“You don’t want to go do a Lake Minnewanka cruise?” I asked my husband as we sat in the Bow Valley Grill at the Fairmont Banff Springs hotel in the mountain town of Banff, Alberta, having just finished a buffet breakfast the size of 3,000 alpine lakes. “It’s a boat tour. It’s scenic! We’ll have fun!” […]
Why visit Aix-les-Bains, France, and Lake Bourget?
Why visit Aix-les-Bains, France, a spa town on the shores of Lake Bourget? If you’re going to France, why not? It’s got water sports, a healing mineral-rich hot springs bathing complex and plenty of history. Call me the Countess of Balmoral – that’s the pseudonym Queen Victoria used when she used to visit Aix-les-Bains, one of the […]
The easy way to spa in Vichy, France – Hotel Les Celestins
Vichy is one of the most famous spa towns in France, but most mainstream tourists pass it by – which is all the more reason to go. While the spa culture of Vichy can be confusing, especially for a European spa novice, there is an easy way to spa in Vichy, France, and I’m going to tell you how […]
Winnipeg spas: Thermea, Ten Spa, Riverstone, Yoga Public
Hammock yoga meditation is a thing. Did you know it’s a thing? How could I not know it’s a thing? It took me a day of exploring spas in Winnipeg to find out. What I also learned is that there are plenty of options when it comes to Winnipeg spas: the new Thermea Winnipeg Nordic baths complex, the steamy Ten Spa, the […]
French spa: Vichy, France, and my social disaster
“Bonjour Monsieur et Madame,” said the elderly Frenchwoman in a singsong voice as she sat on a bench outside the drinking hall in the Parc des Sources. The park is the green heart of Vichy, France, a historic French spa town three hours south of Paris. “Bonjour,” my husband, Mark, and I replied, bobbing our heads like […]
Best winter spa resorts, wellness expert Anne Dimon dishes
Cold? Shivering? Facing the winter blahs? Cheer up and make this winter a wellness winter. For the lowdown on some of the best winter spa resorts and top global escapes I harassed badgered courteously asked spa expert, Anne Dimon, editor of TravelToWellness.com, to share her top luxury spa picks for winter. Anne, thanks for sharing some of your expertise. What […]
Grand Velas Riviera Maya Spa Coupledom
The 5-star Grand Velas Riviera Maya Resort has one of Mexico’s top spas. It’s a great way to bump up the romance on a Caribbean vacation. Read on for our experience. “Would you like a couple’s suite?” The receptionist at the Grand Velas Riviera Maya Spa asked my husband and me as we checked in for our treatments. […]
Spa vacations versus spa press trips
When I tell people I write about spas I get one reply and one reply only. “You’re so lucky!” Clearly I am lucky (knock on wood) and I never take these amazing opportunities for granted, but – and I know you’re about to laugh in my face – writing about spas can be hard work. Which is why, […]
Flabby thighs guide to international travel
Let’s talk about my legs. They’re long – so long that if you imagined a giraffe with no neck you’d pretty much have my proportions. They’re shapely, at least my husband says so under duress. They are not, however, firm. In fact, if you imagined the aforementioned giraffe as a twisty balloon animal, each appendage […]
Alchemy and the spa: do gold facials work?
I learned something this morning about alchemy, which made me consider the question: Do gold facials work? (I realize the connection between alchemy and facials is a bit of stretch so bear with me – this is the way my mind works i.e. not effectively.) Reading Bill Bryson’s book A Short History of Nearly Everything […]
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