Between Dante's Inferno and the Moskva River

Colin Farrell gave an interview to GQ magazine where he revealed his current passion for Russian baths:

"Hollywood hellraiser Colin Farrell has admitted he is hooked on taking Russian-style steam baths while covered in honey. He was a daily visitor to the 10th Street Russian and Turkish Baths where guests are smothered in honey before steaming." Said Farrell: "There's something very basic about rubbing honey on your skin and going steaming with a bunch of strange Russian men."

I found out about Farrell’s fascination with the 10th Street Russian baths only after I went. I wasn’t expecting to see any Hollywood stars. That’s what I anticipated instead: in the worst case scenario, we would go back home with a newly adopted family of E.coli bacteria or with a sixth toe growing on my foot, in the best case scenario we would see a two-on-one gangster fight between a Viggo Mortensen-looking guy dripping blood and sweat while struggling with knife-wielding Chechnyan assassins.

It didn’t turn out to be what I’ve anticipated. I didn’t even get to see the contingent of the Russian mafia having a sweat right in front of me, although Russian baths were known to be a safe meeting place for rival gang leaders, obviously because weapons are difficult to conceal on a naked body. Yet, the place is wild. And I’m not referring to the fact that last time it was inspected on April 7, 2008 four violations were cited including mice and “not vermin-proof”. Non-germaphobes will love the radiant heat stone room and the ice water pool which feels amazing once the epileptic fit stops and you manage to convince yourself that you are not going to die from pneumonia tomorrow.

And about the honey rubbing, haven’t seen any honey but it seems that Colin Farrell went to rehab to get off ecstasy, cocaine, speed, Jack Daniels and wine. Well, that explains it.