The Roman Bath Experience Baden Baden

 We went to the Roman Baths. It was quite expensive but I wanted very much to see the inside. The men and women have separate changing rooms, separate saunas, and separate massage areas, but the spa baths are common to both sexes.

So we arranged to meet in the baths after going through the separate changing rooms. Now I imagined my Friend would do the sauna and massage then join me. He found the sauna too hot, so went on to the massage room where he was faced with a fat grandfather wanting to rub soapy liquids all over his body. So my Friend said no way and ventured onto the baths. He was repulsed by all the old nude bodies (oh did I mention there is a no-clothing policy even though the baths are for mixed sexes). He found it unhygienic and after searching furiously for me (while I was still enjoying the sauna and massage), he went out, showered, and waited in the lobby for me for the next half hour while I casually indulged in the luxurious baths.

The sauna and steam rooms are large and at precise temperatures with tiles everywhere and beautifully painted pictures in dark greens and China blues, of ducks, reeds, and skies. There is a glass window at the apex of a dome in each room. The massage was wonderful. We had healthy young girls in white togas we spread a soapy liquid over the body, front and back, avoiding the boobs. Then they scrubbed you down with a brush, just a little too hard. The next room was a steam room. This did seem unhygienic as we sat bare-bumbed on a ceramic pyramid of steps being steamed like lobsters. 

I then moved on to the baths, a series of rooms all titled and painted, joined together by arched doorways. They all centered around the main circular pool with a large, painted dome ceiling. The predominant color is gold. There were men and women of all shapes, sizes, and religions. I didn't see my Friend, so I did the opposite. Instead of going to see if he was outside, I waited longer and longer inside hoping he would eventually show. So by the time I emerged well-cleaned but anxious, he was steaming all by himself.