Széchényi

Sunday morning at 8, I pack my bag and head to the tram station, on my way to Széchenyi Baths by myself. I'm stoked. I've never been by myself here, and I can't wait to be completely alone, going where I want, thinking to myself, soaking, sweating, shocking my body through different temperatures and conditions.

Inside, I change quickly, my swimsuit already on underneath. I came prepared: swimming goggles and a cap for the lanes, a towel, sunscreen, lip balm, Clarice Lispector's complete works in hand, a hat against the sun. I step out into the open part of the baths, bright yellow walls, a gleaming mix of thermal water and hedonist statues. One statue: a girl standing naked, a long-necked bird wrapped around her, its beak nibbling at her nipple, her head tipped back, elbow to the sky, enjoying herself. Statues like this alongside the more classical Baroque ones, all of it beautiful, masterpiece upon masterpiece. Two half-moon pools, one thermal, one for lounging, the swimming lanes in between. 32 degrees on the thermometer. 09:10.

I start in the outdoor thermal pool, my toes lifting before me. Around me, local Hungarians, everyone already in fisherman hats against the sun, elders swimming laps, the monthly-to-yearly-pass crowd. I walk toward the indoor baths, two staircases on either side leading in, the nude saunas underneath. Inside, every treasure your body secretly wants. A steam room with a box of chamomile set over it. Saunas at 80 to 90 degrees. Cold plunges at 20 and 18 that make you think clearly. Thermal water from Gellért Hill and other sources. Salt rooms that leave salt on your tongue the moment you poke your head out. I go in rounds, dipping into all of them. Through the windows, sunlight crystallises the water into pure light. Against the marble columns and statues, ceiling to wall, it's spellbinding.

Around 11, 12, 1, I lie back at the spot I found that morning, a multi-storey fountain turned into a flower bed, sharp tall plants at the base, drooping galagonya, small pink flowers on top. I make the mistake of leaving it around 3, thinking I'll come back. Damn it, best spot in the place, and by now the tourists pour in, and the whole place turns into a székfoglaló, every inch claimed.

I realise I blend completely into them, East and South Asians, Arabs, Turks, Hungarian countryside guys. I eavesdrop. I talk when I want to. I sit alone in the cold plunge, smiling, encouraging others to join, some come over confident, put a foot in, freeze, and leave. The body's reaction, fascinating to watch.

I play chess with the regulars in the outdoor thermal pool, a small crowd gathering to watch, us all submerged in warm bright water. My opponent, so humble. 'Oh, I just come here to play chess,' he says. 'My wife and I come on alternating days, so someone always cooks lunch.' Next, it’s checkmate.

At last I sit in the nude sauna a while, then dip into the cold plunge a final time. The cold closing over me all at once. I feel alive.