Here in Starnberg (remember that Starnberg is a town about the size of Brunswick in Maine), there is a wonderful Wasser Park (Water Park). It really is much more than just a pool. It is located right on the edge of the Starnberger See so that in the summer visitors not only have access to the facilities inside, but also they can swim and play in the lake.At this time of year, with the weather cold and snowy, there is plenty to do inside the Wasser Park. There is an Olymic sized swimming pool with a diving board and a three-meter platform. In the pool area, there are also two hot tubs, five tanning beds, a children's wading pool complete with a miniature waterfall and a wonderful water slide similar to the slides at Aquaboggin. That is just the pool level.

There is also a sauna area with two saunas, a steam room, an outside sauna garden to sit after your your visit in the sauna, a cold plunge bath, a reading room, a relaxation room, hot foot baths and a shower room with many different types of hot and cold showers. I have been to the sauna twice in the last two weeks and it is a great Christmas stress reliever!

Another aspect of the German personality that differs from the attitude in America is how they feel about their bodies. At the Starnberg Wasser Park, you have a choice when you take a sauna. You can either choose a time to be with just your own sex or you can go during Gemischte Zeit (mixed time). Last Sunday evening I went in the mixed sauna just before dinnertime and the place was packed. I was with people ranging in age from eight to seventy plus, both men and women. In the sauna and the steam room it is considered totally inappropriate to wear any clothing, but in the common areas, it is personal choice, with some folks strolling around naked and others with towels or robes on. The first time I went into the sauna with others of both sexes, it was a little odd but I soon got used to it as no one seemed to care about baring all to strangers. The Germans also like their saunas hot. Both times I have been to the sauna in Starnberg, the temperature was a cool 90 degrees and that is Centigrade! That translates to 194 degrees Fahrenheit! It doesn't take long at that temperature to forget about who you are next to because all you can think about is how hot it is! I go from the sauna to the cold plunge bath (about 50 degrees Fahrenheit) and my body feels like it has just been jumpstarted by a nuclear power plant!

So, I am sure I will go to the Wasser Park many more times during our stay here and I know I will miss it when we head home. I hope you all find Christmas stress relievers, whatever they might be. Better still, I hope you don't need them. Until next time, Frohe Weihnachten (Merry Christmas).