When I grew up here the miners were very poor. A church can be deconsecrated, but it remains a symbol for the community, its memories and aspirations. And so I closed the monastery and reopened the bath. Now, however, visitors must supply their own towels and soap, scrub the tub after finishing and leave something in trade for the hot water. I saw Jody not long ago and asked her if she was planning to come over.
Nobody likes all the rules.
It was more fun when we had to sneak in. To purchase a copy of the December 2000 issue, click here . Originally published in the December 2000 issue of Smithsonian . All rights reserved. All rights reserved.