Sulfur rises from the earth. It passes through freezing water, and sticks to my legs. My feet wobble on round river stones. The liquid elicits a flight reaction. I force my body deeper. It is painful. I collapse wholly under the surface. Thermal normalization never comes. Completely submerged, then floating, every second is a struggle to remain in the frigid pool.
Talese Terme smells like eggs. Elegant gardens surround the spring. Columns, statues, art nouveau posters of bathers with parasols drinking sulfurous water as a curative. The literature that accompanies my 12 euro entrance fee suggests Talese’s fizzy water is a miracle liquid to heal many small maladies. Two long arcs of whitewashed alcoves surround the pool. A reclining chair is tucked into each alcove. They are comfortable. After the plunge I sink into one, and doze off. Cognitive function is gone. My body uses all available power to return its temperature to the normal range for land mammals.
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