No Time for Modesty

We checked out of our hostel around 8:00 this morning and hopped on a train for a 4 hour ride to Baden-Baden. Baden-Baden is a small town (about 50,000 people) that we learned about from Rick Steves. It is known for its large, historic casino and for its spa bath houses. Neither Mark or I are into gambling so we focused on the bath houses.

When we got to the town, Mark and I got separated- I say he wondered off, but he would tell you that I did. I ended up finding our hotel and checking in; then set off to find him. After close to an hour of being separated I finally spotted him sitting on a bench. It’s tough without cell phones! Mark had lunch at a local place and I had McDonalds. One thing I’ve been meaning to type is how prevalent Burger King is over here. There are also a lot of McDonalds and Subways. The other US chain that we’ve seen quite a bit of is Claires, the teenage jewelry store. I had no idea they had an international presence.

After lunch we took the self-guided tour in my guidebook. Then we drank a little liquid courage to prepare for the baths.

So here’s the thing about the baths…if you only know me professionally you can stop reading now. They are in the nude. Totally in the nude. I was so nervous about this….definitely not a comfortable feeling for me….hence the need for some liquid courage. We figured "When in Rome...".....right??

We got there, bought our tickets, and stripped down. Boys and girls are separate for most of the time so I was by myself. I wondered around naked for awhile until a nice (fully clothed) lady led me the right way. You take a nice shower and then sit in a sauna. Just when I thought I was so hot I couldn’t handle it anymore, I went into the next room- it was an even hotter sauna!!! I didn’t stay in there long. Then I got a short (10 minute) massage with a soap brush- heavenly. The next 10 rooms were all pools of some sort….some hot, some cold. Some with jets, others just peaceful. Two of the rooms were with the guys…kinda weird. But after awhile you stop thinking about it. It’s funny how the attitude towards nudity differs between Americans and Europeans.

After those rooms, I went to the lotion room and covered myself with the stuff. Then I went to this room where they swaddle you like an infant. You lay there in your little cocoon, completely relaxed, very soft music playing in the background. You are so relaxed at this point. I feel completely asleep and didn’t wake up until some lady came in and started rubbing my legs. Our friend Larry always talks about being “zen” and that’s exactly how I felt- totally, completely Zen. That’s pretty much it- the whole thing takes about 3 hours.

Baden-Baden is known for this…it used to be where all the rich and famous people would come to relax and gamble. Today it’s pretty touristy, although many locals still frequent the spas. No pictures today…I’ll spare you that. J

Tomorrow is a pretty free day. They have another, non-nude bath that we may check out. It’s supposed to be less relaxing but more fun. At some point we will take the train to Heidelberg and spend the day there. It’s doubtful I will have internet access tomorrow night- we are taking the overnight train to Prague (this is a change of plans- we originally planned to stay in Heidelberg). So tomorrow day Heidelberg, tomorrow night train, and Friday in Prague! Can’t wait!