THERMAE

What could be better for relaxing than a place with more than 2,000 years of history?
A hot bath, a tepidarium, a ritual that has been around since ancient Rome.
Women and men wrapped in simple robes would relax in steam-saturated rooms, immersed in the warm thermal waters and reclining on marble seats while sipping good wine: this was the wellness of yesteryear.
Today, after centuries, we do the same thing, except that, after bathing, we lie on a lounger covered with a towel and instead of wine we sip a spritz.
Thus began my spa day. The hot thermal water gives off a steam with a dry, salty, sometimes sulfurous smell that is hard to explain. It has the power to lower blood pressure, a perfect combination for falling asleep.
After multiple baths I felt almost exhausted, it seemed like everyone was moving slowly and the vapors from the water created a surreal environment. Lying on the lounger, I heard music coming from a nearby room, intrigued I put on my bathrobe and went to see.
There was a group rehearsing a song from the 80s, Roman Holiday. The girl singing had a beautiful voice, in fact, she was beautiful.
Her blue eyes, cropped brown hair, red lipstick and a black dress that highlighted her perfect shape. She noticed that I was staring at her and hinted a smile. I couldn’t look away; I was as if hypnotized.
I approached a little embarrassed, she looked at me and asked, “Did you like it?”
I was speechless, I said the first thing that came to my mind, ”I would love to dance with you.” She had a sweet, flowery scent that I will never forget…
She looked at me amused, then whispered in my ear, “Maybe another time” She gave me a small kiss on the cheek and left.
I was walking back to my crib when I heard a voice, “Sir, sir, wake up! I’m sorry but we’re closing!”
I was just dreaming… but the memory of that girl made me feel good, it was as if I could still smell her perfume, mixed with the vapors of the thermal water…
I headed for the locker room, looked at myself in the mirror, and noticed that I had something on my cheek; I got closer and saw a lipstick stain, a red-colored lipstick….