Tag Archives: Wellness

Weekend in Porto Santo – Day 3

Posted on October 3, 2016 | Leave a comment

Sunrise Walk

Challenge of the Day:

invigorating walk of the 9 km beach while sun rises. A must do! The landscape looks like a movie set, with an impressive natural light (the photographer is speaking). Stunning blond-golden sand! We can only hear the sound of waves. Finally quiet!

First picture of the article: a wink to spaghetti westerns, my silhouette draped in a kikoi (sarong / scarve from Kenya). The bottom of the air is fresh. Video above: the start of walking, the day is struggling to break through. And video below: 1h30-2h later, how the light changed!

Ditto for the two below pictures of the beach: the round trip. Between: the photo of the historic pier of Porto Santo. I feel being like on a Florida or California beach. No time to swim, I have to go to my spa appointment!

The Thalasso Spa

The Baleira Thalasso Spa

Perfect timing to relax my muscles after two hours of sport. Facing the beautiful beach (1), the Baleira Thalasso Spa is the only thalassotherapy center of Porto Santo and one of the best equipped of Portugal too (photos above and below).

After a quick shower, I was guided to the saltwater bath heated to 37 ° (3 & 4) and a cold water course with powerful jets (much like the one I tested in Bali).

Then I joined my smiling therapist in swimsuits, for a tonic “Vichy massage”! Fantastic: the best massage under (seawater) jets I’ve ever had, you feel the fat take off (LOL). After: no more tension throughout the body … or in the head! Grazie mille to my Italian therapist!

Inside the Island

Stunning Landscapes

After lunch, I’m on my way for a private tour in 4×4 of the island, with the Lazermar Travel Agency, a business run by a very professional and sympathetic family, passionated about its island! I have a less than 3 hours before my departure by ferry to Madeira!

Check out the landscape diversity of this small island of 42 km (photos above and below)!

I am wowed by the geological curiosities: above photo and in the center of the island, the ground covered with fossils of sea snails. Small vineyards enclosed by stone walls. And heritage with the old windmills near the Miradouro da Portela. I also visited a traditional house dating from the 18th century … Some of the landscapes remind of Africa.

Departure to Madeira

Ferry during 2:15

Rushed arrival at the harbour at the end of boarding (lol). I don’t have time to take few stuff in my suitcase to change me during the crossing. I am full of sand and dust (the joys of the outdoors)!

Because once arrived in Funchal (Madeira), I go straight to dinner at the Design Center Nini Andrade Silva (last picture of the article: the building on the left is the Design Center Nini Andrade Silva).

During the crossing, I stayed on a bridge to fix the horizon and I saw dolphins! And booster shot: the ad on the Porto Santo Line ferry: “Save Our Ocean, don’t throw litter in the sea”! See you in Funchal …

Informations

Visit Madeira, Visit Portugal, Vila Baleira Thalasso Spa & Lazermar Travel Agency

Related Posts : DESTINATIONS, HOTEL REVIEWS & BEAUTY

Many thanks to Visit Madeira and Visit Portugal for this wonderful discovery of the island of Porto Santo. Thanks also to my awesome therapist at The Vila Baleira Thalasso Spa and the Lazermar Travel Agency for the fantastic tour of the island! As always these are my opinions.

Madeira: Weekend in Porto Santo, Day 1

Posted on September 9, 2016 | Leave a comment

The Madeira Airport

One of My Shortest Flight Ever:

From Funchal to Porto Santo, a dreamy small island with a unique nine kilometer beach of golden sand lined and crystal clear water! I go there for a long sport and wellness weekend, between ocean and spa. I am super excited: it will be my first time in the island! Departure from the Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport (Madeira) with some arty monochrome-corridors, where I am in transit (above photo).

Of course I didn’t sleep the night before: as always a thousand things to absolutely do! I’m in great shape, if I sit down, I fall asleep (lol)! A little walk to the shopphing corner. Photo below: some Poncha, the ultra strong cocktail of Madeira! The pretty bottles on the top look like sunscreen aerosols flavored with orange, passion fruits etc …

That’s it, we are three passengers to board : ) The small plane could be a private jet (first photo of the post)! 25 minutes flight including the wait on the tarmac, takeoff, landing and probably 10 minutes in clouds. I feel euphoric! No you will not see my tired eyes (lol)! Photos below: beautiful views from my window of the Atlantic Ocean and Porto Santo.

I love the rocky side of this volcanic island! An island is always a little magic!

The View

How Many Shades of Blue?

Awesome ocean and beach view from my room balcony! Oops, I lost the key of my suitcase lock and need to take my swimsuit. Nice afternoon program: after a light lunch, I have a treatment at the Hotel Porto Santo spa, a specialty of the island …

The Spa

A Superb Spa All to Myself!

This is luxury, I know it’s insane! And even crazier: me in this “sandbox” (picture above)! I should say : me, from chin to toe, covered by the island warm sand (40 degree celcius, I believe). Muito obrigada to the therapist to have refreshed my face with a wet towel several times.

The explanation: the volcanic island of Porto Santo is famous for the beautiful 9 km beach. The “biogenic carbonate” (Terramiga) sand of this beach is good for the skin, arthritis and rheumatism among others. In the past, the islanders took sand baths on the beach, but there were a lot of accidents due to the burns. Now in spa, the temperature is controlled.

After the Geomedicin sand treatment and a long cold shower, I can notice the relaxing effect. The body released tensions, is deeply relaxed and flexible. The skin is extremely soft (still a little redish due to the warm). In photos below: the different spaces of the elegant spa with modern facilities and direct access to the beach (photos below). To be continued…

Informations

Visit Madeira, Visit Portugal & Hotel Port Santo

Related Posts : HOTEL REVIEWS & DESTINATIONS

Many thanks to Visit Madeira and Visit Portugal for this wonderful discovery of the island of Porto Santo. As always these are my opinions.

Courchevel, France: Fooding And Spa

Posted on February 25, 2016 | Leave a comment

The Lunch

The Café Nikki by Nikki Beach

After arriving at the White Courchevel 1921 hotel, Nathalie who knows my (simple but sharp) tastes, invited me to lunch at the new Café Nikki (the newest of the Nikki Beach Miami, Saint Barth etc … ). The restaurant is located in the Aquamotion, where I stay the whole afternoon for a day spa.

Wide clear space (with XXL view of the snowy landscape), nice decor and friendly team. I am happy to have a late lunch without the crowd. We meet Jade and Christophe in charge of the press and restaurant. On the menu, a very good chicken satay I struggled to finish as the quantities are large! Time flies and it’s already time to go to my appointment at the spa.,,

The Spa

The Aquamotion

I skied nearly every day of the week. So I decided to spoil my legs by a custom program developed by therapists of the Aquamotion‘s Spa-Balneo area. After more than an hour in the wellness area, especially in the outdoor pool (which has views of the peaks), I start my spa treatments.

First treatment in a spacious room with violet light. I plunge my legs in a kind of spa tub, divided into two compartments: one with an ice water and the other one with hot water (photos above). Step two (photo below): lying on the table, I get a scrub based on marine products, while the jets massage the entire body.

In the bluish light room, my therapist performs a specific massage legs for 30 minutes. It combines several techniques to relax and rest my legs. And final stage, I lay down a water bed that massages the whole body (like the armchair of my Parisian beautician). And here I must confess, I fell asleep :))

When I wake up, it is in 7:00 – 7:30 p.m. and I have to hurry up and quickly go back to the White 1921 hotel, to get dressed before going dinner with a friend. I would love to keep the relaxation vibe and just go to bed!

The dinner

La Saulire

The White 1921 hotel doesn’t have a restaurant, so they invited me with a friend at La Saulire, a cult gourmet restaurant in Courchevel (located close to the hotel!). By sitting, I noticed this phrase in Savoy dialect (photo above) that Jacques Trauchessec the owner of La Saulire, translates me : “It’s wedged between two wines that we best have our balance “.

As we say in French : “En bon entendeur” (as a good listener), I tasted at the end of dinner, a tear of Génépi, a Savoyard digestive … And I confirm, I don’t like digestive and always feel swallow alcohol at 90 ° ( lol)!

In the photos below, my excellent dinner started with a delicious cauliflower velouté with truffle, followed by saint jacques (I’ve never eaten as much since my last stay in the 3 Vallees) and finally a fantastic chocolate souflle!

Informations

Tourist Office of Courchevel, White 1921 Courchevel, www.les3vallees.com

DESTINATIONS, BEAUTE & LIFESTYLE

Many thanks to the Tourist Office of Courchevel and White 1921 Courchevel for this beautiful invitation. As always these opinions are my own.

Tag Archives: Wellness

Weekend in Porto Santo – Day 3

Sunrise Walk

Challenge of the Day:

The Thalasso Spa

The Baleira Thalasso Spa

Inside the Island

Stunning Landscapes

Departure to Madeira

Ferry during 2:15

Informations

Madeira: Weekend in Porto Santo, Day 1

The Madeira Airport

One of My Shortest Flight Ever:

The View

How Many Shades of Blue?

The Spa

A Superb Spa All to Myself!

Informations

Courchevel, France: Fooding And Spa

The Lunch

The Café Nikki by Nikki Beach

The Spa

The Aquamotion

The dinner

La Saulire

Informations

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