Chilling out

After I made fun of the God Copy Shop yesterday, the Copies were displeased and frowned upon our efforts to go for one last long mountain hike today. When we checked the weather forecast this morning, we abandoned all hope of hiking the wet, windy Belchen. We decided instead to aim for something closer and lower, and drove to the base of the Hoernleberg, near Waldkirch. As soon as we got out of the car, the sleet began.

With no sign that the weather would let up, we got back in the car and headed home the long way, over the Kandel, figuring at least we might encounter a little snow. From the top of the mountain, we gazed longingly across the Rhine valley at bright, sunny France. The dark roiling clouds above the Schwarzwald ended precisely over the international border. The Copies were obviously pleased with themselves and laughing heartily.

We don't remember whose idea it was, or how it popped into whomever's head, but at some point on this cold, wet, gray day, we realized we should go find out what the Romans thought was so great about this part of Germany. Late this afternoon, we drove toward the southern end of the Tuniberg, to Freiburg's Eugen Keidel Themal Mineralbad. There, we immersed ourselves in soothing baths filled with natural spring water.

According to the literature, the water emerges from its source at 45^oC; the pool temperatures we enjoyed ranged from 34 to 38^oC. The water fizzes gently; it's chock full of minerals and trace amounts of heavy metals, with sulfate, hydrogen carbonate, calcium, sodium, magnesium, chloride, and potassium taking the starring roles.

We began our visit in the well heated changing rooms, went through the well heated showers, and emerged in the well heated indoor pool room. We spent much of our time swimming in the "Movement Pool" and appreciating the remarkably strong water jets that line half its circumference. Each pump is marked with a sign identifying the part of the body that will receive the theraputic water massage: feet and ankles; lower leg; knees; upper leg; buttocks; lower back; upper back/neck; and then the cycle repeats. You settle in front of one of the spouts, and when an innocuous chime sounds a few minutes later, you and the entire semi-circle of fellow water-massage recipients along the pool wall shift one jet counter-clockwise.

Another indoor pool is a gateway to the outdoor pools. You step in, walk between the strips of plastic hanging over the egress, and then you're outside with your head in near-freezing air and your body in stimulatingly hot water. The first pool leads into a cooler one that opens, in turn, into a larger circular one. Pumps along the latter's wall create a swift current that people ride in sweeping circles around a cental, walled bubble pool. Lights in the water illuminate the huge clouds of steam that billow into the dark night sky.

We left the baths feeling well-exercised, refreshed, and toasty, and glad in the end for the cruddy weather that drove us to discover this winter oasis.