I swear to God I can do it againLiving on better days I don't have further choice.I swear on me I won't dive in my sins I will quiet my thoughts,Simply walk on my own.@0riles #iswear #payingformysins #myown #equanimity #conscience #gaia #energy #naturalthermalpools
Content. And some add-ons.
Starting off with Lonely Planet. It notes (Jan. 29) this years Euro hot springs to visit:
'... a rundown of some of Europe’s best hot springs if you're looking for a proper soak in 2023'.
Not all natural, some historical, but just a few non-developed.
Concerning the non-developed at no. 12:
'Pantelleria, ItalyThe vibe: One for the fashion setThis tiny volcanic island in the Strait of Sicily (and not far from Tunisia) houses a series of natural, non-commercial pools. Among the most popular is the harbor at Gadir, where locals (notably Giorgio Armani, who owns a holiday home here) head to bathe in the restorative waters, said to soothe rheumatism and arthritis'.
Also mentioned by Lonely Planet is central Germany Wiesbaden's Kaiser Friedrich Therme. However a quick glance at their website (Feb. 15) reveals:
'Aufgrund der aktuellen Energiekrise setzt mattiaqua die Energiesparmaßnahme um, die Kaiser-Friedrich-Therme bis auf Weiteres zu schließen.
Closed until further notice!
Contrasting, the northern French city of Nancy will open the doors of it's new thermal center according to a post on Facebook (Jan. 15). This is to happen on April 1 (oh-o). Translated:
'Thermalism in Nancy has more than a century of history. In 1909, at the initiative of the architect Louis Lanternier, a first borehole at more than 800 meters deep caused water to flow at 36°. The therapeutic value of this water is quickly recognized by the Academy of Medicine. Then in 1913 a thermal establishment was born and welcomed its first curists. Closed after WWII, so it won't have to wait until 2023 for thermalism to be reborn in Nancy with a brand new face!
More info here and at the website Nancythermal.
Impressions are that it will be the very French one-style fits all, no surprises then.
Elsewhere in France, the source Croizat (Auvergne) has been gaining media attention. Francebleu (Feb. 13):
'Auvergnats et touristes sont nombreux à venir profiter des bains chauds de la source Croizat, près du Mont-Dore dans le Puy-de-Dôme. Et ce malgré l'interdiction de la baignade'.
'The source can count on these regulars, like Shaidy, who came with his girlfriend Camille. He has been visiting the site for 10 years: "It's paradise, he says. Places like that, in the middle of nature where there is no technology around you, it's the best"....If on site the success of the hot baths of the Croizat source is beyond doubt, swimming has normally been prohibited since 2016, following a municipal decree. In addition, in April 2021, the town hall of La Bourboule, owner of the site, had the infrastructures around the source destroyed, but since then two basins have been rebuilt clandestinely. Today the mayor of La Bourboule, François Constantin, wishes "the return of security, tranquility and public health" on the site'.
Remi Carruttys, February 14 at 6:09 PM
Reportage sur le 13h de tf1 demain sur la source croizat
The same Francebleu also has a tv item.
Not to be outdone, regional TV TF1 (Feb. 15) has also an item on the "controversy". Noting the comments (>13) it's the age-old adage: Tragedy of the Commons. Only social regulation will save the ability for all to enjoy the hot springs in the future.
Finaly a word from the source's foremost preservationist (and hero(?)) Fico Gomez:
'In its nonchalant, full of bonhomony aspect, the subject is not addressed in depth. The story of this source deserves more attention, less lightness and more objectivity... Not a single word about the 35,000 people who signed the petition demanding the restoration of the Spring Basins...Not a single word of the arrangement that was done in 2011 by the General Council that had completely secured the siteNot a word about the ransacking of the edges of the source by bulldozers who destroyed, uprooted 20ft tall trees, poured 3m3 of concrete in front of the source (to remove them 2 days later)... ha nuh ... It's better to cynically talk about prohibition, safety, cleanliness, while the real dirt is known... Destroying a UNESCO protected area with bulldozers in large quantities would have led to sanctions'.
Tip
Over then to the sauna world, Europe-wise.
Trouble in the pop-up saunaland, in particular Norway. The sauna at Sollerud is under threat, so report a number of instagram posts as well as the original website run by FJORDTOKT Båt & Badstu.
It's all a bit complicated. From the website, a petition (created 8 Dec. 2022) and google translated:
'Do you want to preserve the sauna at Sollerud? Then it is important that we show local commitment and can collect as many signatures as possible to convince Oslo municipality of the need for this simple, but positive and publicly beneficial activity offer in the local environment! Oslo municipality has given signals that it is not desirable to have a sauna on Sollerud and is thereby opposing the city council's own platform to work for more saunas along our coast. The sauna on the tip of the breakwater at Sollerud has been in operation for just over a year, to the delight of over 9,500 visitors and has provided a long-awaited offer to the local community from both sides of the municipal border where the Lysaker River separates Oslo and Bærum'.
The objective had been to garner 300 signatures. As of 15-2-2023 the petition was closed with more than 1700 voicing their support for continuation of the sauna.
The successful petition makes it's way to the national press (Aftenpost, Jan. 31), an article which tries to understand the problem. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems the floating sauna licence would be cancelled because according to some it's not a boat, whereas the permission would only apply to boats.
On the 27th of January more broader support is mentioned (f.i. local schools).
A next Insta post (Jan. 31) reports that official permission has been received ...
More trouble, particularly in the dress-up/dress down section.
LTO.de looks (Jan. 13) at the implications of modernity and the path to equality for all (finally!) and notes that current German laws would not permit transwomen in women-only sauna's. However it does seem that the situation is set to change. Translated intro to the article:
'Actually, the traffic light [= current German government coalition] wanted to present a law as early as 2022 that would improve the legal status of trans people. But now the Federal Minister of Justice is on the brakes - because he is concerned about the legal status of sauna operators'.
It's all about the penis apparently.
More or less on the same subject.
In Silkeborg (Denmark) there's a topical discussion of dress rules while enjoying the council's owned saunas and then using the adjacent lake for swimming and cooling off.
I've used google translate to inform myself and to share this piece from tv2ØstJylland (Feb. 14):
'The debate has raged, but now Silkeborg Municipality is making it absolutely clear:People should not be required to be undressed in a sauna. Not when it is municipally owned.- There should not be rules on how one should be dressed in a sauna if it excludes many, says Johan Brødsgaard (R), who is chairman of the Culture, Leisure, Outdoor and Sports Committee in Silkeborg. The announcement comes after Heidi Møller described to TV2 Østjylland how she had been met with a demand not to wear swimwear in the sauna at the club Sauna- og Vinterbaderforeningen Almind-Wellet [2,500 members!]'.
From a follow up article (Feb. 15):
'It is not only in East Jutland that the debate about swimwear in saunas takes place.According to former chairman of the Danish Sauna Association Michael Besnier Jensen, it has been discussed in most sauna and winter bathing associations across the country.- The waves can be high. There are many winter swimming associations that say that it is forbidden to wear swimwear, many say that you must wear clothes and some say that you can choose for yourself, he says. According to him, the sauna company's position is that it is best to go to the sauna without clothes on.- You should not wrap yourself in the sauna. It's a form of bathing, and no one puts on swimwear under the shower, for example, says Michael Besnier Jensen. Despite that, he believes that there should be room for everyone in the saunas, and that it should therefore be optional whether you want to wear swimwear or not.- You must be allowed to choose yourself, then there is not so much nonsense. You must be allowed to both be naked and wear swimwear, and then people must respect each other's choices'.
spa date 💜#spaday #couplegoals #illustration #relaxingart #wellnessthatworks #bathillustration #facemaskselfie #selfcaresunday #selfcareart #levysfriends #feministartist #saunatime #alissalevy #saunalife
Ditched
More then on soaking shares, though the first item possibly doesn't meet the mark.
Erio Rosetti posts (Feb. 11) about a sulphurous spring named Cappellina on the Taluro(?) river near Marradi (Florence, Italy). On this page some further info (translated):
'About two miles from Marradi, in the bed of the Taluro ditch, there are two springs of fresh sulphurous waters. one to the left of Taluro himself; the other to the right. However, as there is a Cappellina close to the source, which is on the left, some give this still the name of Acqua della Cappellina'.
Placesofjuma visits (Jan. 2) the San Filippo hot springs in Tuscany:
'Locals and tourists appreciate the beneficial effects of the Bagni San Filippo springs and are fascinated by the experience of bathing in the middle of the forest and in the warm river water. Keep in mind, however, that there are no sanitary facilities or changing rooms on site. Here you are completely in nature, which is what makes a visit actually so appealing'.
The Czech Republic town of Karlovy Vary is an old fashioned spa. Wanderingcarol (Feb. 7) looks at what to when visiting here. Though the town owes its existence to the occurrence of hot springs, Carol finds many more things to do, until at the end of the article she does suggest to take a spa:
'A Karlovy Vary spa treatment is part of the fun. Traditionally, spa vacations here are full packages that run for a week to three weeks, but as Karlovy Vary tourism increases, there are more options for day spas.Many hotels offer some sort of spa treatment options and, as a spa fanatic, I think delving into the traditional world of Czech spas is one of the absolute best things to do in Karlovy Vary.It’s not for everyone though. Treatments are much more clinical than in North America, and your naked body isn’t always carefully hidden from the therapist’s view'.
Alisha McDarris on Adventure.com (Dec. 15) shares her experience of taking a Turkish hammam bath (Istanbul). Again it's one of these articles in which a US author tries to come to terms with nudity (beit same-sex nudity) and ends up with the reference to how the fuss was all about nothing. If anything it's empowering (as usual):
'And as the last tassels of that towel swept across my skin, leaving me on display in nothing more than rubber sandals and a paper thong, I forced out a small chuckle as I took a seat across from two Australians lounging in comfort—more comfortable than I was, anyway. I sat rigidly upright, sucking in my stomach and pressing my back against the heated marble.They smiled and started to chat. And somehow, their comfort in their own skin—their nonchalance, their willingness to carry on a conversation totally naked with complete strangers—wafted over on the steamy airwaves of the bright white room and I breathed it in, feeling my shoulders sink away from my earlobes....The essence of travel may not be standing naked and afraid in a spa in a foreign country, but it is experiencing the very heart of a culture in a way you can’t ignore and that has the power to change you at the core.I’m not saying I’m ready to try hiking naked or that I’ll direct myself to the nearest nude beach, but the next time I find myself in a women’s locker room or sauna, I may not be so bashful to drop my towel'.
Forbes comes with an odd article (Jan. 17):
'Where To Get Naked With The Northern Lights?
Though one might suspect that there's little to connect the two, the article reckons if bathing and observing northern lights, you are better off than just standing and taking in the sights. There is some logic to this.
Also note that Forbes does not mean naked-naked, but suited-up naked. The title is just a teaser. Half the places served up are in northern Europe.
Invites
Back to the sauna.
Routesnorth shares (Jan. 13) the Swedish sauna etiquette:
'Here are some handy pointers to help to ease your pre-sauna worries....The first thing to remember is that, for many Swedes, there’s nothing particularly odd (or sexy) about getting naked in the sauna.Not having clothes sticking to your skin just makes the whole sauna experience a bit more comfortable, and some purists even consider it unhygienic to bring swimwear into the sauna....Swedes aren’t always completely naked in the bastu (sauna). Often they’ll wrap a towel around their dangly bits, and in certain cases, bikinis and swimming shorts are worn too.Attitudes towards nakedness are also changing, and in many cases young people are now more likely to cover up than older generations....At lakeside saunas and those up in mountain ski resorts, it’s fairly common for folks to be naked in the sauna and then dash out for a swim (or a roll around in the snow) without bothering to put clothes on in between....The main difference between a Finnish sauna and a Swedish one is the humidity. Swedes prefer a dry sauna, while Finns like their saunas more like a steam bath.Most Finns have saunas at home in their houses – there are 3.3 million saunas in Finland in a country of 5.5 million people! – while Swedes like to go out for a sauna with friends or after doing sport.Swedes don’t generally whack themselves with bundles of birch leaves in the sauna, while this is common practice in Finland (as well as parts of Russia), and supposedly helps to stimulate the pores'.
Had the treat of spending a morning with a friend and lifelong advocate of sweat bathing @mikkel.aaland who was present in inception stage of Beach Box at the International Sauna Congress is 2018.He’s host for a new TV series @perfect.sweat that will be released next year - much excitement in the sweat bathing world for this!#repost 📸 @perfect.sweat After an incredibly successful four year run Brighton Beach Box Sauna is moving to a new location. I am fortunate to see it in action before it moves.
Sauna diplomacy? Apparently. BBC News reports (Jan. 19) on the odd case on Finnish embassy in London having a sauna and inviting diplomats to join in.
'The format for "sauna diplomacy" is simple. Finnish diplomats invite their contacts to the UK embassy. Introductions are made, a drink is had, and then it's time to gets changed. The women head off to the sauna by themselves. When they are done, the men have their turn. At the end, everyone gathers for another drink and a small bite to eat'.
sweating those kilometres away.#luirojärvi #sauna #followingthewhiterabbit #metsähallitus #ukkpuisto #koilliskaira #erämaa #vaellus #tunturi #outdoor #wintertrek
A documentary film on the Estonian tradition of smoke saunas has moved up in our world. Apparently the rights to this docu has been sold to an Austrian company, significance of this is beyond me, but there you have it (Variety, Jan. 19):
‘Smoke Sauna Sisterhood’ is a unique screening experience, best to watch with friends,” said Autlooks’ director of sales, Salma Abdalla. “Composed for the big screen, Anna Hints crafted a narrative that feels both extremely intimate and inclusive. The esthetically beautiful setting of a smoke sauna in the Estonian forests is filled with humanity, authenticity and humor.”
According to the accompanying insta account (Jan. 27):
'The Directing Award at Sundance Film Festival for SMOKE SAUNA SISTERHOOD'.
Finally, Flemish newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws introduces it's readers to 7 local saunas (Jan. 22).
