Here I was, holed up and sweating right along with them. Here, study some of this good Finnish beer. Then the conversation was off and running. When I wasn't bathing in my apartment, I braved Helsinki streets to sample the public saunas. Most of these were heated by birch logs.
Smoke bathes the city with a delectable scent, evoking images of medieval days.
Best of all is a woman dressed in white who, for a small fee, will scrub a bather. A man's uneasiness being naked in the presence of these fully dressed women is quickly lost in the luxury of the scrub. One day I found a public swimming pool, pulled on a swim suit and hustled out to the pool. A faux pas for me, as I remembered my days as a lifeguard in the States when I often scolded kids for not showering before a swim. Now I learned how much more pleasant a sauna is than a cold shower.