'Relax Me Breaks'
Monday 25 July 2011
Travelling around the country quite a lot, as I do, I am seeing that the times we are in has brought about a huge level of innovation and co-operation between people, which was perhaps a quality that was missing in us during those unreal Celtic Tiger Years. Some of those who have lost their ‘secure’ but boring jobs behind a desk have blossomed forth doing artistic and creative things, previously thought of as a possible pastime, and are saying that they are so much happier be it perhaps selling their food or artistic produce at markets, or writing, or doing the things they never had time for before.
Bigger businesses such as hotels and restaurants, fashion and industry, are also bonding together with offers and deals. Take two ladies from the Borough of Dun Laoghaire – both at the top of their respective professions – and both who provide significant employment in the area. Nuala Woulfe of Serenity Day Spa and Eithne Fitzpatrick of Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel in Killiney, celebrating its 40th Anniversary, have both been in their respective businesses for many years and are customers of each other’s emporiums but only now have decided to put together a combined package which will not only appeal to the ladies but also to the gentlemen.
Nuala Woulfe employs 27 people between her sublime Serenity Day Spa on the main street in Glasthule, the seaside village between Dun Laoghaire and Dalkey, and her eponymous beauty salon overlooking Glasthule car park. Nuala and Eithne have come up with a Relax Me Break for 1 night at €275 per person sharing or €305 for single occupancy, or a 2 night Get in Shape Break at €390 per person sharing or €425 for single occupancy. The Relax Me Break is a new concept in total wellbeing, to simply relax, relish the moments of balance and tranquility whilst connecting with your inner self. This involves spending some two and a half hours being totally spoilt in Serenity, after which it is off to Fitzpatrick Castle for dinner in the Dungeon Grill and an overnight stay. You can reverse the order of this package of course, stay first of all and have your treatments next day, but the former format worked well for me. The Get in Shape Break includes accommodation and dinner on both evenings at the Castle, treatments at Serenity, including a Hydrotherapy Bath followed by an Endermology/Detox Seaweed wrap - a de-luxe one of a kind treatment beginning with a full body exfoliation, followed by the application of a potent mixture of seaweed and essential oils designed to tone and detoxify the entire body. The treatment concludes with a session of Entomology targeted at a specific problem area or for all over lymphy drainage and is followed with a SkinCeuticals Firming Facial to illuminate and hydrate the skin. You also get a personal fitness assessment from the Fitness Team at Fitzpatrick Castle to design a tailor made training programme for you. With both packages you also have full use of the 20m swimming pool, sauna, jacuzzi and steam room, as well as entrance to fitness classes in the Castle’s fitness centre.
I guess I am a perfect candidate for either of the packages being permanently stressed, overweight, and totally unfit! Here I was thinking before I set off to stress test the ‘Relax Me Break’ thinking, “Oh my God, I have so much to do to get out of here, they will never relax me enough to win me over – I haven’t time to do this – maybe I will just have one of the treatments”. No way, I was told firmly by Nuala that I had to experience them all or none! Screeching up in the carpark at 3.55 for my 4 pm session I guess I was suitably stressed meeting my beautiful therapist Vimi from Mauritius. Vimi, smiling from ear to ear, greeted me with a glass of soothing mango juice, picked up my handbag, and led me upstairs to the treatment room, discreetly leaving to peel off and wrap myself in a towelling ‘sarong’ – covering me up and down as far as possible – and ‘possible’ itself! Not a pretty sight! I have not been one of the Celtic Tiger wives, or of the genre, accustomed to Spa life so something like this for me is a big treat. I have always been too busy working, I am impatient, with a low boredom threshold – and I am probably a bit gauche when it comes to Spa etiquette – but hell they really won me over and I thoroughly enjoyed being a pampered belle for one brief moment in time.
Lying on the couch, with Vimi giving me an Indian Head Massage, the muffled sounds of cars on Glasthule Main Street soon gave way to the tinkling of Indian music in the background as I plagued poor Vimi for details of life in Mauritius and recipes for Mauritian food – its hard to teach an old dog new tricks – and I wanted to hear of the Indian, French, Chinese and other elements in their cuisine. Vimi happily obliged as her strong pliable fingers weaved the stresses out of my brain, before she gave me a fabulous mini facial. I, of course, was still talking thirteen to the dozen and then she got out the Aromatherapy oils – a wonderful blend of sandalwood and lavender oil – to suit and sooth me – and I was soon silent! I was oiled and massaged from top to toe and emerged two and a half hours later feeling so laid back and relaxed.
It was then off to Fitzpatrick Castle to meet friend Mary, who was sitting outside on the lawn in the sun as I arrived, having a cool glass of Sancerre after her hectic working day. She was only joining me for the dinner and overnight element as she herself was too busy and stressed to take part in the treatments, but I think she realised pretty quickly that she should book herself in too for the pampering. We had two superb rooms, beautifully furnished and kitted out with every little detail you could want, and with balconys having splendid views down over the chestnut tree filled lawns, Killiney and Dublin Bay – it really felt more like Sorrento than Dublin – but then I suppose we have the aptly named Sorrento Road nearby. It really is a beautiful part of Dublin for a break or holiday with Killiney Hill and Dun Laoghaire seafront and pier for walks, Dalkey Village down the road, the Dart to whisk you into town, so much to do and see. Dinner was in the Dungeon Grill which has a cocktail bar, where they mix a ‘mean’ cocktail. It’s a couple of years since I had dinner there and I have to say the food was really excellent – and very popular too with local people – good prices! Mary kicked off with a cracking carpaccio of beef, a dish invented at Harry’s Bar in Venice where it was served to the Countess Amalia Nani Mocenigo in 1950 when she informed the bar’s owner that her doctor had recommended she eat only raw meat. I think they would have approved of FC’s version beautifully dressed with mixed leaves and Parmesan shavings of which Mary loved every bit. I had the ever loved retro stalwart – a real Dublin Bay prawn cocktail. Hake on a lovely fennel mash topped with a fine salsa of cucumber, peppers, tomato and onion, followed for Mary, whilst I had a quartet of lamb cutlets with a rosemary jus and mint. We finished off sharing gorgeous fresh strawberries served in an ‘old fashioned’ glass capped with a chocolate lid on which sat more strawberries and mint, and a selection of cheeses served with celery, grapes, fresh black cherries. Needless to say the old Sauvignon Blanc was going down a treat also. Worth a mention also is the Dungeon’s great value 40th Celebratory menu at €40 for 2-courses for 2 people including a complimentary glass of wine or beer.
Next morning we had breakfast on the balcony looking down over Dublin Bay before we returned to our day to day lives. I did really learn something from this experience – how great it was to catch up with a girl friend – relax and chat and shoot the breeze – which none of us do enough nowadays. These breaks we both felt would be wonderful for mothers and daughters, sisters, friends, partners, for an instant refreshing experience. Not only that they would be fantastic for Hen Parties or other groups. So treat yourself – bond with your friends and family - it would be money well spent.
THIS ARTICLE WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN THE SUNDAY INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY JULY 24, 2011.