Spa Day

I awoke to an alarm I set on my phone in time to make the transfer to in Manneheim to a train to Stuttgart. I slept on the Stuttgart train for an hour, then arrived in the town. At the station, I took time to orient myself, walking around the block, and getting some lunch at a cafe. I boarded th public transport train towards Si-Centrum, which I understand to be a sort of 'New Stuttgart'. It was a wealthy part of town with a new hotel, new theater, and a great connecting train system to the old part of town. I called John upon arriving and met him in the lobby of said new hotel. I hadn't seen him in a year since we'd met at a clothing optional event while I was living in Brooklyn. He looked healthy and tan, as he'd just come from an island off the coast of Spain. We dropped my stuff off in his hotel room, then went straight to the spa, which was an annex of the hotel. The spa receptionist was sure to inform us that the spa was a no-clothing spa, which John had informed me about prior. We confirmed that we understood, and went in. 

The spa seemed like an Epcot for saunas in that there were steam rooms, cold plunges, warm and cold baths, showers, buckets of ice, cups of salt, and simulated lighting and climates, to represent spa culture from across the globe under one megaplex. It was overwhelming in areas and underwhelming in others. Occasionally, I saw a logo on a table or a whack piece of art that challenged my center, but there were also special places where the corporate theme park vibe felt minimized. There was little guidance, which I appreciated. The line of nudity and sexuality I felt was in balance, which in other nude situations in the states I can't say the same for. John and I spent the entire day in the spa, including a meal in their inclusive restaurant. Afterwards, we dressed for the night, and went to the hotel restaurant to have drinks and dinner. The restaurant had a live musician. He was the American stereotypical fourty-something guy with a guitar in a dive bar. We heard Margaritaville and Goin To Carolina. John and I had a good laugh about it. We talked about our travels and adventures. Back in the room, I recieved a phone call from Karen. She listed off some of the work that she needed to accomplish before the coming Wednesday, so I offered to make the train trip back to Amsterdam in the morning, to help her with some tasks. John and I went to bed directly afterwards. He he had an early flight to catch, and I likewise had to get on a train back to Amsterdam.