Spa days

I’m on the plane waiting to take off on my way from Luton Airport to Inverness. I have just spent a very enjoyable weekend with Jennifer, Russ and Ben. The main theme of the weekend was definitely swimming; Jennifer and I went swimming three times! Twice to a spa near her home in Princes Risborough which is called Hartwell House and all day yesterday to our favourite spa, Nirvana. 

Hartwell House spa is small scale, with a 17 metre pool and a small gym downstairs, and a coffee lounge upstairs with complimentary coffee and shortbread. It also has bookable spa treatments, it’s beside a lovely hotel through whose extensive grounds spa guests are allowed to wander, and is delightfully quiet. It has a calm and luxurious atmosphere; the pool area is decorated in terracotta with plants, Greek style statues and urns around it. I love it.

Nirvana of course I know very well already. It is very popular with an eighteen month waiting list, so is always quite busy, however it is big enough easily to accommodate all of the guests and there is no problem in finding a free sun lounger or getting a drink or a coffee. The outdoor area is open year round unless it’s very adverse weather, so Jennifer and I were able to swim in the outdoor pool and to go into one of the outdoor jacuzzis. The new circular building is now open, and has a big round pool with seats around the edge on which to relax. Another new feature is the salt pool, in which you can float gently supported by the buoyant water. I liked it very much but it made any wee scratches on my arms and legs nip a lot, and the salty air provoked one of my prolonged coughing fits, which are particularly embarrassing in this time of Covid! Jennifer treated me to a most excellent lunch in the restaurant, and we had such a relaxing day. 

Two quite different spas, but both were equally lovely. 

We didn’t just go to spas though, we had a country walk this sunny morning, and watched two good movies in the evenings with Russell. I had a nice chat with Ben, and we visited Alan and Jean in their fabulous retirement apartment just along the road from Jenn and Russ. Jean gave me a tour and I was very impressed by how spacious it is, with so much storage space and triple aspect views over the town towards the hills. It was great to see Alan and Jean, they were on good form and very happy with their move.

And so my weekend is over. La famille Smith made me extremely welcome as they always do. I will be back soon in the springtime.