Letting Go of Limitations

I have an uncommon fear of worms. I believe it stems from having pinworms as a child, compliments of the neighborhood cats using our sand box as their litter box. Needless to say, I have a problem with worms. Earthworms that wiggle onto the sidewalk in the rain, cut worms on the weeds I had to remove from the corn fields, tomato worms from my mom’s garden that ended up on my bedroom screens thanks to my dad—They freak me right out.

When we bought our most recent home, it came with a giant yard requiring tons of tending and gardening with an occasional run in with the essential earth worm that indicates good yard health. Once I was hammering in metal edging with a mallet to define a flower bed. Simulating the sensation of rain, this continuous pounding on the earth caused hundreds of worms to rise from the ground. I screamed and ran in the house. Mortified. That’s the only metal edging anywhere in our yard.

I did have an ah-ha moment, finally understanding the method of pounding used in the movie Tremors to make the giant worms come to the surface.

I’m a Hot Springs Fan

Getting right to the point of my story . . . one of the goals of my life is to experience hot springs wherever I go. My daughter and fellow hot-springs lover, Peyton, scoped out all the hot springs in Tuscany before our trip to Italy to ensure that we made natural hot springs a part of our itinerary. We visited one, Saturnia, which appeared to be the most inspiring in the area. As is pretty typical we looked at photos via Google images, made our decision, set the directions and map on our phones, turned off Wi-Fi and headed out. We did not search for recommendations or “things to know before you go.” And it’s a good thing.

History and Benefits

We arrived early in the morning before anyone else, around 8:30. There were maybe ten other people in the pools at first, soon to be joined by hundreds of relaxation seekers. The place is gorgeous and amazing; an upper river spilling over as a large waterfall into multiple pools below, making its way to a lower river. The water is about 37.5 degrees Celsius or 99.5 degrees Fahrenheit, much like bath water.

According to the Saturina Hot Springs website, “The water contains sulfur and thermal plankton, two proprieties which have been said to help cure skin, digestive and circulatory ailments since the time of the Romans.” This creates a milky water environment in the pools. It is glorious. The bottom of the pools is made up of tiny pebbles that are coated with smooth minerals. This gentle foot massaging material makes it possible to move from one pool to the next easily.

These hot springs were a favorite of the Etruscans and Romans. There are ruins everywhere in the nearby villages dating back to the 2nd century BC. Folklore has it that the springs were born in the exact point where Jupiter’s thunderbolt fell in a battle against Saturn; hence the name, Saturnia.

Surprise at the Hot Springs

I plopped down into one of the first milky pools available, opting for a calm pool rather than a fast moving one. My artist son, Zane, joined within a few moments and said, “What do you think of all these red worms.” Sure enough, I looked down and saw hundreds of tiny red worms writhing everywhere in the water. Ack! Insert panic attack here. Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh.

I got out immediately. Crap! What now? Fast moving pool ASAP. If these worms are going to co-inhabit the glorious waters of this place, I want them moving past me as fast as possible. In an attempt to outsmart the worms, I got right under the waterfall where I had to brace myself against the relentless deluge—not an easy task or one I could withstand for too long. Soon, I moved to a pool just beyond the initial spill zone. The water was moving fast but I could be in it for a sustained period without physical effort and “relax.” Still, there were plenty of worms flailing about.

Considering the four of us were at Saturnia for the day, I had no logical choice but to get over my worm issue and enjoy myself. Within about an hour there were multiple people in every pool. Kids were swimming, dipping in, letting the water run in and out of their mouths. Gross! We figured since there were no warning signs posted the red wigglers must be regulars.

Washing Away My Limitations

At some point, I all I could think of is the irony of facing my life-long fear in one of the most beautiful places I have ever been in. I visualized my limitations being washed away by the waters of Saturnia. Not only was I letting go of my worm fear but spent time intending to let them all go. What that heck. Limitations are not serving me.

Whenever I grab on to a belief / opinion / issue with gusto like worms, needles, poetry, The Universe rushes in and pokes me with situations to break that belief / opinion / issue until it is gone. This happens to me all the time. The lesson here is to stop making judgements about everything and just be. Those worms simply exist in that water because that is what they do.

Friendly Little Creatures

Once we got into Wi-Fi range again, I spent time looking up the worms of Saturnia. It was not super clear what they actually were, only that there is an occasional outbreak and they do not appear to be harmful. In fact, the nearby village, Manciano, where we stopped to enjoy Italian charcuterie, has a giant painted sign in the city center with the little red worm on it, sort of like the town mascot. It was in Italian so we couldn’t read it, but the worm was smiling and looked friendly. Whew!

The truth is, I spent hours swimming in lakes as a kid and with a bit of careful observation, I am quite sure I was swimming right next to wormy, threadlike larva every time. I am extremely glad I did not read much about the place or we never would have gone. In the end, it was a wonderful experience. Funny thing is that we brought left over pizza to the hot springs for lunch. When we reached for the cold bread and cheesy goodness, we had to knock off a plethora of ants who looked to be enjoying it first. And we gobbled it right up.