Deja que tu alma trabaje en armonía con la inteligencia universal, como hace tu aliento con el aire.
- Blavatsky -
The Guardian reports (Dec. 18) on what seems the most relevant news item I could delve up concerning the past three months or so. Notably not on soaking, but in line with soaking & sweating. Anyway, it concerns the induction of sauna (culture) in Unesco's intangible cultural heritage list:
'The entries were among the 35 from around the world added
to the list for 2020, and also included the tradition of playing the hunting horn, a status awarded jointly to Italy, France, Belgium and Luxembourg, as well as the art of glass bead making.
Traditional saunas have been a mainstay of Finnish culture for thousands of years, with an estimated 3 million saunas in a country of 5.5 million people. A Finnish person, on average, takes at least one sauna a week.
“Sauna culture in Finland is an integral part of the lives of the majority of the Finnish population,”
Unesco said. “Sauna culture, which can take place in homes or public places, involves much more than simply washing oneself. In a sauna, people cleanse their bodies and minds and embrace a sense of inner peace.”
It does seem that only the sauna culture of 'Finland' has been added. Unesco: 'Sauna culture, which can take place in homes or public places, involves much more than simply washing oneself. In a sauna, people cleanse their bodies and minds and embrace a sense of inner peace. Traditionally, the sauna has been considered as a sacred space – a ‘church of nature’. At the heart of the experience lies löyly, the spirit or steam released by casting water onto a stack of heated stones. Saunas come in many forms – electric, wood-heated, smoke and infra-red. Approaches vary too, with no hierarchy among them. Sauna traditions are commonly passed down in families and though universities and sauna clubs also help share knowledge.
In practice, according to Euronews (Dec. 23), Finnish government will report on a 6 yearly basis what it is doing to protect the national sauna tradition. Research will be undertaken on health benefits while the age old habit of wood burning sauna's might well need a more environmental friendlier update. Some architectural protection of old public sauna's. Another distinct cultural aspect from this article: 'How does Finland's sauna culture compare?
When Claudia Rehwagen first arrived in Finland as an exchange student 17 years ago, the concept of the sauna was familiar to her from her childhood in East Germany. The culture around the sauna, however, is different in Finland, she explained.
“In Germany, we weren’t allowed to throw water on the stones ourselves. In Finland, the sauna is for everybody, and it’s a relaxed event. It’s all about listening to your own body and doing what feels good on the day,” she said. “Finnish saunas have fewer rules.”
Isolated islands in front of Helsinki are perfect for adventures. We found this sauna while cruising in the evening.
Denmark's Trends and Travels (Feb. 7, 2018) has an article on Europe's (naked) sauna's, albeit in their local tongue. Translated snatches:
'Finland loves e.g. the naked truth. Unlike most other countries, Finns do not even require a towel to sit on in the sauna. For the same reason, women and men are usually separated in separate rooms.In return, both sexes are very welcome to drink and eat in the sauna. Beer, cider or vodka is popular as a drink in Finnish saunas. Some even fry sausages over an open fire in the sauna.
...
The Germans actually have a reputation for being a bit formal and buttoned up, but when it comes to saunas, they like to throw away all their clothes. However, they always have a towel with them.
....
In fact, the French have a problem with nudity in public space. Being without clothes is a very private thing and the galls are much more embarrassing than most people think. In other words, you have to wear swimwear if you want to go to the sauna in France.
Italians cultivate their reputation for being passionate, but forget about it in a sauna. Women and men are welcome to sit in the same room, but they are wearing clothes'.
Elsewhere I saw a suggestion that if Finnish sauna culture can receive official Unesco status, shouldn't German FKK follow suit? Source.
Vapor
A recent find: A World of Spa. In one of their latest postings they nominate their Top 10 of Budapest's best spa's and hot springs:
'Budapest is famous throughout Europe for its Spas, frequented not only by Hungarians but also by the many tourists who go there attracted by the idea of being able to relax, enjoying the benefits of the waters as well as massages and additional services offered at very convenient prices. There are more than a hundred underground thermal springs in Budapest, around which many Spas have been built, the city is known as the Queen of Waters.
The Hungarian capital is therefore the capital of fumes, vapors, and mineral waters. Some say that thanks to the spas in Budapest you can even rejuvenate!
OffbeatBudapest also haves a list (Nov. 29) with 7 of the best soaking places in the city.
'But despite what you might think, the vast majority of Hungarians don’t regularly go to thermal baths. At the seven main baths featured below, about 75 percent of guests are tourists on average. Locals who do go to baths mainly consist of diehard regulars, and patients looking to treat ailments like rheumatoid arthritis, muscle pain, or skin diseases. As an added incentive, the Hungarian national health insurance plan subsidizes these prescribed visits.
Budapest has a total of nine medicinal baths today (and 123 hot springs). While the water’s mineral content is comparable, each bath is unique in terms of its size, architecture, amenities, and the type of visitors it draws. Most popular and the biggest of all is Széchenyi, located inside Budapest's City Park. Apart from Széchenyi, tourists mainly flock to Gellért and Rudas, the visually most striking venues. In turn, many locals seek out quieter locations with lower admission fees'.
...
Like it or not, nudity is no longer accepted. Except for Rudas, all Budapest baths are coed and require a bathing suit.
Hmmm.
More recent bytes from around the continent.
Thermalsprings.ru has put together a list (Dec. 12) of Turkey's hot springs. Impressive. Most examples though developed.
The entry on this blog concerning Thermae 2000 (Netherlands) was updated.
Older news, from Corsica.
In the Professionbienetre (13 Mar. 2019) mention is made of upgrading the baths of Pietrapola, where there's also a rough outside and gratuite tub. I suspect they mean the nearby thermal facilities which sees little visits. Corse Martin (Jul. 23) notes that the thermal establishment is closed and will not open even if the Covid-19 lockdown passes.
Sold
'Work continues on the construction of a swimming pool at Santa Fiora in Italy. The bath will be utilising geothermal energy. Nearby is the Bagnore 4 geothermal power plant by Enel. (location)
So not thermal water?
The article also refers to some local opposition, though I believe it is oppostion against the geothermal powerplant, not the public investment. See for instance
Internatzionale.it (Jul. 20):
'The valleys on the sides of Mount Amiata are full of power plants: in addition to Bagnore 3 and 4, the three plants of Piancastagnaio 3, 4 and 5 surround the slopes of this volcanic massif. "They have ruined a territory and sold out our lives," says Velio Arezzini, spokesman for the national network No to speculative and polluting geothermal energy (Nogesi), which has been fighting against this type of plant for decades. “We could focus on tourism, on the beauty of the area, on quality agriculture. Instead, industrial geothermal energy was chosen, which ruins the landscape and creates enormous problems ”.
It's a very interesting article giving a good intro into the pro's and cons of the chosen path for geothermal energy production in Italy's northern Tuscany. Ample scope for improvement it seems. Pity though that spite comes after destruction.
Seems like petrified waterfall.
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#sanfilippo #bagnisanfilippo #toscanagram #tuscanylovers #italia #hotspring #natureloverforlife #nature_perfections #natureseekers #traveladdictedladies #travelitaly #igtoscana #travelpassport #waterfallchaser #chasingwaterfalls #chasinghotsprings #crystalclearwater #waterhole #waterholes #italyviews #toscana_amoremio #bagni #naturalspa #naturalspring #womenwhoexplore #wanderwomaninc #wonderwoman #exploreeverywhere #sheisthewild #findmeoutside
Tuscia Times
reports (Nov. 25) yet again on action by G. Faperdue who in his quest for a public hot spring chained himself yet again to the gate of Bullicame hot spring (Viterbo, Lazio):
'Il pozzo non è stato chiuso e non sono neanche iniziati i lavori. Con molta probabilità la vicenda proseguirà con esiti incerti nel 2021, entrando così nel settimo anno (numero biblico) di sofferenza del Bullicame”.
Despite there being court orders and government affirmation (from 2014), redeploying the sources waters from private back to public is yet to take place. A hot item for 2021.
For me that's one of the most impressive places on earth.🌎
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And what could be better then to share it with my friends? Thanks a lot for you passion and motivation to climb up to this #hotspring.
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That's the best way of recovery after an perfect Slalom day.
More Italy. If you are into hot spring video's here's one (Oct. 20) on Bormio's local natural hot springs. Which is the same as in the photo above.
Exhausted
Wauiiii! Ich bin geflasht! Gestern Abend durfte ich in ein Bad aus unglaublich lieben Worten und Empowerment eintauchen. Die liebe Natalie von @thumanns_travel_family hat mich in ihrer storie erwähnt und mit wunderschönen Worten mein Profil empfohlen. Ich bin dankbar. Dankbar für die Unterstützung und Wertschätzung. Und noch dankbarer, für das, was es in mir ausgelöst hat. Eine Rückschau. Instagram war für mich lange lange Zeit eine Hassliebe. Ich liebte die Inspiration und hab es gleichzeitig als Zeit-& Seelenfresser verteufelt. Eine Plattform voll unfassbar schöner, spannender, mutiger Menschen. Einer talentierter, weit gereister, besonderer als der andere. Ich hab mich verglichen. Mit anderen Fotografen, anderen Frauen, mein Leben mit dem der "Anderen". Ich hab mich klein gefühlt. Und mich Ewigkeiten nicht getraut, mit meinem Sein nach außen zu gehen. Irgendwann.. habe ich dann diese Reise begonnen. Zu mir selbst. Habe einen Fuß vor den anderen gesetzt. Mit jedem Schritt bin ich mir näher gekommen, habe meine Kreativität und Leidenschaft zurück gewonnen und konnte wieder mit den Augen eines Kindes auf die Wunder dieser Welt schauen. Seitdem ich meinem Herzen folge, diesem kleinen wilden, verrückt springendem Ding in meiner Brust, kann ich mit mir ins Außen gehen. Kann meine Gedanken teilen und euch zeigen, wie meine Augen die Welt sehen. Weil ich mich jetzt endlich selber sehe.
Danke liebste Natalie für deine Worte und Energie. Danke für diese Plattform. Hassliebe hin oder her. Und Hallo all ihr Lieben Seelen, schön, dass ihr da seid! Ich freue mich unglaublich auf die gemeinsame Reise durch dieses zauberhaft verrückte Leben.
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Andalucia then.
Not hot, but a constant 21ºC during the year and sulfurous in origin. Mud bathing is also in fashion. As always a good and complete description, even instructing bathers to not muddy around. Confusing.
From
Ideal.es (Aug. 8), an article on Los Baños de Urquízar de Dúrcal (see also photo following) in the Andalusian province of Granada. Translated:
'A study shows that the water that originates the springs of the Baños de Urquízar comes from the thawing of part of the Sierra Nevada snow. It is known that there is a great fault from the Triassic era (200,000,000 years ago) through which it penetrates and filters to a depth between 2 and 3 kilometers below the level of the municipality of Dúrcal, located in the Granada region of Valle de Lecrín, where it forms an inland sea.
There, in the depths, the water takes temperature and rises through the cracks in the subsoil until it appears on the surface, constituting the different springs with a temperature between 26 and 27 degrees. Due to their origin, these springs are uncontaminated and inexhaustible because they do not come into contact with surface waters either'.
It's rumored to have been sought after for its medical properties since the Roman times. This site will help you get here.
Restraint
A new find,
Nudeblog.ru, has been around for a while but dipped below the radar. Because they are mostly posts in Russian. Question mark.
It has a recent (Jul. 9) posting on the
Armenian hot spring of Hankavan. Other postings are of a hot spring near
Kolka glacier (North Ossetia; looks great see photo following).
And of Biragzang (Nov. 13), likewise also North Ossetia. Translated: 'The depth of the well from which the water rises is 2,300 meters. And the water temperature is over 40 degrees. Upon entering, the skin is covered with a very pleasant film and is saturated with oxygen. And it keeps smooth and very delicate for a very long time.Stay in the pool for no more than 40 minutes. The procedure puts a lot of stress on the heart.
...
Women should be restrained in clothes and not squeal, wrap themselves in a towel'.
В бирагзанге сделали ремонт. Теперь это почти модные термы с бетоном, туями и деревянной отделкой. Однако чипсы и Буланова все ещё тут.
Translated: They made repairs in biragzang. Now these are almost fashionable baths with concrete, thuja and wood trim. However, the chips and Bulanova are still here.
Oh I forgot to post the obligatory photo of France's Font Pedrouse, how can I have a post without one?
mas o que é “mademoiselle”?
