Toning Up

The day is hot, 36º, but the water is surprisingly cold. Mum and I wade in and shiver. “Swimming is not compulsory,” says mum. Instead we walk briskly through the water, halfway across the bay and then back. Boy, that works one’s legs. “Elizabeth Taylor,” mum tells me, “used to walk in thigh-deep water every day.” How does mum know these things?