Girly Holiday

I went to visit a health spa yesterday!

Me and Mother-In-Law went for a little holiday. This involved a trip down to Royston Vasey, for which I recorded a couple of CDs to listen to, the whole trip was kind of like those CDs, a lot of good songs interspersed with some weird moments and bum notes. Royston Vasey sometimes takes a lot of work. I love my parents, but we’re mostly like strangers when we meet, and theres a lot of autopilot going on. Back to the fantastic parts of the holiday:

We got up really early on Wednesday, Mother-In-Law, Mum and I to drive down to Ragdale Hall, we had a tour, and we looked at classes to do (I couldn’t do any of them because the ones I fancied were on at the same time as my treatments). Then we visited the Thermal Spa…oh my gods! Lots of different rooms and saunas and steam rooms and pools and massage jets and a jacuzzi and ohhhhhhhhhh…I was in heaven!

Then we went off to have our treatments, we were all on the same package but as part of my birthday present (oh yes, this is why we were there it was a birthday gift!) I’d been given a voucher to have an extra treatment so both my treatments were a bit different. The other two went in for a facial and massage combination whereas my first treatment was an hour long facial….ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh gods. I asked for Clarins because I knew my skin wouldn’t react (they were pushing Decleor but I’ve never heard of them, the other lot they offer is Elemis but I’ve had their products sting my poor skin before now) and all the dry skin around my eyes suddenly feels wonderful and beautiful and gorgeous. They applied a cleanser, exfoliator, toner, mask, three different types of moisturiser and I got a lovely hand massage as the mask was doing it’s thing. I felt so relaxed afterwards. The girl doing my facial was really lovely and gave me some great tips on fake tan and moisturiser and stuff and we discussed my recent obsessive love for -417 products. Again my skin adores the moisturising and the exfoliation.

After we had all come out of the treatments feeling uber-relaxed we wandered around the (rather expensive) boutiques and my Mum bought some eye gel, and I decided that I should visit the Arndale Centre again and get some -417 eye lotion. Gods I’m such a girl, I love have a beauty regime and treatments and stuff.

Anyway, then we hit the buffet…and then we hit the buffet… and then we hit the buffet…oh and we broke Mum’s ten year plus no-alcohol at Ragdale policy. Then we hit the dessert buffet…I swear I have never seen Mother-In-Law attack food with such gusto! (Not even steamed leeks!) Nomnomnom there was honey and dried cranberries and watermelon. We went for our complimentary coffees in a room with a giant heron sculpture in it and knew we were in the right place.

Then Mum dashed off for a pilates class and Mother-In-Law and I hit the Retreat which is a silent room designed for dozing and had a swing chair and a doublebed/sofa thingy, both of which were hugely comfortable. I left M-i-L dozing and went for my second treatment.

Oh. My. Gods.

I had a two hour Li’tya ‘Aboriginally Inspired’ preventative treatment to restore and balance my health.

Oh. My. Gods.

I was in heaven.

First the lady had me smell different oils to see what my body needed – apparently it needed a Juniper Detox. Then she burnt leaves and created a sacred space and we performed a breathing ritual together. Then the massage started. It involved oils being rubbed over me, my limbs being pulled and pushed and clicked and manipulated in various ways, I got a head massage, a foot massage (mmmmmrrrrrrrrrr), a back massage, a… anything you can think of massage. Oh gods it was great.

Then I went, had a shower and met the others in the verandah bar and we finished the day with champagne and canapes. It rounded the day off very nicely (something I’m learning from FJ how to do), and I really felt birthdayed to the max.

M-i-L and I intend to try and go back next year, if we can manage to save up enough for a residential taster.

Oh. My. Gods. I want another facial.