spa – GOING NINETY MILES

hammam

Ahhhhh….. still thinking about my lovely time at Hammam Palma yesterday. A massage was definitely in order and it was a darn good one! Even got my face and scalp massaged. Have you ever been to a hammam, or Turkish bath? My first experience with one was a few years ago in Marrakech where I did the whole experience – steam, warm water sloshed over me with a bucket and then the fun begins; you are lathered up with black soap and then the attendant dons a loofah glove and vigorously exfoliates you from head to toe. Your body won’t know what hit it. And then off to a massage with oils. Heaven.

Yesterday was my first time at Hammam Palma. I had been searching for places for Felix and me to get massages. And it is seriously insane out there – either the place has closed for the winter season, closed on the weekends (what?!) or booked for months in advance. It was truly frustrating. Imagine my total glee when my email that was sent the night before was answered when I checked emails in the morning. And their answer was YES! All I had to answer was how long massage we wanted, our names and a phone number and we were booked. No calling and waiting, no giving a credit card. Thank you!

We arrived at 15:00 and were given towels and swim footwear to be worn inside the hammam. They want you to relax and experience the thermal bath and sauna for about an hour before your massage. They offer 15, 30 and 60 minute massages. They also offer the whole experience – black soap, exfoliation and massage if you wanted to be completely pampered. But just remember with the thermal spa you need to add an hour to whatever experience you choose. We scheduled an hour massage and were there two and a half hours.

It was so needed to take away stress and have a place that makes it easy and comfortable to do. I will be back very soon! Maybe I will do the complete experience next time. Stay tuned!

Hammam Palma ~ Calle Costa i Llobera 20, Palma de Mallorca 971.412.860

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Ahhhhh, Italia! What a lovely place to spend my birthday. And the LEFAY Resort and Spa at Lago Di Garda was the perfect spot for a few days of relaxation.

After driving through vineyards on the steep hills and lemon trees in backyards we finally arrived at the resort. Dinner is included in the room price so we skeedaddled into the room, freshened up and sat our tired butts in our dinner chairs on my day of birth. We ordered Campari (on the rocks for The German and with OJ for me), our dinner and a crisp bottle of Riesling. The drinks were delicious, the dinner, not so much. But that is what I expect from hotels that include dinner. Actually, the next day, dinner was pretty good, but the last day, it was back to boring.

Saturday night as we came down the stairs from the restaurant I heard singing and I yelled (not really) “karaoke!” I was kidding of course, it was a lady with a beautiful voice to entertain us for a few hours. But I still joked to put quarters down for my turn to be next.

The rest of the days slid by in tranquility. The hotel has 2 swimming pools, a hot tub and a spa area with four saunas available for no charge for hotel guests. And outside there are several paths for exploring, running, walking with areas set up for meditation. Naturally, the path I stumbled upon led us to the animals! They have a small farm with goats, chickens and possibly a turkey. Watch out Mr. Turkey, it’s almost Thanksgiving. Oh wait, you’re in Italy, stop worrying.

Here are a few more pics from our stay. I love our jumping pictures!