It was a rainy day and I’d been wanting to take the time to visit a Turkish Bath, recommended by a friend as a true London experience. I was surprised to find that there were very few left in London, and delighted to discover that there was one, the oldest in London, Porchester Spa, right next to my beautiful swimming pool I’ve been visiting and just down the street from me. Off I went…
According to Google, “A Turkish bath, or hammam, is a traditional steam bath and social ritual from the Middle East and Ottoman Empire, involving relaxation in a hot, humid room (camekan), vigorous scrubbing (kese) and rinsing, leaving the body deeply cleansed and refreshed, blending ancient Roman baths with Islamic traditions for purification and socializing.”
As they don’t allow photos inside, here are the promo photos from their website. I was a bit mixed on the experience. I enjoyed the humid and hot rooms, cold plunge, and loved that they had access to the pool so I could swim first. I wasn’t that keen on scrubbing with a bunch of strangers. I think this would have been a lot more fun with friends. There were groups there with picnics set up at tables, they had a cafe and lounge chairs, so I definitely could have made more of it. It was a fun experience overall, though.
