Spain in Springtime
Work has been full on these last few weeks, so I was more than ready for a break in the Spanish sunshine, even if it meant leaving for the airport at 4.15am! After three days in Javea, I’m now in the Balearics, on the lovely island of Ibiza for a Spa & Wellbeing weekend. I took the afternoon ferry from Denia (a few miles from Javea), and arriving at the port joined a huge throng of passengers departing to Ibiza for an early Easter break. I seriously wondered if one ship could accommodate so many people, but of course it did and once aboard, there was a surprising amount of room. Ibiza is looking fresh and green with wild spring flowers and blossom on the trees. We are staying at Cas Gasi, a charming hotel in the middle of...
Read MoreFrench spa gems
Flew down to Perpignan for a fleeting visit to some lesser known (to UK visitors) French spas. What a tonic to exchange London’s rain for the blue skies and warm sunshine of south east France. After picking up our hire car, we headed west into the foothills of the Pyrenees and the tiny spa village of Molitg-les-Bains, where we were having dinner and an overnight stay at the historic Chateau de Riell. A visit to the adjoining thermal spa was planned for the following morning. We were delayed by the rush-hour traffic in Perpignan. No sooner had we arrived at the Chateau, than instead of being shown to our rooms, we were asked to grab our swimsuits and go immediately to the spa in the nearby Grand Hotel. Apparently, our treatments had been rescheduled and the spa was staying...
Read MoreAndalucia
This week, I´m having a relaxing break with friends on the Costa del Sol. The September weather is glorious – long sunny days and balmy moonlit nights. It’s hard to believe that autumn is just around the corner. We flew down to Malaga with Monarch Airlines on a wide-bodied airbus (the sort used on long haul flights) – so there was more legroom than usual and ample space for hand luggage. The onboard breakfast cost £6 and included two cups of coffee or tea. Considering that most airlines now charge over £2 for just a hot drink, it was good value and tasty too! Here in the pretty resort of Nerja, I’m enjoying daily thalassotherapy – not in some super swanky spa, but in the warm waters of the Med. Using one of those long polystyrene tubes sold in beach shops, I stay blissfully and securely...
Read MoreMore Spain
How time flies when you’re having fun! Seems like only yesterday, we were boarding the Pride of Bilbao for our trip to Spain and now our spa visits and holiday are behind us. Watch out for my reviews of the Marqués de Riscal Hotel in Elciego and the Gran Hotel La Florida in Barcelona – they’ll be on the website soon. Suffice to say, both properties and their spas exceeded my expectations. The Marqués de Riscal Hotel and Spa, situated in the heart of the Spain’s Rioja Alavesa wine region, must be the most unusual hotel we’ve ever stayed in. Designed by renowned Canadian architect Frank Gehry, its breathtaking shape represents the flowing movement of the locally produced wines and the colour of the wine barrels. The Caudalie Vinotherapy Spa is the perfect addition to the hotel’s amenities and...
Read MoreSpanish Travels
Off to Sunny Spain – this time, we’re taking the P&O cruiseferry Pride of Bilbao for the two-night crossing to northern Spain in order to visit a couple of leading spa hotels before we travel south for our holiday in Javea. The ship’s many amenities include a hair and beauty salon offering Elemis treatments. After two nights in our compact but comfortable cabin, we disembark at Bilbao early in the morning, and head for the city’s Guggenheim Museum. Designed by Canadian architect Frank Ghery, this world-renowned masterpiece of contemporary architecture, houses many unique art collections and exhibits. It is all so well presented and utterly compelling viewing. We have to reluctantly drag ourselves away after a couple of hours and resume our journey to Elciego and the Marqués de Riscal...
Read MoreAustria
Just back following an amazing few days in Bad Gastein, Austria, a scenic spa town, 90-minutes by road from Salzburg. We stayed amid snowcapped mountains at the charming alpine resort of Grüner Baum Hotel on the outskirts of the town. Grüner Baum has a delightful spa and its own supply of therapeutic spa water which is used in the indoor pool and in courses of healing treatments. The spa also offers massages, body and beauty treatments and hairdressing. Nature’s abundant and healing resources have been used in this part of Austria for generations and are now benefiting the needs of the 21st century visitor. I’ll be writing about my visit to Grüner Baum and Bad Gastein, which included a session inside the Heilstollen healing caverns near Bockstein, and visits to the Dunstbad natural steam bath and Felsentherme public thermal...
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