Sorry… I just couldn’t resist using the AI image today. That’s wild– and pretty inaccurate!
I’m sharing this video I made a couple of days ago. It’s the story of how Bill and I went on a beer spa/Fucking themed tour in Austria. Now… it’s not what you might be thinking. In Austria, there are/were a couple of places that have names with the word “fuck” in them. One of those places, “Fucking”, has since changed the spelling of its name to Fugging because of tourists.
Anyway… that trip included a visit to the Starkenberger Beer Pool and Hotel Moorhof, where there is a beer spa. We also visited “Fuckersberg”, which is basically a big field. And then, I had a profound, peaceful experience in a random Italian restaurant, when I ran into a Buddhist monk. I wrote about these experiences in 2015, but I notice a lot of people are interested… especially in Fuckersberg. So, I’m sharing the video, which includes some photos. Enjoy!
This was a pretty great trip…
And… just as an afterthought, here’s a video I made in which I talk about going to a nude spa for the first time. That is another popular topic on this blog. The video was inspired by one I made about “the right to be ugly”, which I feel like I’ve earned at my age. 😉
Last night, George Takei’s page shared an AITA post about a German woman who was upset because her American boyfriend refused to go to an “all-nude” spa with her. If you follow this blog, you might already know that I am an American, and I am a fan of the German “all-nude” spas. I’ve written about our experiences a few times, and based on the hits I get, I know that this topic is interesting to people all over the world.
It took me a long time to work up the courage to try a nude spa. Once I walked into the Palais Thermal the first time, though… (my very first nude spa experience), it took me very little time to join in the fun and bare it all. My very self-conscious, modest husband, Bill, soon followed. We both quickly realized that being nude in a German spa is no big deal. Everybody is nude, and no one cares what your body looks like. The focus is on wellness and health, not ogling and gawking. I was VERY proud of Bill for trying it, by the way. I thought he never would, but once he tried the spa and didn’t die of embarrassment, he became a fan.
I want to ask this guy… Why go to Germany as an exchange student if you don’t want to embrace the culture? My guess is that she got tickets to Friedrichsbad in Baden-Baden, which is NOT cheap. However, it is a very nice experience.
It was with that truth in mind that I decided to leave a comment on George Takei’s post. I noticed several Germans “liked” my post, but one person– name of Sasha– decided to berate and insult me for posting that the American boyfriend “doesn’t know what he’s missing.” Sasha started by saying my comment was “ridiculous”, because just because I like something, that doesn’t mean everyone will. Then he (I’m assuming it was a “he”) continued by leaving uncivilized and insulting comments about everything from my intellect to my appearance.
The dude in Takei’s article later followed up with this conclusion…
She should have asked him before buying the tickets. BUT– by not even considering her proposal, he’s missing out on an interesting experience.
I finally shut down Sasha after he said I “wasn’t very bright” by “agreeing”, with a laugh reaction and the comment “Whatever you say!” He “liked” it and fucked off, much to my relief.
I wonder what that was about. Was he looking for a fight with a stranger? Was his goal to try to humiliate me? I don’t think he got what he was looking for, because I just laugh reacted at him repeatedly, and resisted the urge to comment with annoyance or nastiness. I did advise him to keep scrolling or simply fuck off, if he didn’t like my comment, but his reaction was to continue being rude, rather than having a discussion.
I will agree that not everyone likes nude spas. However, this guy has obviously never even been to one, and would never even consider going to one. It kind of makes him a wimp, in my book. If he goes and doesn’t like the experience, that’s one thing. But by just giving in to the idea that nude spas are weird and make him feel “uncomfortable”, he’s definitely limiting himself. I wonder why he’d want to be an exchange student if he’s so afraid to try new things.
Put it this way…what’s the worst thing that might happen?
He’s not going to die. If he started to die, he would quickly be rescued. Germans are great at rescuing people who are in trouble.
Does he think people will laugh at him?
In all the times I’ve been to nude spas, that has never happened to me. And I have a body that might inspire laughter. In fact, the vast majority of people who go are there to relax. They are focused on themselves, not you. The one exception is the time we went to the Mineraltherme near Stuttgart, and there were American teenaged boys there who had probably come thinking they’d see “hot” women in the nude. I am sure they were sorely disappointed.
Is he afraid he’s going to be “grossed out” by other people’s bodies?
If so, he might want to think about his attitude toward other people. We were all born naked. Everyone has “parts”. It’s not really a big deal if you see someone else’s parts. You can avert your eyes. Most people stay in the water, anyway, when they’re nude. When they get out of the water, they wrap up in a towel or a robe. In fairness, though, the Friedrichsbad isn’t really like that. The time we went there, we were nude pretty much the whole time.
While I understand that a lot of people are embarrassed and self-conscious about their bodies, it might be worth trying a nude spa. Personally, I find them quite liberating, but that’s probably because people take spa culture very seriously in Germany. The focus really is on HEALTH and WELLNESS, not sexual attraction, shame, or humiliation. It’s one very pragmatic aspect of German culture that I love. In fact, I am way overdue for a visit to our local spa. Almost all of the ones I’ve been to have been beautiful, peaceful, heavenly places. I’ve always left them feeling relaxed and wonderful.
While I might agree that the German girlfriend shouldn’t have bought tickets before talking to her American boyfriend, I also think he should get over himself and give the nude spa a go. He might be surprised by how positive the experience can be… and if it doesn’t turn out that way for him, nothing says he ever has to do it again. I mean, I tried going to a gynecologist and hated the experience, so I don’t go anymore. No harm, no foul. 😉
Ah Sunday… our last full day at the luxurious Hotel Bareiss in Baiersbronn. Once again, I wondered if we might be able to venture to the waterfalls. Once again, I was disappointed by wind, rain, and the occasional teasing from the sun. Oh well. Now we have a reason to come back to Baiersbronn, or some other fancy resort in the area.
So what did we do on our last day? That was another pool day for us, and since I’ve already posted my pool photos in part four, I don’t have much to write about that, other than we discovered that the Bareiss has a really cool swimsuit dryer that wrings the water out of your bathing suit in eight seconds flat. I hadn’t noticed it during our first visit. Also, this was the day that I saw the nude lady in the jacuzzi, informing me that the sauna and steam room area at Hotel Bareiss is obviously clothing optional. I didn’t see any signs about that, although it’s well known in Germany that you don’t sit in a sauna or steam room while wearing a swimsuit. You will be properly bitched out for it, if you do!
Bill and I weren’t really interested in the saunas or steam rooms, anyway. After a few more turns in the indoor and outdoor saltwater pools, we just enjoyed the awesome outdoor hot tub in the sauna area, which we had all to ourselves. The sauna world also had a Kneipp walk pool, an icy cold plunge pool, foot baths, and an exit to the outside, where I assume one could walk around au naturale if they wanted to. I’ve heard being nude in public isn’t necessarily illegal in Germany, although it certainly would be noticed and frowned upon. But I’m sure someone will correct me if I’m wrong. 😉
After we came back from the pool area, we decided to walk into town and have lunch at a restaurant at Hotel Lamm, another lodging facility located across the street from Hotel Bareiss. Hotel Lamm isn’t as fancy as Hotel Bareiss is, but it does have a pretty nice restaurant. As we were walking in, we noticed a large group of young folks in Trachten– traditional German clothing– and they were obviously headed to the Volksfest in Stuttgart. Or maybe they were going somewhere else, but they sure looked like they were going to party, and they could get the train and enjoy themselves safely.
The restaurant at Hotel Lamm is called Wipfel (Treetop), and it is staffed by young folks dressed in traditional Trachten. Our waitress switched to English as soon as she heard us speak, then apologized for not having a menu in English. It was okay, as we both speak German restaurant lingo pretty well.
I was still perturbed about the unpleasant reactions to my trout dish on Saturday, so I ordered another one! That one didn’t attract as much attention. Bill had beef with horseradish sauce. We shared a bottle of locally produced Riesling, a bottle of mineral water, and more farmer’s bread. I was impressed by the Wipfel, and the hotel itself looked nice. I’m sure it is a hell of a lot less expensive to stay there, too!
Farmer’s bread, honey drizzled butter, and amuses from the kitchen!A less surprised looking trout cooked in the Müllerinartstyle…Bill’s horseradish covered beef.I had Black Forest cheesecake for dessert. It was plain cheesecake topped with cherry ice cream and garnished with chocolate.Front doors.I’d go here again. Food and service were good.A view of the weather.Baiersbronn-Mitteltal is nice.A shop with classic bikes… Obviously restored.I would have liked to have tried this gastropub, but it was only open past 8pm.
We walked around Baiersbronn a bit after a late lunch, then walked back to the Bareiss, gawking at all the Porsches, Mercedes, BMWs, Teslas and Volvos… I never thought we’d stay in such a place. When we married 20 years ago, we never went anywhere for fun, because we were broke. It wasn’t until we were married 3 years before we finally went on a trip that didn’t involve staying with family. We’ve come a long way.
Dinner at Bareiss on Sunday night was a more casual affair. I didn’t visit the buffet, but I believe vegetables was the theme. As it was, I just had one course from the menu, a filet mignon with roasted potatoes, and dessert. I wanted to try another steak, and was pleased that this time, the temperature was right. I also loved the dessert, which was a pistachio parfait.
Delicious pumpkin soup…Salmon tartar. I tried this and it was good, but I was still full from lunch.Mushroom encrusted beef for Bill.A medium cooked mushroom free filet for me.Perfect roasted potatoes.Herb butter.Pistachio parfait with oranges.The heart signified that it was our last night.
Because it was our last night, and because I was thinking of Arran, who was named after a Scottish island in the Hebrides, Bill and I visited the bar one last time. I drank a couple of drams of whisky, while Bill had a cocktail and a wee dram of scotch. I was glad to see they had Glen Scotia from Campbeltown, but they didn’t have any Springbank!
This was nice, and reasonably priced.Bill joined me in a toast.
The bartender, who had been a little aloof, was genuinely kind when we said we were going home. It was nice to hang out in her bar for a few days. But going home is better for the wallet! And, to be honest, as much as I enjoyed our visit, I was ready to come home. I think long trips are kind of hard for us, especially when things are structured, as they tend to be in resorts. I don’t know if or when we’ll be back to the Schwarzwald “on holiday”, but I would love to find a really nice self-catering house with great views of the mountains and the freedom to try different places for dinner.
On the other hand, of course I would also love to go to the Bareiss again. Stay tuned for part eight, which will close out this series.
I don’t have much to write about last night. It was pretty much a repeat of Friday night, only with beer instead of cocktails, although the bar was busier and they played reggae/UB40 instead of German pop and euro trance music. Most of the same staffers were there. Once again, I had a great time, because I’ve missed going out and seeing things. It was just great to be in a pretty area where I could get photos of nature and good food.
I did get a few photos of last night’s fun. But it was kind of low key…
Like I said… a great venue for social distancing.I had fried chicken fingers and fries for dinner… It came with a quark garlic dip, barbecue sauce, and a curry dip. Germans love curry.Bill had rosti– a potato like hashbrowns with smoked salmon and a dressing. He’s a healthier eater than I am.
After another good night’s rest, we got up, had breakfast, and checked out before 9:00am. I was eager to get home and do some writing, guitar practice, and sing a few songs. Bill has gone to pick up Arran from the Birkenhof. I think we could be persuaded to take another trip, possibly very soon!
All told, I think Bill spent under 700 euros for the nights in the hotel, the Therme access, two breakfasts, two dinners, and the bar… not bad at all! I would highly recommend Vital Hotel and the Rhein-Taunus Therme for a quick getaway. I think it would be a lot of fun for a “girls” trip, but it’s also good for those who need a hotel near Frankfurt Airport or those who like water fun.
I don’t know that I’d necessarily call it a romantic spot, since the Therme did have a number of kids around. But… I particularly enjoyed it right now, since there weren’t nearly as many people as I’ve come to expect at the spas in Germany. And non nudists will like that it doesn’t seem to have a nude bathing area, like the Mineraltherme, Schwabenquellen, Palais Thermal, and Friedrichsbad all have. I have been to all of those spas, and you will find my write ups of them in this blog. Personally, I like the nude spas, but I know not everyone is comfortable. It appears that those who don’t like nudity will appreciate Rhein-Main Therme, although I didn’t check the saunas. You may have to be naked for those.
Anyway… I hope y’all enjoyed this brief series. I hope I can write more soon. I have missed traveling and dining out so much!
Today’s post comes courtesy of a message I got on TripAdvisor last night. A young woman, visiting friends in Germany, was very anxious because her friend’s parents had purchased a luxury pass for her to join her friend and her friend’s parents at the Friedrichsbad Roman-Irish Bath in Baden-Baden. Apparently, she had found my TripAdvisor review of the famous nude baths and was hoping I could offer her some advice about the experience.
This young woman named Diana (not her real name) wrote that she’s just 19 years old, and she is very nervous about being naked in front of other people. Diana’s problem is a common one. A lot of people are nervous about getting nude in front of strangers. In Germany, it’s a normal thing to be nude in saunas, spas, and public baths. Many of the baths Bill and I have visited are “textile-free”, which is very different if you’re an American or a Brit… or, as I found out in July, from Sweden. I’m not sure how the French feel about nudity in the saunas and spas, but I do know they are very strict about men wearing “maillots” (Speedos) rather than “board shorts”. In fact, one of my most popular posts on my travel blog is about that subject, which you can read about here.
My husband, Bill, was very nervous about being naked in front of people. He finally “took the plunge” a couple of years ago, when we visited Palais Thermal in Bad Wildbad. Bad Wildbad has an “old school” therme that allows swimsuits. It also has a the nude spa, which is Palais Thermal. Bill was initially reluctant to try it. Palais Thermal was a good place to get his feet wet, though, because swimsuits are allowed on the first level. After a few minutes of seeing people of all shapes, sizes, ages, colors, and creeds walking around in the buff, it didn’t seem so embarrassing or strange.
Now, being nude in front of Germans has become “old hat” to us. We’ve done the nude spa thing many times and lived to tell the tale. It’s weird for a few minutes, but then you stop noticing. At most spas, you can bring towels or a robe and only have to be completely naked in the water, although at the Friedrichsbad, you will be nude almost the entire time. But really, you get used to it very quickly if you just relax and enjoy, realizing that being naked really is completely natural.
Still, I have a lot of empathy for Diana, because it IS embarrassing and strange to those who have never done it. I am a bit of a natural exhibitionist and have always kind of liked being nude. I find it very liberating. But if you have body image concerns or have been taught that being naked is wrong or “dirty” somehow (even though we were all born naked), it can be extremely embarrassing and scary to bare everything.
I ended up telling Diana that it’s her choice whether or not to try the Roman baths. She is concerned that her friend’s parents will be insulted if she doesn’t use their gift, but ultimately, a trip to the baths is supposed to be fun and relaxing. If she’s filled with anxiety and terror over baring her naked self to everyone, it won’t be a good experience for her. I did also advise her to visit the baths on a day when the sexes are segregated, although it appears that the baths are currently undergoing some renovations, so right now it might be “co-ed” every day. Bill and I went on a “co-ed” day, because we wanted to experience the baths together. But they normally also have days in which the men stay on one side and the women stay on the other. For the shy among us, that might be the best thing to do. There’s only one area where men and women mingle naked on the segregated days and one could easily skip that part. It’s the big pool in the middle of the spa, and it’s cold, anyway. I had to try it because it was so pretty.
Having written all of this… I do understand that public nudity isn’t for everyone. It’s best to take the plunge if you’re genuinely curious and want to try the baths. Personally, I really enjoyed them and would have no problem visiting them again. I don’t think any visit to Baden-Baden is complete without a trip to the Friedrichsbad. But I know that’s just my opinion. I have empathy for Diana’s situation, because I can tell she really doesn’t want to offend her gracious hosts. Frankly, I find her empathy for them very refreshing. It’s nice to see someone so concerned about being a polite and gracious guest. I hope she will try the baths, but if she can’t bring herself to do it, I also hope her friend’s family will understand. Part of being a good host, after all, is making sure your guest is comfortable.
Wiesbaden’s version… not as big or crowded, and very relaxing.
Here in Wiesbaden, we have the Kaiser-Friedrich Therme, which is like a much scaled down version of the Friedrichsbad. I think I like it even more than the Friedrichsbad, because it’s a lot smaller and less popular. In fact, I think we’re due for another visit soon.
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