La lluvia limpia.#galicia #galiciarural #ruralgalego #prexigueiro #ribeiro #ribadavia #ourense #ourensetermal #termas #hotsprings #warmwaterbron #wanderlust #theoutbound #folkgreen #thefolkpr0ject #oldtonecollective #solarcollective #stayandwander #mountainlovers #mountainscape #moodnation #riverside #river #naturephotography #nature #woodland #woodlandwalk #treephotography #treesofinstagram
My apologies. As I am looking at what to post, the list is getting ever longer, so it maybe a considerable read.
Let's start off with a Pan-European article.
What are the most instagrammable hot springs? Travel and Leisure (Dec. 2020) refer to research by Park Dean Resorts who have compiled a list which sees 4 Euro soaks in their global top 10.
Alas, only Saturnia (see paragraph below) is the sole natural soak and in a natural setting.
Blue Lagoon (Iceland) stands at the no. 1 position with nearly twice as many hashtags as the no. 2, Szechenyi, Budapest (Hungary).
In the Top 10-25, another 4 European based baths make the cut, with Icelands Reykjaladur (photo below) the only other European natural hot spring in natural setting to make the list.
❤️
Sticking to Iceland and tops this or that:
- Pickyourtrail (Jun. 25) has a Top 10 Hot springs in Iceland
- Happyis (Jun. 9) has 5 Free Hot springs in Iceland:
'Icelandic bathing culture is a tradition that can be traced back centuries. It is definitely an experience not to be missed on any trip to Iceland. Experiencing a natural thermal pool amongst the majestic beauty of the Icelandic landscape is my top recommendation for anyone travelling to this island. So… I’ve pulled together a list of my favourite free hot springs in Iceland, because as the saying goes, the best things in life are free'.
- Icelandtrippers (Jun. 10) has 10 Best Icelandic Hot springs. And a map.
- Hekla.com has a recently compiled Top 10 Natural Hot springs in Iceland.
- Icelandwithaview (Jun. 14) has 8 Reasons why to hike to Reykjadalur, none which endear itself I would think to potential hikers. In the fyi section:
'Yes, you need to get naked in the wilderness with people around. Get over it. In Iceland, nobody cares'.
[Werbung, da Markierungen] Take a bath in a Hot Pool ✔️.Gestern haben wir ein Bad in der heißen Quelle von Landbrotalaug genommen und ich muss sagen, nach ein paar Minuten war uns schon ziemlich heiß 🙈 die Quellen sind so winzig, dass nicht mehr als zwei Personen dort rein passen 😵 es gibt dort nur zwei Quellen! Glücklicherweise waren wir allein dort und das bei Abendlichtstimmung 😍...#hotsprings #hotpool #quelle #landbrotalaug #pool #island #iceland #blondgirl #snaefellsnes #travel #travelgoals #travelgoalzs #visiticeland #reisen #reiselust #reiseblog #prettylittleiiinspo #prettylittletrips #dreamyygoals #reykjavik #sunset #love
Reykjavik Grapevine (Jun. 4) checks out the newest addition of less natural hot spring facilities on Iceland: the Sky Lagoon.
The report is not really worthwhile sharing: it was pre-opening. Cheapest entry pass is nearly €50, so expect or hope to expect luxury.
ThinkGeoenergy (May 10) adds:
'Ideally located just minutes from Reykjavik’s vibrant city centre, the relaxing and restorative retreat brings a modern approach to traditional Icelandic bathing culture. Features of the geothermal lagoon include an ocean-side 75-metre, (246 ft), infinity edge showcasing expansive ocean and sky views, a sauna boasting Iceland’s largest window, and an overall design inspired by historic turf houses. The project was developed by Canadian attraction and experiences company Pursuit'.
Reviews for Sky Lagoon:
- Google with more than 100 reviews rates the Sky Lagoon a 4.7.
Visir.is (May 22) looks at all these less natural resorts available currently in Iceland and their family friendliness. Apparently that means it's all about pricing:
'Of the places that were inspected, it is cheapest for the family in question to go to Laugarvatn Fontana where it would pay ISK 9,900 for the whole group. However, it would be most expensive to go to the newly opened Sky Lagoon in Kársnes, even though it is assumed that the youngest child will not be allowed to set foot in the lagoon due to the age restrictions'.
There are quite a few examples of geothermal power generation with hot soaking as a spin off. Think Blue Lagoon. ThinkGeoenergy reports (Jun. 17) though on the opposite: swimming pools generating power.
Krauma geothermal bath has installed a heat exchanger which cools it's very hot waters and now generates sufficient power for it's own needs.
The Reykjavik Grapevine (Jun. 7) has another peculiarity. Apparently a farmer has a geysir is his garden:
'Last week on Tuesday, a farmer was (un)pleasantly surprised by a geyser in his yard, Vísir reports. An old borehole for hot water, that had not been useful for over thirty years, has turned into a geyser and has since erupted several times per hour at a height of approximately thirty meters'.
Sacrifice
Soaking in Europe has always been part of its bathing culture. Following are more on Europe's bathing culture in general.
Sauna. Nude (May 23) has a post on the practice of sauna aufguss:
'The essence of the procedure is that several people go into a dry sauna (90-100 ° C), in which there are hot stones in the middle. The attendant (aufguss-master) pours water with essential oils (mint, orange, eucalyptus and others) on these stones in small portions, as a result of which the steam rises to the ceiling of the sauna.He uses a towel to disperse the steam, first over the entire area of the ceiling, and then with sharp movements of the towel from top to bottom directs the hot steam, which collects under the ceiling of the sauna, to everyone in the sauna, or to several people at once. Then he again pours some water over the stones, and the procedure is repeated several times'.
The article refers to the pronoun he, as the authors experience is that the Aufguss Meister is nearly always male. My own experience though differs, there doesn't seem to be a specific gender role as such. It's more about the technique of swirling of the towel as well as the ability to cater to and to bond with the sauna guests and make them feel as relaxed as possible.
Mostlyamelie (Jun. 14) experiences a hammam in Istanbul.
'I read so many Turkish naked hammam horror stories online from other travel bloggers that my curiosity got sufficiently piqued: I just had to volunteer myself on the naked altar of the body scrub sacrifice for the greater good of this blog (I know, tough…) – a rather painful and awkward experience by many if not all accounts, and see what this Turkish hammam nude experience was all about....Unlike some of the horrifying tales I have read online, I feel serene, relaxed, cleansed and my skin feels amazing. I would go to a naked Turkish bath every damn day if I could! It’s such a beautiful ritual and tradition and I urge you to try one if you visit Turkey'.
Odd though with remarks are dated to 2016. And that it was not a 100% naked experience (no, I don't know how much % bikini briefs counts as).
The author does undergo a German sauna experience (Mar. 16; though again comments are from 5 years ago?):
'Whereas I came here to experience what a nude spa Germany was all about, at the end of the day, these were all very trivial points in the grander scheme of things. I had the most relaxing day ever and, if anything, being naked simply contributed to making me feel really awesome about myself and super relaxed. Not what I expected!'
Maitravelsite (Jun. 28) also on sauna's, but from Finland:
'Few traditions are as rooted to the Finnish way of life as the sauna experience. So much, in fact, that most hotels have them (even if they are North of the Arctic Circle, where I also experienced one) and even families tend to have one in their homes, when they can.If not, will often visit the closest one for a good dose of extreme heat and humidity.As a visitor this may seem a bit odd, but when you remember that the average temperature of the country is around 0ºC things begin to make some sense- Finnish people don’t really have too many opportunities to experience heat and humidity, or wear few clothes'.
« While Russia still harbours a patriarchal culture with strict beauty standards for women and a squeamishness towards nudity, the banya is often a space of emancipation, where the body is not sexualised but connected to corporality and spirit. »⠀Very interesting and beautiful article on the cultural significance of the Russian bathhouse or banya.⠀Link in bio.⠀⠀Words by @annartemieva📸 by @sashakulak⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀#semiotics #semiology #sémiotique #sémiologie #семиотика #семиология #linguistics #linguistique #humanities #scienceshumaines #лингвистика #photography #photographie #фотография #баня #banya #russia #russie #россия
'8. Have the baths changed your own attitude towards your body and nakedness - and how?The bathhouse [banya] taught me to appreciate the body, be more restrained and respect it, not hiding it.It was easy for me to undress, but now it is free.
The interview is in response to an article in the Calvert Journal (Feb. 26) by the Nudeblog author Anna:
A very interesting article with good photography.'Anna Artemieva started @nudeblog — a dedicated blog sharing the best of banya culture, aesthetics, and expertise — in 2017. She had been inspired by a trip to Finland to explore local sauna traditions and ceremonies, a journey that made her reflect on the importance of the bathhouse in Russia. Over the years, she has educated her readers and contributed to a growing banya renaissance, as more and more young people become interested in bathhouses as a part of contemporary Russian life. Together with photographer Sasha Kulak, she has also explored the way that banya culture shapes how people look at the naked body — and especially the female body). While Russia still harbours a patriarchal culture with strict beauty standards for women and a squeamishness towards nudity, the banya is often a space of emancipation, where the body is not sexualised but connected to corporality and spirit....The banya takes away the taboo of corporality. It exposes us to the body simply as it is, without projecting our own thoughts, ideas, and prejudices upon it. The banya has taught me to appreciate my body, to openly respect it and treat it with care. I have always felt free being naked, but I have learned to appreciate the special beauty of the moment thanks to the banya. Nudity is not about obscenity, but about purity, soul, and spirituality — and you can find all of those things in the banya itself'.
A different take on German sauna culture.
Mostly these articles are by surprised / curious bloggers who are suprised / content with what they experience.
Meanderingnaturist (Jul. 2021) has an updated article referring to the differences in German spa's and their respective clientèle (and how they act naked), though the places visited are basically all in or around Berlin. Times of visits, places and aura determined very much who were also visiting, nothing new there I suppose. Conclusion:
'What did the study prove? Well… naked humans are simply human, but naked! Profound… I know! 😐
Surprise
pinktinkerbell76 in the south of France:
Finde de relax amb la millor de les companyies 💦☀️🏕
Seeing it's been quite some time since more in-depth and short notes have been sent your way, there's rather a lot to share.
For instance this article I stumbled on.
Eldario.es (May 17) reports on a Roman bath house find on the Spanish coast near Cabo de Trafalgar. Dating back for possibly 2000 years it has been buried for centuries under sands and had only recently reluctantly revealed itself. A dig ensued. From the article and translated:
'... have found that it is a sophisticated rural thermal complex, which had a hot air circuit fed by an oven that emanated through chambers in the floor and in the walls.His hypothesis is that these hot springs would serve to provide a hygiene and leisure service to the workers of the traps, salting factories and aquaculture in the area, jobs that surely impregnated smell and dirt to those who used it'.
Archaeology (Jun. 2020) also reports the finding of a Roman bath; this time in the town of Baden, Switzerland:
“We thought we might find the bath here, but it was still a huge surprise when we saw that it was in such good condition,” said archaeologist Andrea Schaer of Bern University'.
A website dedicated to lavoirs. What were lavoirs? Their website:
A lavoir is a public basin for washing clothes. The washhouse is supplied with water either by a source or a stream, generally covered where the washerwomen washed the laundry. Some were equipped with fireplaces to produce the ash needed for bleaching. In stones, bricks, or more modestly in wood or cob, they deserve to be preserved.
I hope you understand that we are still talking about the past, there are precious few which see any public use nowadays.
The website jots down each and every lavoir in France (current database numbers 19,670!), clearly a lot of dedication involved.
So why share this?
Entrance number 66800 is a lavoir in Llo (Pyrénées-Occidental). Situated at the back of the thermal baths it's noted to have a temperature of 33C. Which means that nowadays it could double up as a warm soak. Or as place to photograph a model:
More historical baths. The Lamp Baths of St Petersburg have reopened (topspb, Apr. 22):
'After a long renovation, the Lamp Baths are opening in St. Petersburg. This is one of the iconic objects of old St. Petersburg, which has been under restoration since 2014. To the credit of the owners, they have preserved not only the historical appearance of the building, but also its historical purpose'.
Rolling
Then more topical notes.
Starting off in Italy.
Tusciaweb (Jun. 7) reports on long term hot springs activist Giovanni Faperdue. Not only has he won his battle to ensure public access to the hot waters surrounding Viterbo (Lazio), but he is now accorded with taking a political position in the Lega Nord party, as head of their "dipartimento termalismo".
From here just slightly to the north. Traveladdicts has an article (May 10) on the Saturnia hot springs (Tuscany), that instagrammable soak. Heed this advice:
'Moderate your expectationsThe springs are free, so it is helpful to think of them a bit like your public swimming pool. You’re likely to encounter kids splashing and playing, obnoxious tourists, people hogging the waterfall baths, and other inconsiderate behavior. Just roll with it'.
'In essence, Enzo Albertini reveals that what gives the geothermal pizza its signature qualities is that it is prepared and in tuffaceous chambers in which it leavens for 24 to 48 hours and is then baked in a tuffaceous oven. More specifically, this unique combination of history, geology, archaeology and cuisine can only be found in this marvel of a place - Naples Underground (Napoli Sotterranea)'.
Elsewhere. Vidviday (May 14) notes
"5 reasons to visit thermal waters in Kosino".
They will tell you everything you need to know. Kosino, btw is just over the border from Hungary, in Ukraine.
Looking for (potential) hot springs in Hungary? This Geomap assists with an in-depth overview of all boreholes.
Péterpictures knows a couple of unknown hot springs / boreholes north of Budapest, such as below:
Mothers day! ❤️ #mothersday #mother #mothersdaygift #naturalhotsprings #hotsprings #hotwater #thermalsprings #thermalbaths #hungary
Proininews (Jun. 7) reports on the annual opening of Krinides mud baths (Greek Macedonia).
Travelpassionate (Oct. 2020) has an recent extensive 'how to' guide of these mud baths, while Greececonfidential (Nov. 2020; photo below) shares an experience as well as Midnight blue elephant (Sep. 2020) has likewise.
Beautiful hot springs even? Greekcitytimes (Mar. 28) names the nations most beautiful. But also therapeutic. I counted 8 contributions, which is just a small part of what's on offer in Greece.
And then to log off, a slightly older find (Oct. 2018). Tim-sara account of soaking at Thermopiles (Central Greece):
'The reason we went to Thermopiles in the first place was that it was marked with a little star on our map. You should absolutely go there if you love hot pools! Beautiful in winter with more than 40 degrees celsius.At the main gateway UNHCR built a refugee camp, so at first you don’t really know what’s going on. That day the baths were reserved for women so we decided to park our van a few hundred meters down the river and enjoyed three days right by the hot sulfur pools!'
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