Energized

hakuna_martha

🌊🧘‍♀️

Another quick spin of the continent. 

Above Greece, following Bulgaria and then Hungary. 

The latter is very interesting as the photographer seems to know quite a few secret soaks. And also knows how to keep them. 

pam.travelblog

Wild hot springs in Rupite ⛲, right next to the place where lived famous Bulgarian mystic, clairvoyant and herbalist Baba Vanga 👁️. It's located on a volcano crater 🌋 and according to Vanga the whole area is filled with cosmic energy 🪐 The temperature of the mineral water of Rupite is 76 degrees C. It contains sulfates and hydrocarbonates of sodium and calcium, fluorine, and silicon. It's perfect for tired muscles after a mountain hike 👌

szokepeter_peterpictures

Weekend of two secret natural thermal springs with my mother and a lover and alone. #naturalovers #hungary #hotsprings #hotspring #naturalhotsprings #naturalbath #naturephotography #nature #naturegram #nude #nikonhungary #nikond780 #hotwater #hotwaterbeach #relax #relaxing #relaxation #relaxed #relaxtime😎

Admiration 

Laurentvilarem

#sourcedeauchaude 

Then we were in France.

Above an old favourite, below an interesting addition from the departement of Herault where the photo is of a 21°C luke warmish source.

manny_la_belle_vie

[Gorges de l'Hérault] [Cascade des parapluies ou cascade des éventails]

Toujours au départ de Saint Jean de Fos et du pont du diable, nous sommes partis à pied cette fois pour découvrir une partie des gorges de l'Hérault et la cascade dite des parapluies ou éventail 😉

l'Hérault est actuellement relativement mouvementé ce qui donne clairement envie de faire du canoë, mais n'en ayant pas et n'ayant absolument pas le niveau... Nous nous sommes contenté d'admirer le travaille de l'érosion sur la roche avec ses multiples marmite, l'eau d'une couleur magnifique et les jolie rapide.

Nous nous sommes arrêté à sur le haut de la cascade des parapluie, une surface de tuf sur laquelle la végétation se fait plaisir et qui surplombe l'Hérault. L'eau qui s'écoule ici, qui remplit les jolies vasques et bassins naturelle provient de la source Fontcaude, qui surgit dans la grotte (visible en photo 2 et 3, puis en vidéo à la fin 😉). L'eau y est continuellement à 21°, ce qui m'a permis d'en profiter pour clapoter (eh oui, en tant que Normande tant que la température est supérieur à 20°, je trouve ça bon 😆). Cette endroit est juste magique 😍

#source #cascade #waterfall #monhérault #sitedexceptionlanguedoc #languedocemerveille #sourcenaturelle #sourcetiede #hotspring #hotspringlife #vanlife #campingcarlife #hotwater #baignade #perfectmoment #hotspringtour #hotsprings #nature #park4night #worldismygarden #vanlifestyle #vanlifefrance #campingcarj5 #campingcariste #campingcarvintage #happycamper #camper #camperlife #sourcesdeauchaude

Character 

unkle.vanya

The only thing more relaxing than a hot spring with my family is a hot spring without my family! 😆 I got out of bed uncharacteristically early to enjoy this peace totally alone 💙💙💙

Especially during pandemic times but also... always, it’s hard to get time to think as a van parent and making time to be alone occasionally is super important.

Hope my fellow van parents have found ways to stay sane this year (tips welcome) 🙏 xoxo

#wildswimming#skinnydipping#naturelover#serene #atpeace#earthporn #vanlife#vanilfeeurope#vanlifefamilies#vanlifefamily#roadschooling#unschooling#homeschooling#homeiswhereyouparkit#vanlifespain#sprinterconversion#vanlifewithkids#worldschooling#ukfamilyvanlife#offgridliving#mercedessprinter#vanlifemovement#vanlifediaries#vanlifedreams#vanlifetravels 

thewalkingtravel

🌸🌺🍃PRIMAVERA🍃🌺🌸

.

Con la nueva estación, vienen cambios. Seguro.

Pero solo sabemos que...

Tenemos la #ITV pasada.

Que tenemos una #WHV para entrar en #canada🇨🇦 hasta el 30 de Junio.

Y muchas ganas de aventura.

.

¿Creéis que el proyecto saldrá adelante después de 2 años esperando? 💩

.

.

.

.

#Galicia #turismoGalicia #termasgalicia #termasdeprexigueiro #couple #spain

Blessed

We're still in North Macedonia. And still with Sascha.

His final North Macedonian report concerns the hot springs of Banjishte (Banište / Banisht). Sascha in his own words:

And the best comes at the end of my trip:

Banjishte hot springs close to the Albanian border and close to the Mavrovo National Park (which by the way is great for hiking).

First head to Debar, which is a bigger town in the area.

Then continue in the direction of the Albanian border to where you'll see the spa of Banjishte indicated. The village itself has a larger spa complex that has been renovated and also has several hotels. 

I tried the spa complex first which was quite expensive. And not worth it. But at least, I got a sauna and steam bath for my own. You have the choice between a private pool and the common pool (both are not in the best shape and not really romantic). Recommended time to soak is about 20 minutes.

A little bit of background on the spa complex of Banjishte itself.

The Guardian (18-1-2020) lists it as 1 of 

'Ten of the best budget spa holidays in eastern Europe'.

Then the description of Banjishte spa:

'From an aquifer high on the Albanian-Macedonia border, 39C water bubbles up alive with minerals. People have sought healing here for centuries, and in the 1970s scientists designated it one of Europe’s most healing spas. The Banjisht resort still majors in fangotherapy (where thermal mud pulls out toxins as it dries). There’s also electrotherapy to cure muscle spasms and increase circulation. Nowadays a beauty and wellness department assists with 21st-century treatments including waxing, detox baths, fruit facials and teen facials (to treat blackheads and whiteheads). Nice. The rambling resort hotel is ringed with trees that thrive in a sun-blessed microclimate'.

It seems to contrast Sascha's experience as well as what can be found on Tripadvisor which rates Hotel Banjisht (which is part of the spa complex) with 3 stars out of five, with inconsistent reviews. So maybe the Guardian is more focussed on the budget than the experience per sé?

More on the history of the thermal origins from a website named Macedoniatimeless:

'Debar is a small town in western Macedonia, but with a long history. The Debar region is rich in various thermo-mineral waters, which are located in the villages of Banjishte and Kosovrasti, where today two modern spa centers are located under the same names. Although there are many legends about these sources, the oldest testament to the existence of balneotherapy in this region are the two ancient pools in Banjishte. They were built in 1797 by Hadji Mujedin, son of Numan Efendi, members of the old Oruchi Zade Debar family of 1010. These pools have been recently renovated and can be visited.

Debar baths were founded on February 21, 1948, as the best spa resort in the former Yugoslavia, the doors of which were opened only to politicians, army generals and the high class of society. The claims that these spas were the best were confirmed in the 70s of the last century. At a time when the Debar region was visited by an expert team composed of doctors, geologists and physicists from France and Germany. Reports from the scientific studies that were conducted, pointed out that thermo-mineral waters in the city of Debar, contain about 4 grams of various minerals per 1 liter of water, an amount that today no other thermo-mineral spring in Europe has. The mineral structure is unique, and the water is classified as the most healing in this continent'.

This is the Hotel Banjisht website and their rather empty Facebook page.

Discrete

Right, with this in mind let's let Sascha continue:

After my spa visit, I wanted to return back to the car on the parking place, but saw a big info sign with hiking routes. This also mentioned some hot springs in the surroundings. !

Strange. One of the (natural) hot springs should have been directly next from the parking place. Well, I looked to my right and found the entrance behind me. Ok, entrance is a big word, I guess it is not permitted for the public to pass the fences, so take attention to pass discreetly.

Follow the the pipeline for around 100 m.

Here, only people on the hiking trail could discover you.

And reach the little hut with the pool inside.

Hide your clothes and enjoy a perfect soak in crystal clear water at around 39°-40°C.

The spring is at the end of the pool inside. On the walls you will detect yellow sulphur from the steam. No need to say that the sulphur smell is very strong, lingering for days after.

On the bottom are big kind of lava stones and no mud.

The water from this spring is used in the spa complex and there is not too much littering in the surrounding. Please keep at least this hot spring clean if you intend to visit it. A very nice and still unknown spring!

In the surroundings there seems to be another hot spring, but because of the snow in the mountains, the access was too difficult.

 And on a parting note to Debar:

Finally, another spa resort, rather family orientated, exists near Debar itself. But it was closed at the time of visiting.

Named Kosovrast Resort And Spa, this 75 room resort (and large outdoor pool) gets better reviews than Banjishte from Tripadvisor. Google reviews are also not too bad, though also very fluctuating reviews. Possibly the expectations of the visitors differs?

Sascha with a final note of his trip:

Well, 3 hot springs in one week with all the Covid-19 restrictions is  not bad

Retrospect

And the warmer main pool

Part II of Sascha's soaking trip to North Macedonia sees him visit another easy to access hot spring from the capital of Skopje.

Sascha:

'A trip to the hot spring of Banja Strnovac can be easily combined with Katlanovo hot spring if you are with a car. 

However, the Strnovac hot spring is much less beautiful than that of Katlanovo; the main impression that remains is of the garbage around the pool. 

Pictures from the internet show the hot spring in a better shape: somebody had in the past had the good idea to create a beautiful place for recreation but now it was more or less abandoned. However, it still seems to be quite popular with locals.

To get there, first head to the town of Kumanovo, there’s a nice church to visit here. At the end of the town (close to the school) the village road crosses the main road. Follow the former village road that heads out to the countryside. In fact, Google maps shows the hot spring but not the road to get there. After 1 or 2 kilometers the road becomes dirt, but no need for a high clearance car. Soon after, you will see the two pools and the spring building.

A sign mentions that the thermal water is 39.5°C hot, so no need to measure. Take your flipflops with you because of the mud and the garbage. 

In retrospective, I would say, this hot spring is rather for locals or if you are really interested to discover hot springs, otherwise it is not worth to go there. 

Some impressions [including lead photo]:

The spring building. According to internet comments, there are gases inside, that should not be inhaled.

 The second colder pool'.

Legends

Probably one of the better finds on info regarding the Strnovac soak is that in German from ARD-Wien (7 Dec. 2019). Concerning the recent history:

'In der Zeit des Kommunismus war hier bereits eine heiße Quelle bekannt, die von den Menschen zur Linderung körperlicher Leiden aufgesucht wurde. Man wollte das Wasser dann auch für die Landwirtschaft nutzen und führte eine Tiefenbohrung durch. Allerdings wurde dieses Projekt durch den Zerfall Jugoslawiens nie fertig umgesetzt. Es blieb die Quelle, und diese wurde weiterhin von Einheimischen zur Kur genutzt. So auch vor etwa 20 Jahren von der Frau eines Gastarbeiters aus Deutschland. Nach zwei Wochen Behandlung mit dem Heilwasser von Strnovac war die Frau wieder gesund – so die Legende. Der dankbare Ehemann ließ daraufhin den Pool errichten'.

The website igeografija has more info. And in English:

'Near the village. Strnovac in the municipality of Staro Nagoricane, only 17 km from the city of Kumanovo, next to the riverbed of the river Pchinja has a thermo-mineral spring-well, from which comes hot water with a temperature of 40 ° C and a flow of 35 liters per second. The water comes from a depth of 300 meters, has a large fortress and a significant amount of iron, sulfur and hydrocarbon. The water from the well is trapped and flows into two pools that are used as a bath.

...

Despite the excellent characteristics of the water and the beauties of the surrounding area, today this site is almost not tidy and suitable for tourists'.

It also has a whole list of suggestions to enhance the facilities so as to make it more worthy (read less attractive as a wild hot spring).

Macedonian sdk.mk (20 Aug. 2018) has an article also illuminating the pipe dream of development. Some translated snippets:

'The thermal mineral water in the spa Strnovac, Municipality of Staro Nagoricane, will never get a concessionaire, although for decades it has been promised that this natural source will be used for the development of spa tourism in the region.

...

If this was in Slovenia or Germany, they would make a paradise on earth. The state would have earned money and money. Ours can not even find someone to manage it. Nothing is valued in our country, that's why we came here. "This swimming pool would not have existed had it not been made by a gastra byte from Cvetishince, who was satisfied with the healing of the water", says a pensioner who was in the pool with his wife, and he is a returnee from abroad.

...

The last call in 2016 announced the urbanization of 5 hectares of land, which will be sold at a starting price of one euro for the construction of hotels, spas and wellness centers, but everything remained promising.

...

The benefits of the healing water are used by 200 to 300 visitors a day, mostly on weekends and in the evening.

...

When asked if they come to the bathroom to consult a doctor, everyone was unanimous that they are here on their own.

"Your body is a doctor here. "If you like the spa, you immediately feel better and the water relaxes you, if not the first time you enter, you will faint or get sick and you will not have to look for anything else here," said another swimmer from Belgrade, who says he comes to the spa regularly while staying. with his family in Kumanovo'.

Finally, it's again referring to Fromrustoroadtrip who report on a visit to this hot spring and give this a 3.25 star rating (out of 5). That's in contrast to Katlanovo, which scores a full star higher.

Doubting

asasteinars

When in doubt, go hot springing!

These days are spent updating websites, prepare @vanlife_iceland for next summer and doing accounting 🧾. Feels so good to get certain things done and outdoor days can wait until Iceland has more daylight ☺️🙌🏼 But there are soo many exciting things in the pipeline, which are making me very excited about next year. #Iceland

A quick post on some finds from Iceland.

Icelands volcanic origin is momentarily very much on display. The following gentleman decided that this called for more exposure. As reported by CNN (Mar. 25):

'Stripping off a few layers when things heat up can often be the most natural thing in the world.

Few of us, however, would attempt it in front of a crowd of hundreds while stood in front of a volcano spewing lava.

But adventure tour guide Sveinn Snorri Sighvatsson has gone viral for doing just that during a visit to Geldingadalur in Iceland's Reykjanes peninsula.

His impromptu striptease took place as revelers gathered at the site of the erupting volcano to watch the remarkable display, which began last Friday.

Sighvatsson, who works for tour company I Am Iceland, was asked to model the Pit Viper shades as a favor and decided to take things up a gear to ensure maximum exposure'.

sveinnss

A normal day at the office

I myself would prefer to stick to soaking.

ultreya84

La mia prima spa... O qualcosa di simile

#islanda #iceland #paradiceland #hotpot #landbrotalaug #landbrotalaughotspring #hotspring #naturalpool #geothermalpool #naturalgeothermalpool #piscinanaturale #panorama #landscape #wildnature #wild #intothewild #wildattitude #wildaddict #outdooractive #outdooraddict #outdoorattitude #wilderness #outdoor #nature

📷@simomauz

wanderashes

Secret spots steal my heart💚 #wheniniceland #westfjords #icelandsecret

ferny__t

Friday feeling. That moment when we all threw our underwear and our self shaming to the side and said WHY NOT? I still got the visual of everyone's bottoms tottering down the geothermal river and it makes me BEAM. The morning after at breakfast, all fully clothed with a cheeky glisten in the eyes - did that reeeeeeallly happen? Yes it did, and it was freakin' marvellous. In truth it felt a bit weird to wear clothes again for reasons other than functionality. The naked spirit had been set freeeeee.

.

@maison_fish

#fridayfeeling#bodypositive#freedom#nakedspirit

#asnatureintended#wildchild#whynot

#icelandretreat#yogaretreat

And finally a photo from Askja, whereby I seem to have lost the original link.