AdventureDad

This past weekend was very peaceful.  We celebrated out ten year wedding anniversary by going away to a luxury spa just outside the city.  Usually we would have done a more exotic trip, like the Caribbean, but we do so much travel on a regular basis that we wanted to stay close to home.  We also still had our Mexican family over here which meant babysitting for Daniel. 

We have been away from Daniel plenty of times, but always individually.  Sandra has traveled to Paris and Italy without  him and I have spent time here and in Italy without the little one.  But since we don’t have family in town it’s unusual we leave him overnight with someone else.  We were looking forward to a relaxing weekend and that’s exactly what we got.  A little quote from our spa:

 "Let go of your worries and take time to think about yourself. Breathe, relax and open your senses. Observe the spare beauty of the room, smell the light scent of green tea, untreated wood, and freshly washed cotton.

This is a peaceful oasis of good food, Japanese baths, and activities to promote wellbeing. Set aside striving and give yourself time for reflection and simple relaxation.

We believe a slow pace is a good thing, and that everyone occasionally needs time alone: time when bus table, work agendas, and school runs don’t matter; when mobile phones can be switched off and you can let go. Most things here happen at a slow pace. The slippers we provide are comfortable, but you can’t walk too fast in them, which is the whole point: we want you to slow down and take it easy. "

In Japanese, Yasuragi means “inner peace and harmony”, which is exactly what we want you to feel when you come here. We call our baths “Kyarabi” which means “gracious beauty”. Staying with us is easy. You don’t need to bring much: we’ll provide slippers, a swimsuit, and a comfortable bathrobe (a “Yukata”) to use for your stay here.

The place is located deep in the woods with an amazing view, has a large pool and numerous Japanese hot springs, a large variety of body treatments, and two great restaurants.  We have traveled extensively around the world but never been to a place like this.  Upon checking in you get a robe, Yukata, and that’s your outfit for the whole stay.  No private clothing.  Just your underwear and the robe.  If you are brave you can of course go commando but that can lead to embarrassing situations.  What if, you know, things start happening down there. Sandra spent time getting various body treatments and I mainly explored the many Japanese baths.  Nighttime temperatures in Sweden are getting cooler so the Japanese baths were lovely.  Soooooo relaxing. Sitting outside in a 40 degree (104 Fahrenheit) stone bath while looking at the stars is a nice experience.  Until you have to get up and walk inside…….   COLD!

The Japaneses have some weird traditions. At least us Westerners think so.  Bathhouses are a large part of the Japanese culture and they got them in virtually every neighborhood.  At the spa you sit down and wash yourself.  You might not think that’s strange but try it and then get back to me.   You sit down on a small wooden chair and wash yourself with a sponge.  To rinse your body you fill your bucket and pour it on yourself.  It takes forever  but that’s the whole point.  You are supposed to take your time and relax.  My morning shower is pretty much the opposite.  I wake up, hit snooze a few times to really piss off Hot Wife, and when I get up I have to take a three minute shower or I’ll be late for work.  It’s like a speed-shower.

Since we  lived in NYC for many years we are of course sushi lovers.  We went through a session with the chef and had him show us how to make the basic rolls and he also told us  very interesting background about sushi.  We embarrassed ourselves slightly by staying long so we could eat the maximum amount of sushi.  My food capacity is pretty amazing but few know that Sandra also occasionally can eat even more than me and a horse together.  Dinner in the evening was cooked by our own chef and was basically a five course meal.  Very nice and tasteful.  Some matching wine, little sake, and nice desert was a nice finish  of the day.

Getting ready for dinner or breakfast really takes on a new meaning when you only have a robe.  How easy!  Shower, put on underwear, and then the robe.  How about we all wear a robe to work?  Women especially would have hours of time every day and many thousands of dollars.  Hot Wife has never gotten ready without saying the phrase; "  I’ve got nothing to wear!".  Sure, Donna Karan and Escada are practically begging us to come back to NYC again. 

Daniel had a good weekend without us.  Ate well, slept well, and didn’t really mind us not being there.  It was great to spend a little time away but we were missing him on Sunday.  The spa was fantastic but they didn’t have that great baby-skin smell in the morning.  And we love that smell. 

Popularity: 5% [?]

Categories: Sandra, Travel
Tags: