The Idiot, who first swam in the Seine River in Paris for a magazine cover story almost fifty years ago, may join French President Emmanuel Macron for a dip just before the Summer Olympics open in Paris on July 26.
The objective: To prove that the Seine is safe for competitive and recreational swimming.
To prepare for his Olympics swim, The Idiot regularly works out in Paris pools. Here’s what he saw on a walkabout to a pool workout in the French capital on a sunny Saturday (June 8) morning.
The Idiot passed an inspiring fountain just over 100 steps from his Paris pied-a-terre on the way to a swimming pool near the Pantheon.
The Idiot passed the Val-de-Grâce church on his way to the swimming pool near the Pantheon.
The Idiot passed the Paris American Academy, which was destroyed by a gas explosion and fire one year ago this month, on his way to a Saturday morning swim.
The church clock indicated that The Idiot would arrive at the pool exactly at the 7 a.m. opening.
Sunlight illuminated the Pantheon as The Idiot walked to a nearby swimming pool.
The Idiot plans to add his training shoes to this art work when the Olympics are over.
The first person The Idiot spoke to on June 8 was a street sweeper.
The Idiot arrived at the Jean Taris swimming pool in the shadow of the Pantheon a few seconds before 7 a.m. on June 8.
The Idiot completed a training swim that will prepare him to join French President Macron for a dip in the Seine before the Paris Olympics.
After the swim, The idiot was among the first clients to have coffee in Place de la Contrescarpe.
The Idiot passed Victor Hugo’s childhood residence on the way home after his swim.
The Idiot passed one of many scientific laboratories and educational institutions in this part of Paris after his swim.
It was too early in the morning for The Idiot to express an opinion about contemporary architecture in his Paris neighborhood.
The Idiot first got to the bottom of the dirty Seine River and came back alive in 1976. He plans to repeat his swim in the Seine just before the upcoming Paris Olympics.
The Idiot came up with a boot when he dived in the Seine off Ile Saint-Louis behind the Notre-Dame Cathedral in 1976. What will he find next month?
About Joel
Joel Stratte-McClure has been a global trekker since the 1970s. He lived in France for over 30 years, working as a journalist, before he turned his attention to a unique life-time-project of walking the shores of the Mediterranean. The first 4,401 kilometers are explored in his inspirational and entertaining first book "The Idiot and the Odyssey: Walking the Mediterranean." The next 4,401 kilometers are covered in the gods-filled sequel, "The Idiot and the Odyssey II: Myth, Madness and Magic on the Mediterranean,” published on Valentine's Day 2013. The last 4,401 kilometers will be discussed in the last book of the trilogy currently entitled "The Idiot and the Odyssey III: Alexander the Great Walks the Mediterranean."