Trần truồng? Với người lạ? Ở Châu Âu, Đó là Cách Bạn Thư giãn tại Spa

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The sauna master came in to warm things up (khởi động). Tall and lanky (gầy gò, wearing just a towel wrapped around his hips, he wheeled in a cart with several grapefruit-size balls of crushed ice infused with essential oils (tinh dầu) like black pepper, lime and eucalyptus (bạch đàn). After a short speech telling us to leave immediately if we felt dizzy, he placed one of the ice balls onto a tray of hot coals, and it began to sizzle. The smell reminded me of an expensive aromatic candle: a touch sweet, a touch spicy.

Austria and Germany abound with spas called thermen — resorts with pools, saunas, lakes, restaurants, bars and treatment areas. Typically, they have a warm mineral spring (suối khoáng ấm), and a section where nudity is required (khỏa thân là bắt buộc). Walk in wearing swim trunks and you’ll get glares and maybe even reprimands.

Typically, a therme complex is divided into two sections: one with several heated indoor and outdoor pools, where bathing suits (đồ bơi) are required and children are allowed, and a second that usually contains all the saunas, where clothing is verboten.

Aufguss sessions come in all different types. Some sauna masters blast Metallica, while others prefer calming beats. Some dress up as Vikings. But there are two immutable rules: No clothes, and don’t enter an aufguss once it’s started (you can leave anytime).

A few other tips: Always sit on a towel in the dry saunas (xông hơi), claim your spot at an aufguss a few minutes early (the higher you sit, the hotter you’ll be), don’t bring your phone into nude areas, and shower before entering.

source: nytimes,