Can I Get an Attestation!

Lilian is going on a school trip later this year that requires her to have an “attestation savoir-nager.” Basically, she needs a certificate that shows that she knows how to swim. She’d have one already if she’d been in school here a couple of years ago. They all did a swimming unit as part of sports back then. Getting an attestation is super common here, though, so it was off to the local public pool with us.

An important thing to know about public pools (and even some beaches!) here in France: they are super strict about swimwear. Don’t expect to waltz in with swim-shorts, they will send you away. Men need to wear speedos or briefs. Women need to wear bikinis or basic one-pieces. Why? It’s considered a hygiene thing. Don’t wear anything into the pool that you might have been tempted to wear out on the street. Don’t let all of that extra fabric bring in sand or other debris when getting in or splash water onto the pool deck when getting out.

One less-than-cool thing about this is that burkinis are forbidden. Not only are they “too much fabric,” they’re also considered to be “anti-secular.”

(That’s all I’m going to say on that, at least for now).

I watched a guy hold his swim trunks up for the woman at the front desk to inspect. “Non,” she told him. They were too baggy.

So, it was off to the banana hammock vending machine with him.

(They also sell goggles and floaties, but that’s a lot less fun).

Lyon has several public pools, but we decided to go to the Tony Bertrand Aquatic Center. It’s a 20th Century heritage site, but more importantly it’s the closest pool to our apartment.

We asked about attestations, and the first thing they wanted was a photo ID. When will I learn? ABP: Always Bring your Passport.

Luckily for us, the definition of “photo ID” sometimes includes a photo of your passport on ones phone.

The woman at the front desk was so sweet! She could tell that Lilian was really nervous about how this was all going to work. Once she realized that Lilian was extra nervous about navigating this whole process in French without me, she radioed downstairs and asked someone who spoke English to come up and show Lilian around.

I waited upstairs, but Lilian tells me that she went downstairs to the locker room to get changed. It was one big unisex area, but there were individual cabins for changing. She was not a fan of the lack of locks (especially after someone tried to walk into her cabin!). She would normally have paid a euro to put all of her things in a locker, but her guide graciously opened one up for her.

Meanwhile, I was waiting uncomfortably upstairs in the lobby. One of the other employees came out and let me know that I could watch from outside. He even walked me out to where I could duck into the cafe next door and sit on their patio. I don’t know why people think the French are mean and rude. They’re almost always thoughtful and kind with us!

The pool is outdoors and open year-round. I always wondered how this works (we walk by it all the time). Well, it’s heated (obviously) and there is a canal from the changing area out to the lap pool. So, you can swim out in nice warm water without being exposed to the elements.

Lilian had to walk out with her phone (to show her ID) and talk to the guards on-deck, so she didn’t get to canal it. Luckily for her, it was a nice warm day.

The pool is located on the bank of the Rhône river. They built it in the 60s, when Lyon was courting the Summer Olympics. They didn’t get an Olympics out of it, but they sure did come away with a sweet-ass pool. I don’t know why swimming next to a large body of water is so relaxing, it just is. I’m not much of a lap swimmer, but I want to go back just so I can use the canal and swim next to the river.

In my research for this post, I discovered that there’s a fun area open during the summer. You’d best believe we’re gonna go back when it opens up.

I was able to call down some encouragement to Lilian, who seemed to be holding up just fine on her own. The guard had her jump in and swim the length of the pool. The test is to swim 50m without stopping or touching anything else (like, say, the bottom of the pool). She got to use any stroke she wanted. The pool is 50m long, so technically she only had to swim one direction. But, he had her swim back as well, just to stay out of the elements. She even got to use the canal to go back to the lockers.

I was super proud of Lilian for how she navigated all of this. It’s intimidating to walk into a giant building with different procedures in a language that you’re still learning. I could tell that she was nervous, but she stayed calm and went through the whole process without a complaint. And now she gets to swim and boat on her trip!

Next time, I’m bringing a bathing suit (the appropriate kind, of course!) and we’re going to swim together.