Getting Hot

One of my favorite hotel stays was many years ago in Amsterdam – and no, I’m not talking about that sweet botel docked behind Centraal Station again. This was a much later visit, with my then-teenaged oldest son and my German uncle and aunt. It was also situated behind Centraal Station but was decidedly much more posh.

It was a Swiss hotel chain and I recall it being among the first places I stayed where one needed to use a key card to turn the electricity in the room on. That was mildly inconvenient, but, as I learned, the lovely sauna down the hall more than made up for the inconvenience.

This was my first real experience with easy access to a sauna over a couple of days, and I was surprised about how much I enjoyed it. Humidity and heat, unless it’s in a bath or hot tub, are not my thing.

But, dry heat?

The desert?

A sauna?

Yes, please. Sign me up.

After that lovely Dutch vacation, I’ve had some further exposures over the years to saunas. I don’t know that I’ve ever said “no” to a sauna, actually… I think my last time living the sauna life, was a couple of years ago in Berlin at an Airbnb where the host made the rooftop amenity available for a small additional fee. It was wonderful.

I was informed yesterday about a week long event scattered across Columbia County called The Dark. This eclectic arts festival was originally brought to my attention in connection with an exhibit at the Chatham Public Library. The woman making the recommendation knew of my past career and thought I might find it interesting.

While she was correct, I was intrigued even more by something else, something hosted on land adjacent (included?) with PS21. HUHT Saunas was being hosted, in an ever so convenient location next to a shallow pond, making for the perfect opportunity to both heat and cool that spot on my lower back that has been feeling tweaked for nearly a week.

One quick online transaction of $27.50 later (and a few minutes worth of checking reviews of the experience), I had a reservation for an hour long visit late the next morning. At the time that I searched, availability seemed good. If you can’t find a slot that suits, be aware that the stay of the saunas is likely to be extended. Don’t give up. And – you can always go to Bousquet where they have a more permanent presence.

The couple of hours I spent absorbing the heat were super pleasant. The people I encountered were nice and friendly and it felt very comfortable. I initially had a sauna to myself and was alternating easily between the enclosed sauna and the small adjoining anteroom, hydrating myself. I read my book a good few pages and chatted amiably with the women who eventually shared the space, one at a time, with me.

The heat was on the high end of extreme, but it felt wonderful on my spasming and tight muscles. After a length of time and a serious rise in temperature, I impressed myself with both a declaration of “I’m taking a plunge,” and my follow through on that very assertion. With one barely audible “f*ck it,” I cannonballed into the pond.

Just like my experience 2 years and 1 day ago, my feet and ankles protested the loudest to the assault of the icy water. Once again, my time in the water was minimal, but I still had a real concern that my legs wouldn’t be able to carry me back to the haven of the heat, at least not while my feet were glaciers.

Fortunately, and through my stubbornness and unwillingness to quit, I pushed myself up the sloped ramp and back across the raised path, nodding and smiling to accept the accolades from witnesses to my leap who were currently cozied around a fragrant wood fire. I returned to my toweled bench in the sauna and warmed myself in the eucalyptus scented dry air.

Ah…

There wasn’t a part of this road trip adventure that I didn’t fully appreciate and enjoy. This little inflammation problem in my lower back is prompting me to take the time, and opportunities, available to me to take care of myself. How lucky am I that I can do exactly that?

Next up: a date with Mary and some hot stones, followed by a favorite class at The Hot Yoga Spot. What are you doing to keep warm and take care of yourself this winter?