Yrjönkadun uimahalli
When I was standing in the line to pay for the entrance that first time I noticed a map with the floor plan.
It seemed like the place had an unusually open floor plan for being a swimming place. Before I got the chance to pay I had time to think "where should I change?". But then I discarded that though and was happy to discover that they had student discount. 2.50 EUR just like student lunch! I payed, took my shoes off en entered through a curtain. When I stepped through the curtains I immideiatly ended up next to the pool.
First though: "WHOA! Finns are really open with nudity!"
Second though: "Ok, if they do it, I can do it."
Third thought, after looking around a bit and taking it in: "There is only women here and some are actually wearing swimming suites".
I think Nordic people are quite open about nudity but a mixed nude public swimming pool might be a bit of a stretch. It turned out that Yrjönkadun uimahalli is a place with seperate days for women and men where you have the option to by nude or not. So by accident I arrived there on a correct day. I guess they would have denied me at the cash register otherwise. I played it safe the first time and kept my swimming suit on. The second time I went I ironically forgot my swimming suit there. So since then I have been going nude. Seeing people with a swimming cap, goggles and then nothing more is quite a funny sight!
When Maria visited me during the fall we went with our Finnish friend Rosa and tried a package deal. It was quite an experience. The package included:
- a bath robe
- a one time sauna towel
- access to the second floor where they serve drinks
- your own booth with bed where you could get changed and relax
AND besides the electric sauna downstairs, access to the more luxurious steem sauna and the wooden sauna. According to our Finnish sauna expert, Rosa, the wooden sauna is the best one!
