"Die Sauna is free after 6pm, she said cheerfully in a mix of German and English, adding that all I needed was a towel. From that day on, sweating in the steaming sauna became my nightly ritual. I couldn't quite join the occasional conversations that bubbled up around me my German was very basic and my confidence level was hitting rock bottom. So mostly I sat quietly, listening, nodding, absorbing the rhythm of strangers unwinding at the end of their day."
"A week later, two Afghan students from Kandahar checked into the guesthouse. Instantly I felt at home. I insisted on hosting a small welcome dinner. And later I took them along to the sauna. Suddenly, we had our own little gang laughing, gossiping, talking freely. Time slowed. There was no rush, no interruption. For a few precious moments we just sat, sweated and unwound together."
"Fast-forward more than a decade past a fallen democracy in Afghanistan, brushes with war and years spent in journalism in different parts of the world and I landed in Melbourne. I was staying at a hostel on Swanston Street when I noticed the Melbourne City Baths. Captivated by its grand exterior, I hesitantly stepped inside one afternoon, half-expecting a quiet, museum-like relic. Instead I was met with a buzzing indoor aquatic centre and vibrant community."
A traveler arrived in Bonn cold and culture-shocked, found free sauna access at a hostel, and made nightly sauna sessions a ritual for warmth and solace. Two Afghan students later joined the guesthouse, prompting shared dinners and sauna visits that produced laughter, gossip and relaxed companionship. Years later the traveler reached Melbourne, discovered the Melbourne City Baths' lively aquatic centre, and adopted late-night workouts and regular sauna sessions for physical and mental benefits. Affordable suburban pools and local community centres provided accessible memberships and helped glue community connections in the south-east suburbs.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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