Saturnia...Italy

Yes sounds like an unusual name for an Italian city and surrounds. In fact it is one of the few cities in Italy which remains with a purely Roman name. Saturnia, makes one think of Saturn, the star, yet it is the site of the most famous thermal springs in the world.
The warm thermal sulphureous outflow along the Roman road Clodia and existing from the 2nd century BC is regarded as beneficial to one's health. Entry is free to these hot springs in the district of Maremma, Tuscany and the site is popular at any hour to be visited by locals and tourists alike.
Hotels offer dressing-gown-like covers for potential bathers and to see these odd religious types in their sect outfits (most are white towelling) makes for quite some entertaining viewing.

 For some attracted by the waterfalls available or for others just to sit in the tranquility of fairly calm soothing waters knowing that a few minutes of this pleasure is sure to make one's body feel like new, the experience is more than worthwhile...worries and concerns being washed downstream without much effort required.

 We had to try it. And after sitting there for a few minutes and staring at the beautiful surrounding countryside my attention was broken into when I spied a tiny multi-limbed insect climbing down my leg. One flick and the poor insect became air-borne. I relaxed and restored my gaze out and beyond.



However this tranquility was not to last. This time small red worms came to the water surface...so they weren't big...good swimmers...I encouraged them to keep going...past my body...when they insisted on staying I only had one option...to leave and to never return!


But don't let my little experience put you off trying these warm waters...in my experience the waters were one of the cleanest and most natural I have ever encountered.....You can enlarge the photos with one click (I didn't include a shot of a worm) Ha!