So @TrishHepworth strongly heartily recommended that I try a Finnish sauna while in Helsinki, and today, after the conference ended, I did.
Of course, I had no idea where to find a sauna in Helsinki. Of course, I asked on Twitter, and another conference attendee, a visitor like me, recommended I try Arlan Sauna. (The sauna’s actual website is here.)
So I did. It rained all day today in Helsinki – a shame because it is Helsinki Day and I think any outdoor parties planned by the locals have been washed out – so it has been cool and damp. Perfect weather for trying a sauna, right?
Well, to get to the sauna, I hopped on a tram from just outside the conference venue. That was simple enough, but of course I had to go and miss my stop. So when I got off the tram (just one stop after where I should have gotten off) I got completely disoriented and ended up walking in a huge loop through the Helsinki suburbs. What can I say, my sense of direction is spectacularly pathetic. This diversion would have been fine if it had been a fine day. As it was, I had to avoid puddles, screaming schoolboys, and getting splashed by passing buses. AND my hotel-loan umbrella had a perfectly placed hole in it (my head kept getting rain droplets on it, if I forgot and held the brolly wrong).
So after walking a good fifteen minutes through the neighbourhood (I guess I got to see lots of locals, rather than the tourists I have been hanging around with), I finally found the sauna. Basically if I had just taken a right turn after I got off the tram, I would’ve found it.
To get to the sauna you open a big iron door and walk into a courtyard. The sauna is clearly signposted. There was a nice young man at the counter, who, because the women’s section was empty when I arrived, helpfully showed me how not to burn myself in the sauna.
How to describe Arlan Sauna? The place is slightly shabby but does have an air of being well-used. I didn’t take any pictures, but if you look at this post, the section on Arlan Sauna does depict it well.
I took all my gear off and stowed it in a locker. The sauna itself was dim and very warm when I went in. There was a large stove filled with what looked like wood (but I’m not sure; for obvious reasons I didn’t get too close). There’s a bucket filled with water and a scoop with a long handle which you use to dowse the stove, for the steam. You have to be careful not too stand too close or directly in front of it when you do that, as the steam is boiling and can burn.
I spent about twenty minutes all told sitting in the actual sauna. I took a break after about ten minutes and had a Finnish soft drink called Rio Cola. I was the only one there in the women’s section the whole time, which was kind of shame because it would have been nice to talk to some locals about the whole sauna experience. But, on the other hand, I managed to avoid the awkwardness of being stark naked in front of total strangers.
I finished off by having a shower. I hung around a bit in case someone showed up but finally left after having been there for about an hour. (There are only so many Finnish lifestyle magazines one can glance through.)
I was surprised how much I enjoyed sitting in the heat. It was soothing and relaxing and kind of nice to sweat so much without having to exert myself 🙂 I really didn’t know what to expect, but it was a good experience. A pity we don’t have Finnish saunas in Australia – I for one would be happy to have a sauna again!