Switzerland

So today kinda started yesterday...we woke up around midday and were feeling roff! [‘rough’; not great] So we only left the house after 1pm and drove for about 40 min to these hot springs (can’t remember the name of the area/town) which was just what the doctor ordered.

It was 25 Francs for 3 hours in the springs...once you used your card to go through a gate; you changed in a cubicle into your swimming costume and then went out the other side and put your stuff into a locker. You then use your card to allow you to lock the locker with a key that is attached to a wristband which you then tie to your wrist.

Then you have to walk through an area where your feet are “washed” by walking through ankle high water and then you take a shower. Afterwards you walk down some steps and enter what is essentially a huge swimming pool, but heated... there are these huge fountains that spurt out water in a steady stream or a cascade which is meant to massage your back...

big Jacuzzi type areas where the water is constantly bubbling and gently exfoliates your skin. There was also a sort of a whirlpool area where it’s a circular area with jet streams all around the interior of the wall that push the water around in a circular motion so that you have to let yourself float or bounce yourself up every now and then and you just keep going round and round. Emma and I loved that thing....each time it was “one more time, one more time!!”

Then we went off to the hammam (spelling?) which is a steam room with 80% humidity. It had little fairy lights in the low, 2m odd high ceiling and a heavy layer of steam near the top of the room.

A faint mint/menthol aroma permeated the heavy steam and when inhaled, seemed to open up your airways. Sitting on the seats were a bit cooler, so I sat on top of the back of the seats so I could have a higher temperature... after about 5 min we went to the Turkish baths which is similar except its 100% humidity. And the Turkish baths are separated for men and women whereas the hammams aren’t. In between you’re supposed to go for a cold shower but I didn’t feel hot enough so I didn’t.

We went back to the springs for a bit before going to the saunas...they have 3, a naturalist sauna which is a nude sauna, a grande sauna which is between 55-75% humidity, but dry heat...after which you take a plunge or rather a slow descent into an ice cold well of water which really makes you feel alive. And lastly there was a biological sauna which was perfumed, but a bit cooler at 55% but afterwards there’s this metal bucket which fills up with filtered, ice cold water which you have to pull a chain and it tips all over you...really fun in building up the anticipation before that cold water hits you.

So all in all we stayed for about just under 2 hours...when you leave you go through the showers and change cubicles again and they have some mirrors and hairdryers for you to make yourself all dry and presentable again.

Another 40 min later and we were back home, with Tony having to head to work at 5pm. Emma and I were still feeling the night before so we just did our own thing, reading and watching TV/series. Emma also made some tom yum soup which she is fanatic about but she added so much chilli...and still ate 3 bowls of the stuff with me managing 1. That chilli definitely cleansed me properly!

We wanted to go out for fondue later, but by 9pm we were both knackered so we just decided to stay in and rest.