… but Noyzi had other plans.

As we tried to exit the house, he made it very plain that he wanted to go with us. He even parked his big, lumbering body, right by the door! I took it as a sign that we should take the boys to the pool. Bill was still worried about accidents or potential tragedies, but I wore him down and he finally relented. So that’s what we did! We loaded the boys into the car and headed off to Mainz. Noyzi even jumped into the back of the Volvo all by himself, and parked himself in the back like a canine gentleman. Every day, I am amazed by how naturally well behaved he is, and how quickly he learns. It’s hard to believe he was born on the streets of Pristina. He is living proof that street dogs can make wonderful family members.

Below is a video I made. I put in a couple of my previously unreleased songs… they maybe aren’t the best I can do, but without them, you just get seven minutes of dogs running around and some shaky footage. It was all recorded on my iPhone. I had to be careful, too, as this is Germany, and not everyone at the pool was wearing a bathing suit. Didn’t want to catch anyone in the buff!

Next time, I’ll bring a better camera!

This event ran from 10am until 4pm. We left right at the end. I kind of wish we had come a bit earlier, although the weather was perfect, and everyone seemed to be having a blast. Our dogs didn’t seem too interested in leaving us, so we kept them on their leashes most of the time. If we hadn’t, I don’t think it would have mattered much. They were stuck to us like glue.

As it was the end of the season, they didn’t have much in the way of food… Just beer and pretzels and, I think, maybe some ice cream. Consequently, I’m pretty hungry now. I’m glad we went, though, because it was so much fun to watch all the dogs playing and swimming, as well as their owners. I didn’t see any bad behavior at all! And I was so proud of Noyzi, who even followed me into the kiddie pool. He wasn’t interested in the big pool, though. Maybe next year, if we’re still here, we’ll try again.

Below are some photos for those who’d rather see those. It was a nice way to spend a Sunday. These kinds of activities are pretty much why I love living in Germany. I think it’s great that they let dogs swim in the pool on the last day of the summer season! But I am sad that the weather will soon be schlecht.

  • Noyzi refuses to let us go without him!
  • We registered, and let them know we had pet liability insurance…
  • There was a can for donations for the animal shelters in Mainz.
  • This was a well attended event, but there was lots of space.
  • The kiddie pool!
  • I was tempted to get in the water…
  • I did wear a bathing suit. But neither of our dogs wanted to get in.
  • Too bad!
  • There were some real athletes today!
  • I wish I had brought my digital camera for better action shots!
  • I think I saw one dog go down the slide!
  • The water was nice, although I didn’t jump in myself.
  • This one is airborne!
  • The weather was perfect!
  • I decided to see if Noyzi would voluntarily get in the kiddie pool.
  • Sure enough, he did!
  • Even Arran had fun, although his days of playing “rabbit” are over…
  • He enjoyed doting on Bill, though.
  • It’s magic how close these two are.
  • Things were winding down.
  • We need to spend more time in Mainz!

One thing I love about Germany is that people here relish outdoor activities when the weather permits. There’s always something fun going on. And if you can bring your dogs, so much the better. Dogs are treated very well in this country!

I’m glad we opted to go to the pool with the boys today. We can go to the “beaches” in Mainz or Kastel some other time!

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Sundays

Our first visit to a German Freibad… and Chinese food in Nagold!

This morning, I took note of the warm, sunny weather and the fact that I love a good swim.  I said to Bill, “Why don’t we go to the pool in Nagold?”

As expected, Bill was down on the idea.  He doesn’t like pools, mainly because he hates being seen in his bathing suit.  I wasted no time reminding him that just a month ago, he joined me in the buff at a spa in Bad Wildbad.  He had a great time.

“Please…” I begged.  “We don’t have to stay long!”  I was really wanting to try the cool slide at Nagold’s awesome Freibad.  Finally, Bill gave in to my pleading and we headed over there at about noon.  It was four euros each to enter.

It wasn’t too crowded or hot today and we easily found a spot in the shade.  I took a quick dip, then thought better of the slide, which was crowded with kids… some of whom didn’t seem to be paying much attention to people coming down after them.

I enjoyed a brief swim in the super deep pool where the diving boards are, then watched some of the kids doing flips into the water.  A few were doing their best to make the biggest splashes they could– and doing painful belly flops in the process.  They were so full of youthful exuberance.  I remembered when I was a kid, jumping fearlessly off the high dives and sliding down the slides.  We had none of that today, but it was still a lot of fun… at least until the clouds started rolling in…  Anyway, I was mightily impressed by Nagold’s pool.  It beats the ever loving hell out of the public pools we had when I was growing up.

In case you were wondering, yes there are changing rooms (this was one of Bill’s concerns!).  

And there are lockers, too!  You put in a one or two euro coin to take the key.  When you bring the key back, you get your euros back.  There’s also a Biergarten (of course!) that serves food.

Check out that slide!  I will have to try it next time.  We’ll get there earlier so I don’t have to worry about crashing into any kids.  I didn’t see anyone directing traffic, making sure people got out of the way.  I did hear at least one adult screaming all the way down, too.

Bill looks snarky as he takes a seat.  I had to point out that I brought four towels, two to sit on and two for drying off.  He never did get in the water, though.

They have a low dive, high dive, and a platform.  The platform appeared to be closed. 

Bill watched the divers…

This was the main pool, complete with the creepy mushroom shower thing…  It was about waist deep for me.

The rules for the slide…

I liked the deep pool better.  It was really nice, even if I am no competitive swimmer.  I did have to pass a swimming test to graduate from college, though.

Action shot!

The clouds were threatening and I was getting cold, so we decided to go have lunch.  It was raining when we left, but the rain had stopped by the time we put our stuff in the car.  Parking in Nagold is free on Sundays.  There’s also an indoor pool at this park.

We decided to try the Pavillon China Restaurant in Nagold.  It was our first time there.  They have a late pause that starts at 3:00, so we were there in plenty of time.

Obligatory shot of Bill.

We were given cold, refreshing plum juice with our beers.  The inside of the restaurant is very nicely decorated with Asian decor and a large fish tank.  

Bill had a special that included beef, shrimp, and chicken, as well as assorted vegetables.  I had my usual crispy duck, which was served with no mushrooms in it!  Yea!

We got rice…

And pineapple infused sweet and sour sauce came with my duck.  

I really enjoyed the duck.  I didn’t really try Bill’s dish because it had mushrooms in it.  He pronounced it excellent and brought some home for tomorrow’s lunch.  The crispy duck had carrots, peppers, bamboo shoots, and zucchini mixed in.  I really enjoyed it.  The bill came to 28 euros and change.  Bill left a generous tip, which made the waitress smile big.  She enthusiastically wished us a good day.  I would definitely go back to the Pavillon China Restaurant next time I want Asian food.  It was very good.

The front of the restaurant has these cool looking columns.  

Not the greatest shot of the front, but there were people sitting out there.  It’s very close to the Edeka in Nagold.

We had a very nice afternoon in Nagold.  I really think it’s becoming one of our favorite places to chill out on the weekends.  It’s pretty, there are a lot of good restaurants, and things to do.  A bonus is that it’s never as crowded as some of the other cities near us and it’s only about four kilometers away. I think I managed to talk Bill into visiting the pool again.  Maybe next time, he’ll even get in the water!

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