Freedom (n.): To ask nothing. To expect nothing. To depend on nothing.
•
Had
to camp in my car last night because of the rain, but this is what I
got to wake up to. I have never felt solitude like this. Here's to
making every Monday feel this way... #grateful
Somehow I acquire all these beautiful photo's originating from / taken in Iceland with very few opportunities to drop them on this blog: there are simply too many! So without further ado, just a few out of what I have saved, let these photo's take you on a tour of Iceland and chill with the opportunities to soak in nature naturally. But where to start? If flying to Iceland you'll land on Iceland's southwestern promontory. Even here there are quite a few hotpots nearby, though they seem less susceptible to soaking naturally and photographing at the same time, just one of those things I suppose. Though, fellow soakers, what's not there yet, can still come. Heading eastwards and a little inland you'll be able to find a riverine natural soak to be had at Reykjaladur valley with more (Hrunilaug and Secret Lagoon (the former though less open to an au naturel soak)) not far away.
Sis moved to Iceland, found her out in these wild lands living her best life… jeeze #hotsprings #for #lyfe
Think Heading into the Westfjords, eldritch48 locates his soak as such but which of the many hot springs here is it?
Day 4 of our epic journey finds us in the #Westfjords, working hard! #Iceland #hotsprings #vacation #hotwater #summer #hotpool #wetnwild #beardsofinstagram #thinker
Relaxing in a natural hot spring in the middle of nowhere✨💫 #perfect #moment #happiness #hotspring #nature #natural #alone #sky #northernlights #iceland #relaxing #skinnydipping #dip #hot #spring #night #hippie #travel #travelling #memories #hotpool #hottub
I've learned that life speaks in invitations. Sometimes they are hot springs when you are tired and cold at 2 am in Iceland and sometimes their packaging is a bit less lovely. Either way the invitation is always there, in the hard days and the beautiful ones, asking us to #beboundless. To go a bit further and to always be expanding - in travels, in love, and in what we create in this world. Life speaks in invitations. So much of the magic happens, not because you're perfect, but because you choose to show up.✨
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I'm so so so excited to be joining the Adobe team on some new projects coming up. I don't think I can convey how honored I am to be partnering with a company whose programs have been allowing my creativity to run free for the last 15 years. Go give the @lightroom account some love, they're sharing stories of photographers around the world and feel free to use #beBoundless to share your own work and meaning. And thank you to @missholldoll for finding this hotspring and sitting ever so still💛 #sponsored by and edited in @lightroom. #Iceland #hotsprings
Magic Edging closer to Iceland's capital, there still are some beauty's.
Hot spring hunting continues 😱☺️ I think this one is my absolute favorite! Soaking in warm water with this view 👌🏼 #Iceland
Let's start this news update with what seems a totally unnatural situation.
Iceland's Blue Lagoon hot spring is the epitome of unnaturalness as it comprises thermal waters discarded from a nearby geothermal power plant to cool down. From a ramshackle state of affairs it's evolved to be the icon of soaking and a symbol of Iceland. Heavily touristed, if anything it proves that soaking is popular way to pass time and stands as a question of why not elsewhere in Europe.
Now financial pundits have been putting a value on the Blue Lagoon? 96 million $US has been offered for a 30% stake in Blue Lagoon. So reports Think Geoenergy (Jul. 12). That's a hefty sum for what's essentially a large pool with free geothermal hot water and a hotel restaurant connected.
'The growth of the Blue Lagoon has been enormous in recent years. There
was no change last year, but the company’s income totalled EUR 77.2
million (ISK 10.3 billion, or around $81 million), based on the average
exchange rate of the euro in 2016, increasing by more than 43 percent
between years. In 2012, the Blue Lagoon’s income in comparison amounted
to only EUR 25 million. For the first time, the number of visits reached
over a million last year, with 1,122,000 visitors to the Blue Lagoon in
2016, about 200,000 more than the previous year. Revenues from bath
guests amounted to about EUR 45 million, or about 58 percent of the Blue
Lagoon’s total income'.
It shows that there's big money to be had in the soaking biz and understandably such would initiate a scramble elsewhere to seek likewise financial gains. With the exception of Iceland itself, little modernization is taking place in Europe, so we may be spared; the old and poorly developed hot soaks remaining. But for how long?
Morning shower at a secret hot spring waterfall somewhere in Iceland ;) #hotspring #visiticeland #secrethideaway
More on extinction.
Love or not (I do), soaking and nudity often go hand-in-hand.
However a CityLab report (Apr. 21) focuses on Germany's love of nakedness and questions it's vitality:
'Nudity, or Freikörperkultur, has long been a part of public life in Germany. Can it withstand an era of increasing globalization and tech?
...
... social and technological change is reshaping habits, and locations for
public nudity are being regulated by law. Cameraphones and social media
are chipping away at naturists’ sense of their own anonymity, while
tourism and Germany’s growing multiculturalism are affecting popular
attitudes in complex ways.
...
Naked bathing was once the rule across much of Europe, when people
regularly bathed naked in rivers and lakes, albeit often segregated by
sex. Indeed, the casualness of the way the medieval manuscript the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry shows French peasants warming themselves before a fire
suggests attitudes radically different from today’s. In Germany, nude
bathing became somewhat taboo towards the end of the 18th century—but
elsewhere, such as in the under-populated countryside of Scandinavia,
the practice never fully died out'.
marcoprofino.tumblr with modern day possibilities to enjoy natural thermal hot waters naturally:
Nice wellness place near Munich in Germany, Therme Erding.
There you can swim naked, enjoy in awesome sauna world as well as in massage and spa time
So since the 18th century, swimming and bathing nude has always been a fringe activity with possibly the exception of West Berlin and the former East Germany. Exceptions have been so-called sauna worlds (photo above) where tradition (and hygiene) dictates clotheslessness though even here small cracks are letting the clothed in.
If the above is the future (let's face it: there are more of us with more free time and we are getting more multi-cultural (with distinct shades of conservatism)), I'd prefer to stay in the now. If only to offer future choices, it requires us to maintain the advances of humanity and to protect the few bastions left offered from the clothing onslaught. Or am I being unnecessarily pessimistic?
Destruction My next item is a blog from Mandmtravelllers who have been trolling some lesser known areas of Southeast Europe. For instance they find the hot springs of Permet (Albania) not so hot (Jun. 27):
They also visit the Greek hot springs near Thermoplyae (Jun. 6).
'There
is a strong smell of sulfur and therefore we decide not to take
swimsuits to destroy them and go only in panties and shirts. Nobody is here. It looks like everyone is just going to the waterfall at the parking lot ... ... as if no one knew about it. The better for us. So we have privacy and I can be up without ... without shyness: DThe whole pond and only for us! Private Spa - Do not disturb!'
Bulgaria (May 26) I believe and I guess Southwest Bulgaria; apparently translation was not yet introduced on the blog.
All in all a nice overview of some of what remains before the developers (and /or hordes?) move in. Funny, hordes refers to Mongol / Tartar invasion forces of Eastern Europe (Wikipedia).
'It’s [green seaweed powder] also used at Sjávarsmiðjan: a lo-fi seaweed spa dreamt up by an
enterprising local named Svanhildur and her husband Tómas. “It was 2011
when we decided to try this,” says Svanhildur, as she prepares us a
seaweed bath back in the town. “We have a lot of hot water here—it’s
used for the houses and the swimming pool, but I was thinking of using
it for healthy things. This house was built by my husband’s father—we
put these two tubs here to test the idea.”
...
“When it’s clear you can see the Snæfellsjökull glacier from the tub,”
says Svanhildur. “We’ve had some great responses from people who camp
here in the summer. Next, we will get a new spa by the seaside. We hope
to start building it next year—we’re saving money, and talking to
investors.”
It's a very interesting concept, find more info at sjavarsmidjan.is. Icelandmagazine (Jun. 7, 2016) has an article on the same:
'Landowners in the small village of Reykhólar, in the South Westfjords on
the north coast of Breiðafjörður bay, are planning to construct a large
geothermally heated seaweed spa and bath, offering travelers the
opportunity to relax in warm water by the edge of the water'.
So plans have not yet taken off?
Iceland Monitor (May 8) reports on the introduction of beer baths in Iceland:
'Kaldi brewery in Árskógssandur, just north of Akureyri in North Iceland, will be opening beer baths and spa in the coming month. ... There will be seven beer baths in total, all suitable for two people.
All guests that have reached 20 years in age can relax in their beer
baths with a beer in hand, as there will be a pump by each bath. 20 is
legal drinking age in Iceland. According to Sigurðadóttir [CEO] bookings are going well even though they
haven’t opened yet, she points out most people are interested in doing
something different'.
Likewise you could also use clay for a bath. I found this on clay baths from 2015 (May 11) on the clay of Pelakas beach, Corfu, Greece:
'In Greece, you don’t have to go to the spa for a fancy clay mask. You can just walk down the beach.
In the town of Pelekas, on the island of Corfu, there are pockets of
clay hidden beneath rocks at the edge of the sea, just a short walk from
the pier.
We heard locals rave about the clay’s exfoliating, detoxifying, and
cooling benefits and decided to give it a try. The best way, they said,
was to break the clay off in big chunks, water it down, and rub it on
your skin.
We covered ourselves from head to toe and lay in the sand to watch
the clay dry, feeling as relaxed and tranquil as any spa day with a
better view.
The clay felt immediately cool and damp on our sun-soaked skin. As it
hardened, we felt our skin tingle and tighten, freezing our faces in
straight expressions and cracking wide when we laughed.
The best part?
Jumping in the sea naked and washing it off.
Isak Dinesen had it right: “The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears or the sea.”
More clay baths, on the island of Menorca, Spain. bmamores
A year later the same author visits little known salt baths on the Algarve, Portugal; an equally compelling destination.
Bang
A classical concert at Viterbo's (Lazio, Italy) Bullicame hot spring source (reported here at Tusciaweb,
Jul. 8) was set to end with fireworks. Whether or not that happened,
what they may not have been counting on is the lamentations of
Bullicame's Association president. In Lafune
(Jul. 12) he jots down the facts why this special place is not so
special anymore as private thieves are somehow getting away with siphoning all
it's waters.
And then the real fireworks. Lafune.eu (Jul. 29) reports on advances being made as hopes of restoring Bullicames waters are raised. Local officials are sticking their necks out and are supporting a plan which would see better distribution of Viterbo's thermal waters between a number of private operators and (partial) public concerns.
Coming up soon, some original entries on hots springs on Italy's island of Pantelleria. Warming ourselves up by this:
'Iceland is dotted with wild, natural geothermal hot pots. They’re diverse
and eccentric in nature—each one is different, whether a converted
sheep bath with piped-in water, a warm river, or a naturally occurring
pot for two. You should be prepared to use your GPS to locate them, as
many aren’t signposted; remember to respect the environment by leaving
them as you found them, and show sensitivity to the privacy of others if
there’s another car in the parking lot. Also, please don’t lose your
shit in the comments section because we’re not “giving anything away”,
all of these pots are well documented in books, magazines and websites.
With that in mind, let the hot pot hunt commence…'.
Featuring 8 hot pots.
World of Flossy reports on a snowy trip on Iceland (Jan. 21). Includes hot pots.
'Visiting Iceland in winter is magical and we delighted in seeing
beautiful nature covered in a white carpet of snow. When it is cold
outside, there is no better time to enjoy an Icelandic hot spring'.
Landbrotalaug was our favourite natural hot spring in Iceland.
A guide to hidden hot springs in Iceland by asideofthesweet (Jul. 7):
'Looking back, I think these hot springs visits will be some of our best
memories of Iceland. Each one was completely different and beautiful in
its own way. One was at the base of a mountain, one was a tiny hot pot
just big enough for two people, one was a misty green wonderland right
out of a fairytale and of course there was Iceland’s most famous (and
not secret) Blue Lagoon'.
Swimming in a natural hot spring on a mountain, just the two of us! Such an amazing experience :p
More ratings from the same source (Apr. 7), but this time of Reykjaviks swimming pools with it's swim waters geothermally originated and heated.
Comments on the 6 step guide to swimming in Iceland (IloveReykjavik, Dec. 26, 2014) go on forever and seem increasingly far-fetched. Not all though, here's a recent query and answer:
Q: 'My wife and I would like to visit pools in Reykj. that allow nudity. Are
there any? Can you suggest some? Or other places to enjoy
skinnydipping? Anybody else have suggestions? Thanks so much!' A:'There are no pools in Iceland that allow complete nudity. Women can go
topless but it’s not something that is normally done so you’d get a lot
of stares probably. It’s quite common that people skinny dip in the
natural pools though'.
Finally, some (lesser) news. The special rambling hot spring of Hrunulaug is charging (voluntarily) it's visitors (Instagram Jul. 10).
I rate Iceland as the #1 best place to PMS. #hrunalaug #naturalpool #hotspring #nature #travel #adventure #selfie #portrait #iceland
Normal
Found a website on northeastern Greek hot springs; emtgreece presents the 8 hot springs of the region. It limits itself to those within it's administrative borders thus you are missing those closer to Thessaloniki.
getnakedgreece at Loutra Pozar, northern Greece, closer to Thessaloniki:
An interesting tumblr entrance on budapestbug on the Kiraly baths:
'A bath without hotspring - Kiraly bath Budapest
Király Bath is
the only thermal bath of Budapest, which was not built over a hot
spring. Moreover, the only bath, which was really built by Turks. A
widespread belief, that bathing culture arrived with the Ottoman Reign
to Hungary, though thermal baths existed far more before, already in the
Roman times, and later also in tne 13th century (on the place of Sait
Luke’s, Rudas, Gellert and Racz bathes)'.
Termas de Caldeiras (island of Sao Miguel, Acores, Portugal) seems to have got it's act together. They seem to be offering massage / wellness as well as the possibility to take a swim (below):
Apparently in business since beginning of the year (they only have a Facebookpage), Tripadvisor reviews have been diverse:
'We cannot recommend this "spa" to other tourists as it was overall very disappointing and dirty'.
'... bad vibes there are places far more beautiful to get a SPA go to Furnas that's magic !! and cheaper !'
'Amazing place for relaxing'.
Authentic
Finally, when researching hot springs one comes across some gems of information. I've never heard of Peter of Eboli. Apparently he wrote what is considered as the first guide to thermal bathing (12th / 13th century) otherwise known as
De Balneis Puteolanis ("The Baths of Pozzuoli").
According to Wikipedia, the guide focuses on hot springs of southern Italy. Though it actually describes the benefits of thermal bathing in the current neighbourhood of Naples, Pozzuoli. A plate from the book:
'The Pozzuoli region of Naples is situated upon whats known as the Campi Flegrei, of Phlegrean Fields, a volcanic caldera, lying mostly underwater, comprised of over 24 craters and volcanic edifices. In the Campi Flegrei,
there are areas along the sea where natural, hot volcanic steam will
heat underground seawater and it will make its way out to the surface
like a spring.
...
Now when I say the words “thermal spa,” lots of things come to
mind. Maybe beautiful, cavern-like springs a short walk from the sand…
or weathered volcanic rock pools on the beach at the foot of a cliff,
filled with hot water, with steam rising off the surface… uhhh no. Where
we ended up was a far cry from any of these things. We arrived at Lido lo Scoglio, or “the rock beach,” to find that unlike a luxurious spa, it felt much more like a weathered campground complex.
...
So then we get outside, and right in front of me are 3 jacuzzi
size pools, side by side, filled with hot, cloudy brown water and more
dudes. At first sight, a hot salty seawater wave of horror came over me.
....
You know that feeling you get when you know you made a great decision? Yeah.
...
Nando claimed the thermal seawater had healing powers, and I
believe it – Chris & Scott were nursing some rough hangovers that
morning, and by the time we were leaving the spas, you’d swear those two
were resurrected back to life. I know I was a million times more
relaxed (so relaxed that much later that evening, I fell off my bike and
scraped up my leg and elbows, but thats a whole other story.) As we
start to leave, Nando turns to me with a big grin on his face and says,
“I’m glad you liked it! Its funny because it looks kind of like a
shithole, but once you start to enjoy it, you begin to love it here!” I
couldn’t agree more. Lido lo Scoglio was definitely a hidden
gem only the locals posess, and had we not had open minds and the
opportunity to experience it to the fullest with Nando, we would have
totally missed out. I’m pretty sure we were the only Americans they’ve
had there all year, and we were sort of a novelty to lots of people we
met that day, since Italians love to practice their English with
Americans whenever they get the chance. Often I write about places you
absolutely must see if you ever visit Naples, but I’m not going to say
that this time. The notion of “communal baths” is relatively new and
sometimes strange to Americans in comparison to those of other countries
– from ancient Rome to present day Japan, communal or public baths have
not only been used for therapeutic reasons, but also as places to meet
and socialize for thousands of years. As an American, and I consider
myself an open-minded one at that, I can say that this experience is
definitely not for everyone, specifically anyone that has a fear of a
little dirt here and there, people who are afraid of being in water
where you can’t see the bottom or anyone who suffers from claustrophobia
or are generally uncomfortable with the constant invasion of your own
personal space… yeah, you know who you are… this isn’t for you. But hey,
if you think you can get over your personal qualms with it all & do
as the Neapolitans do, give it a go – the “beauty in the mess” at Lido lo Scoglio
is a perfect example of what it really means to be Neapolitan; I’d be
hard pressed to say I’ve had a more authentic experience than this yet.
