Apparently, having a sauna is a traditional Lithuanian event. They will do it a few times a year at special ocasions. As far as I can tell, they are always located in very close proximity to a lake or pond.
The sauna is heated with a wood-burning stove fed from outside the sauna. Then, inside the sauna, water is thrown on the hot stove to make hot steam... these are "wet" saunas vs the "dry" saunas we normally see here.
The procedure is fairly simple. Wear your swimsuit and some sort of flip-flop or shower shoe. Put on a funny felt hat to protect your hair (Jurate says it prevents it from being dried out). Then, alternate between time in the sauna and jumping into the cold, cold lake. After your first trip in the sauna (which should be very short) you can start spending up to out 10 minutes in there at a time. Oh, and in between visits to the sauna you should drink some Lithuanian beer.
Then, on one of the trips into the sauna, you should get beaten by your new sister-in-law (or whoever happens to be there!). Really, this feels good!! There's a small branch with leaves attached that gets dipped in cold water. You lay out on one of the benches, and the "beater" go to work, hitting your backside from your feet to your shoulders, stopping periodically to dip the branch back into the water.
Surprisingly, after this bizarre combination of intense steamy heat, freezing cold water, and being hit with a branch... your body is soft and relaxed and you just feel good.
I hate having a post with no pictures, so I'll put one here of Mike and Jurate dancing. Mike just sent this to me and I have to admit I'm not sure who took it (perhaps the photographer?).
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