Any time I can marry the word ‘spa’ with a travel destination I’m a happy woman. Which is why, I’m already enjoying this trip. We’re a little ways west of Cardiff in the Vale of Glamorgan Resort & Spa in Hensol Park, Wales. There are crumbly castle bits hanging from hills and dales, sheep and hedgerows and old gnarly oak trees. In short, it looks like every fairy tale illustration woodcut that you’ve ever seen.
It’s been around ten years since Kevin & I were here and though I understand we’ll barely recognize Cardiff with all that’s changed, it is the countryside that remains timeless and comforting because of that very fact.
I signed up for the aromatherapy massage and though it was nice, I realized that what I would have preferred was a deep-tissue massage. However, I’m sure Mick Jagger was talking exactly about this situation when he thrust those lips out to sing, “You can’t always get what you want, but you just might find, you get what you need.”
OK, maybe he wasn’t talking about this exact situation, but the upshot was, this rather soft and nice and apparently lymphatic draining massage was probably exactly what I needed. I am finally figuring out that I don’t always necessarily know what is best for me. Not always.
Sometimes the unexpected is exactly the right thing. All I know is that between the pre-massage sauna, the post-massage sauna and the post-massage-post-sauna-post-ginger-tea-bubble bath…I mostly got over the residual bits of jet lag. Altogether a rather clever policy to go from a long flight directly to a spa. Brilliant all round.
This place is set on 650 acres of golf courses, rolling wooded bits, castles being turned into condos and other gorgeous projects. The next plan is to convert a huge old ruined castle into a five-star destination spa. I have a strong hunch these people will do it well.
Did I mention that tonight’s dinner ended with a coconut creme brule served with a small snowball of pina colada ice cream?
Tomorrow we leave by 9 a.m. Evening destination? Mumbles. How can you not like that?
