General Discussion Thread

[Ana Nymus]

Wait. What's the difference between steam rooms and saunas?

According to a quick google search, steam rooms are both wetter and cooler than saunas. Having never been in either of them, though, I couldn't tell you for certain.

[ParanormalAndroid]

Wait. What's the difference between steam rooms and saunas?

Uh... From what I could tell, steam rooms were the same temperature but full of steam.
Also, from what I remember they're meant to help with asthma, but it had the absolute opposite effect on me. .-.

[Noodles]

I've only been in crappy-US-saunas, but I like.

[Fimbulvarg]

What I'll never understand, though, is why the swimsuits are a necessity... EDIT: in the sauna area I mean. The pools are obviously a different matter entirely.

 - Laufey, 2015

Just to go to the pool you have to strip naked and wash yourself well and the staff won't just trust that you will, they actually have a few staff members always in the shower areas who make sure no one tries to sneak into the pools unwashed (which is good, though at first it felt a bit awkward).

That ... is actually kind of weird. I mean, public pools are by definition unsanitary so it's good that hygiene is emphasised. But they're basically paying someone to monitor butts. I don't go to public pools often but I've never seen that anywhere, I guess it might even be legally problematic?

Meh I'd trade a hot spring for a lake. Sand bottom one, mind you.

Be the gravel beds to rough for thy non-hobbit feet? I don't know of many sand-beach lakes, and I believe most of them are artificial.

[Laufey]

That ... is actually kind of weird. I mean, public pools are by definition unsanitary so it's good that hygiene is emphasised. But they're basically paying someone to monitor butts. I don't go to public pools often but I've never seen that anywhere, I guess it might even be legally problematic?

Not legally problematic in Iceland at the very least, although yeah, awkward. Then again in Finland the showers don't have anyone monitoring because it's taken for granted that everyone washes well before going to the pools, and the Finnish sauna sections are in the shower area - and actually have a swimsuit ban. So you know, Laufey 2045 would probably still sign that sentiment.

Be the gravel beds to rough for thy non-hobbit feet? I don't know of many sand-beach lakes, and I believe most of them are artificial.

...or Finnish, as it may be. This is what you get for spending your childhood summers by lake Näsi.

Fun fact time: Iceland's got plenty of natural sand beaches but there's at least one artificial one that was created solely for the purpose of having a white sand beach (as opposed to normal sand colour, black).

[Ana Nymus]

Fun fact time: Iceland's got plenty of natural sand beaches but there's at least one artificial one that was created solely for the purpose of having a white sand beach (as opposed to normal sand colour, black).

Black? Because of the volcanos?

[Mélusine]

Fun fact time: Iceland's got plenty of natural sand beaches but there's at least one artificial one that was created solely for the purpose of having a white sand beach (as opposed to normal sand colour, black).

One day, I'll see that too.

[Fimbulvarg]

the Finnish sauna sections are in the shower area - and actually have a swimsuit ban.

Nn, that's also kind of weird. Wouldn't want anyone to have anything less than the authentic experience or have an unfair advantage in terms of modesty protection/protection against birch branch wallopings.

Fun fact time: Iceland's got plenty of natural sand beaches

Plenty of sand in general from what I heard. The geologic term for a gargantuan heap of sand is actually derived from Icelandic.

Black? Because of the volcanos?

Iceland and is formed of cenozoic extrusive rocks yes. Primarily basalt (dried "dark" lava), hence the odd-shaped rocks.

[Laufey]

Black? Because of the volcanos?

Yes. Especially the south coast is made of volcanic sand, there's some quite striking ones near Vík.

One day, I'll see that too.

Yes, welcome!

Nn, that's also kind of weird. Wouldn't want anyone to have anything less than the authentic experience or have an unfair advantage in terms of modesty protection/protection against birch branch wallopings.

Naah Finns just don't like breathing chlorine that would vaporize off the swimsuits. Something about it being unhealthy.

[Mélusine]

Yes, welcome!

First : finding a job. Then, I'll have to re-discover what vacations are, and take a plane for the first time in my life, to go in a foreign country, probably alone, BUT despite it's a little frightening I still want to go to Iceland. More and more.

[ParanormalAndroid]

Yes. Especially the south coast is made of volcanic sand, there's some quite striking ones near Vík.

About this volcanic sand- I went through a section of the Laugevegur Trail that was just a huge flat plain of the stuff (after Hraftinnusker, and possibly after Alftavátn too)- am I right in assuming that it's leftover from a volcanic eruption as it was so far from the coast?
Weird question, I know, but it was a huge area of pretty much just black sand and basalt.

[Laufey]

About this volcanic sand- I went through a section of the Laugevegur Trail that was just a huge flat plain of the stuff (after Hraftinnusker, and possibly after Alftavátn too)- am I right in assuming that it's leftover from a volcanic eruption as it was so far from the coast?
Weird question, I know, but it was a huge area of pretty much just black sand and basalt.

Laugavegurinn is right in an area full of volcanoes, so yes, all the volcanic sand there has at some point shot out of some of the nearby ones. When traveling in Iceland keep an eye out for the word "hraun" in place names and you'll see just how much lava there is here (gives a whole new meaning to the "ground is lava"-game).

[ParanormalAndroid]

Laugavegurinn is right in an area full of volcanoes, so yes, all the volcanic sand there has at some point shot out of some of the nearby ones. When traveling in Iceland keep an eye out for the word "hraun" in place names and you'll see just how much lava there is here (gives a whole new meaning to the "ground is lava"-game).

Mhm, all the locals we met kept gloomily muttering about Katla, because it apparently always erupts about 5 years after Öræfajökull and so it's now overdue.
Only, seeing as it's buried beneath Vatnajökull, surely that'll mitigate the impact? I'm no vulcanographer, but that makes sense to me.
(Also, thanks for the whole "hraun" thing- I was actually wondering what that meant.

[Laufey]

Mhm, all the locals we met kept gloomily muttering about Katla, because it apparently always erupts about 5 years after Öræfajökull and so it's now overdue.
Only, seeing as it's buried beneath Vatnajökull, surely that'll mitigate the impact? I'm no vulcanographer, but that makes sense to me.
(Also, thanks for the whole "hraun" thing- I was actually wondering what that meant.

Katla is under the smaller glacier Eyjafjallajökull Mýrdalsjökull, oops sorry and yup, she's well overdue her usual schedule, although there was a small eruption in 2011. Katla being under a glacier is actually what makes the volcano possibly the most dangerous one in Iceland: high chance of sudden bursts of poisonous gas and jökullhlaups, glacier floods, even though the 2011 one was tiny it still caused a flood strong enough to wash off a lot of Ring Road 1 and a large bridge in the area. There's quite a few towns all around so they just have to be alert in case something would happen. We know Katla's going to erupt soon and there's already signs of that (earthquakes), but whether soon will mean this summer, next year or the year after that remains to be seen.

[viola]

Black sand beaches can get really hot. I've been to a few before and you can't walk very far without shoes.