A Day Fit for a Queen

I turned 40 last Saturday. To many it is just another number, but I always contemplate the previous decade of my life as I enter a new one.

My two best girlfriends, Melanie and Caroline, took me to the Claremont Resort & Spa in Berkeley, which was a HUGE surprise in itself. This place is extremely luxurious and gorgeous. It was a rainy, dreary day, so being indoors and cozy was perfect for such a stormy winter day. (Photo is from the website linked above)

I got to indulge in two treatments. All three of us had our first appointment at 10 AM so we arrived at about 9. You get to go into the jacuzzi beforehand or sit in a steam bath scented with eucalyptus. The spa also has something called a deluge shower. You step into this shower stall and sit on a small bench, leaning forward. There's a pipe sticking out of the ceiling and it pours a ton of warm water onto your back and neck, massaging you like you're sitting under a waterfall. It was great!

The first treatment I received was a rosemary body scrub. I wanted softer skin and in addition to getting a great rubdown, the masseuse also gave me a wonderful head and scalp massage. This was while I was stewing in some warm lavender oil with hot, heavy towels draped over me. Oh, it felt divine!

I had enough time to sit in the steam bath for five minutes after this treatment was finished and let the oils soak in nicely. Then it was time for my facial.

I haven't had a facial in this country before. In Thailand, I'd get one once a month or so - I was incredibly spoiled living there. This facial was the same basic style as what I'd get in Thailand, but this one included a pumpkin spice enzyme that smelled just like pumpkin pie. It tingled nicely, and subsided a bit when the steam started.

The technician then picked thoroughly and got all that crapola out of my face and then various creams and tonics were massaged in. The facial included a shoulder and arm massage with hot lavender oil. She put my hands in plastic bags and then put inside hot oven mitts. (that's what they looked like, anyway.) The whole thing was WOONDDEERRFULLLL!!

I took a shower when my facial was done. All the shower stalls have wall jets plus the giant pie-plate shower head that dumps water down like a tropical shower. I felt guilty using all that water, but my shower wasn't long and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

Afterward, Melanie and Caroline and I all had lunch together. I had this creole spiced chicken sandwich with roasted pepper on ciabatta bread with a side of bacony potato salad. YUMMY!
Caroline had the burger with the same side salad and Melanie had the blackened catfish sandwich with southern style cole slaw.

What a wonderful, wonderful spa day!!!! Thank you again Melanie and Caroline!