Hot Day, Swim Day

So, it was predicted to get up to 90 degrees today. Not as unbearable as the heat in humid Atlanta, but still too hot to wander around the city. Maybe you’ve heard, Europe is experiencing a heat wave right now.

Our friend Simon had told Dave about an old GDR-era public swimming pool not too far from our house.

We headed out right after breakfast as Simon had told us to get there early. We arrived a little after 10:00 and waited in line for four other parties to get through. (When we finally left around 3:15, the line was about 100 people long!)

For €10.25, our family was in for the day.

{heading to Sommerbad Pankow}

This place was perfect for kids our age. It had a lap pool, a kiddie pool, a big pool with a lazy river, water slides that even Isaac could go on and a low (6′ up), middle and high dive. One could just imagine the East German swimmers and divers practicing there.

{Sommerbad Pankow}

We were surprisingly entertained by all of the features. Ben jumped off the low dive several times. He climbed up to the mid dive (maybe 12′ above the water), but decided against it. I had to will myself off the low five, while Dave was brave jumping off the mid dive several times.

In the main pool, the pumped cycled through three features; 1) water fountains, 2) bubble massage seats and 3) a lazy river.

There were three water slides that dumped you into the pool. A shorter curve slide, a higher curve slide and a straight down 90 degree free fall. Ben wanted to try the free fall, but I had visions of him flying off. Luckily, you had to be 13 to ride it so he recognized it was probably out of his leagues and happily rode the other two. Even Isaac got in on the fun and rode both slides.

A snack bar provided lunch and a snack of sausages, fries, veggie rolls, chicken nuggets and Brötchen (bread rolls). The boys discovered a new ice cream novelty, Bum Bums, that tasted like bubble gum and had its handles made out of gum wrapped in plastic. “Dum dum, give me bum bums,” was their take on the line from Night at the Museum.

{yummy Bum Bum ice cream bars}

By the end, the place was packed and the bigger boys were getting a bit rough. So we packed up and headed home.

Exhausted. We had a quiet night at home.