I’m not an outdoors type. Never have been. So the thought of swimming outdoors at the Lido in winter was a little daunting.

To get our nerve up, we sat in the warm, cosy café-bar and ate breakfast – sourdough toast and homemade jam for him, fruit toast and maple butter for me, coffee times two. Sitting in tranquil silence, the sound of the lapping water outside. I could get used to this. But we were there to swim.

Plunging into 19 degree water on a winter’s day is not something I’ve ever considered doing before. And it was fantastic. Invigorating. Refreshing. The contrast between the chill of the pool, the dry heat of the sauna, and the bubbly hot tub shocked our senses to life.

Skin tingling, squeaky clean and weary, we got dressed and headed for the restaurant for a late lunch. The food was spectacular – we ate deep-fried aubergine with goats curd, oregano, chilli and honey; butternut squash ravioli with sweet tomato sauce, pine nuts, yoghurt, brown butter and confit egg yolk; and for dessert, salted caramel chocolate tart and chocolate and stout ice cream. Chopping and changing from warming Mediterranean flavours to cold ice cream was thoroughly amazing, and an experience that mirrored our day perfectly.

Images by Lottie Storey