Fresh from the Sauna

Today was the coldest yet, but we still had a great morning skiing here in Mauterndorf. We got on the buses after breakfast and were in the gondola by 9:15. After a morning of skiing through the woods and valley, almost everyone was like a popsicle with ice hanging of our scarves and bright red fingers. We were ready to head back to the Villa, but we decided that we would ski back along the path from last night. It took about twice as long to ski it than to walk it, but it warmed us all up. The afternoon was relatively free, with time to read, talk, and write postcards. After dinner, the students all partied in the building's disco. It certainly sounded like they were having a good time! While they were singing and dancing, four of the teachers and I all took advantage of the new wellness and sauna area. It was one of the best parts of the week. When you first walked into the room, you were in an small open area with the WC, some sinks, and a little changing room. Then if you kept walking in, there was a relaxation room with lounging chairs and a heated bench to the left. The walkway curved around to the right and through another arch. On the right was a steam room with eucalyptus, then the sauna itself and finally a double foot bath. On the left were the showers: one of which did a variety of rain type droplets and had various colored lights, temperatures and scents! At the end of the walkway were glass doors that went outside to a fresh air area. We would sit for a few minutes in the sauna and then stand outside in the snow and then shower in the "rain"...then sit in the relaxation for a half hour with light music. Perfecto. It's hard to believe that there is only one more day of skiing. Then on Friday, we leave early to drive back to Bamberg.