The Salt Cave, Birdie Hotel, Pardubice, CZ

Every once in a while when I am traveling for business, I run into something really unique. Sometimes funny, sometimes confusing, sometimes just a great picture. Last week I was staying in the Birdie Hotel in Pardubice, Czech Republic. It is a small place with about 20 rooms, a decent restaurant, and a golf theme. Odd, considering that there is no golf club in the area that I saw. There is something very unique about the Birdie though. It has a Salt Cave.
The Salt Cave is a man-made room with salt encrusted on every surface. Some strategically hung strings of Christmas lights complete the atmosphere. Apparently it is pretty popular. So popular that I never got in to see it since there was always someone in treatment. I stole these pictures from the hotel web site.
You may be asking, what exactly do you do with a salt cave. Good question. You are supposed to sit inside on the lawn chairs for a 45 minute treatment. The idea is that it is healthful like sitting near the ocean. It is supposed to be good for your skin and lungs.

From the web site: "The combination of serene music, the sea air, and colored lights amid glittering salt crystals from the Dead Sea, the Black Sea, Pakistan, and Polish Klodawa will do wonders for your body and soul."
"The cave, covering an area of 70 square metres, was created using 40 tons of salt. It is equipped with 17 adjustable French beds, inhalation fountains, and salt-falls. Just 45 minutes, which is the time of one session, has the same beneficial effect as 2-3 days spent at the seaside."

"Salt is more precious than gold, and we are ready to provide you with the conditions you need to relax and restore your vitality for the next day. The unusual place and atmosphere will restore your health, vitality, and mental and bodily condition."

Open every day from 10am to 7pm. They even have a little gift shop selling salt crystals for healthful healing at home.

Two crutches, One leg

About three weeks ago I started having severe pain in my left knee. It was a sharp pain accompanied with some grinding feeling. It all started when I went out for a run and couldn't go more than twenty steps. Knee pain is a fact of life for me, so I mostly ignored it, waiting for it to get better. I stopped running but I still rode my bike to work, walked miles on the weekends to the farmers market and baseball game. I carried on as usual expecting quick recovery.

The problem was that my knee didn't get better, in fact it got worse. I finally agreed to go see me doctor and he immediately sent me for an MRI. A few days later I got the news that my tibia is fractured as well as got only knows what other soft tissue damage. All from running!

The treatment is basically to stay off my leg to let it heal. So, for the time being I have a brace and I am hobbling around on crutches. I have a follow up appointment to see what comes next, but hopefully with care it heals on its own without any more aggressive intervention.

On crutches, I am still doing most of the things I normally would. My boss was nice enough to let me work from home for a few days. Last week I was on vacation, so mostly I sat around and took it easy. We went with my family (parents, sister, brother, their families) to Cape May Point at the southern end of New Jersey. Despite being on crutches, I still got some fishing in and went to the Wildwood boardwalk.

I am thankful to not be in a cast. I am hoping for fast healing since one of my main hobbies is to walk and I am starting to feel cooped up. This coming weekend I am scheduled to go to the Czech Republic for business, a trip that will be much harder on crutches.