Cindy Partakes of Finland's Most Famous Invention
Well, Cindy got a little fed up with me not taking her to sauna. She didn't quite understand that Finns don't mix sexes in the sauna ... where I live in the Domus Arctica flats on Kuntotie (Kunto Street), the saunas are electrically operated at certain times, and then there are men's and women's saunas (families will take saunas together, though). Maybe to Americans a completely nude sauna would be strange, but it's customary to do so in Finland, and considered completely normal. However, sometimes when all involved are okay with it, genders mix and people wear swimsuits. Cindy agreed to wear hers and I mine, so all was okay!
The sauna is made up of generally three benches rising about 10 or 12 feet, like a normal room. There is a changing room, a shower room, and a sauna. It is dimly lit and usually built of wood. In one corner is a heater or oven (I have taken one sauna on the cottage weekend heated by wood), with stones on top. And for a good sauna, the air must be moist and humid, so every three or four minutes it's nice to douse the stones and watch the steam rise! It's quite a rush too for your body, I love it. It takes some getting used to, though... saunas are not good until they are 80 degrees ... CELSIUS. That's probably 170F. It's surprisingly bearable, you will not melt! :). Russians and Lithuanians have taken this Suomalainen invention and gone sauna crazy - saunas with them are usually 100C ... yes, 212F, and i've fortunately missed the 120 degree saunas (i guess that's 240F) where you can barely breathe it's so hot. Cindy loved her first sauna experience and EVEN got to take a snow break. Yes, it's common to go out in trunks or a towel into the snow and stand in it as it's falling, and probably when it gets deeper roll in it. One extreme to the other is the best for the body, which is why usual sauna breaks are an ice cold shower. I actually don't take an ice cold shower - but i've stood out in the snow falling and when we were at the cottage weekend, i ran with others to the kemijoki, jumped in, and ran back :)! It's all bearable, trust me! And afterward, Cindy's smile is huge and I feel so relaxed! Well, below you can see Cindy getting dressed in her towel, taking her first shower,going in, pouring some water on the stones, taking a snow break and resting and drying off after it is over.
by far, this is a much higher quality finnish invention than the martiini knives and nokia cell phones - good for the soul!
WONDERFUL SAUNA!
ah, i'm going home for one now ... but without cindy!
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