Sauna

I need someone to wash my back.  Any volunteers?

Here are two pics I took for the blogger challenge,  a pic-a-day-in-May. 

In the gay world, the word "sauna" or "bathhouse" usually refers to a sort of a gay meeting place, sex club but not a brothel.   In the past, the gay bathhouses offered a safer alternative to public sex when having gay sex was illegal.

In my journey, I think I've been quite brave in testing out new gay experiences, but so far, I haven't had a strong desire to visit a gay bathhouse such as Steamworks.   I'm still considering it but so far, I've preferred to have even a slight emotional connection with the guy I'm with.  I understand the scene at the bathhouses is strictly anonymous.
 
For people of Scandinavian descent (like me), "sauna" has no sexual connotation at all.  They regard it as almost a sacred place. 

I am extremely lucky to have an authentic sauna located right on the water at my new home.  The sauna is not just used to wash yourself;  it is a place for relaxation, both physical and mental, with friends and family.  In my grandparents' generation, almost all mothers in The Old Country gave birth in saunas.

Here in the Great White North, the water exists in two conditions:  frozen with ice all winter and freezing cold the rest of the time, even in summer.  We consider it essential to warm up thoroughly in the sauna before going for a swim in the frigid water.