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A SEASON FOR SPAS
CANADIAN COMFORT
By Karen Hamlin
It's winter: And it is a cold and blustery season of gray skies and blinding white snow. Tis the season to sleep, indulge and pamper.
Tucked away in little Victorian villages where loyalist from the American Revolution hid, are New England style houses with a touch of Scotch and Irish. Country stores, gourmet restaurants, B&B's and wineries grace the tangle of roads and rivers that sweep the Eastern Townships of Quebec, alongside the Vermont border.
Scattered along the countryside near the mountains, there is a bevy of spas suitable for each recipient's satisfaction and budget ranging from day spas to sleepovers. Spas are a feel-good non-activity where you can just lay there like a slug and get detoxified, smoothed-over, rejuvenated and very sleepy. My friends and I were going to the Eastern Townships to experience as many spas as possible in four days.
I flew into Montreal on an airplane that was part Air Canada, part United and part USAir; at least that's what I deciphered from my ticket. There are so many airline alliances, that I honestly couldn't say which one or all I flew on; however, it was a fine flight (considering that flying today is generally pretty miserable). Arriving in Montreal late at night, I checked in to the venerable Queen Elizabeth Hotel, a city landmark. It is an exquisite hotel situated in the center of bustling Montreal with an underground city of shopping.
I was hoping to get room 1742, made famous by John and Yoko's 1969 "bed-in", but no such luck. The room is now dedicated to John and Yoko with memorabilia from their weeklong, worldwide invitation to "give peace a chance". Nevertheless, my room was very spacious and held a luxurious, soft as a cloud, mind dissolving bed that I could barely drag myself out of the next morning.
After a delightful breakfast of Eggs Benedict (as only Canadians can prepare properly), I met my friends and we were off in a mini-van headed an hour north of Montreal to the Eastern Townships. Examining the spa brochures, I made a list of the treatments that interested me. I also learned that spas are divided into three types: Resort Spas, Destination Spas and Day Spas.
But, first we made a stop less than a half hour from Montreal and stepped into a glam spa: The Givenchy Spa & Inn, a resort spa. Located on the edge of the Richelieu River, this sleek, modern salon has garnered several awards including a ten-year standing in Relais & Chateaux. We had high expectations since this was the only Givenchy spa in North America and boasted a team of fifteen therapists, all trained in the Givenchy tradition.
Wrapped in fluffy white robes, we sat on lavender-plaid rattan couches in front of the fireplace sipping herbal tea and waiting our turn to be treated. From the numerous treatments available, I was selected for "The Exclusively Givenchy", a three-part service. This treatment was designed to exfoliate, regenerate and hydrate the body. Part one exfoliated and oxygenated my body by applying a scrub.
I was easily led to Part Two, the hydrotherapy with specific Givenchy oils, which quickly woke me up as one hundred and eighty pulsating jets of water struck me as I sat in a deep tub of swirling hot water. It was a most invigorating bath that certainly sped up my circulation. After twenty minutes, it was time to do Part Three, a leg workout called Pressure Therapy. Big yellow flexible boots were slipped on my legs and plugged in. The boots alternately inflated and deflated, applying pressure on my legs to ratchet up my leg circulation while I sat and read a magazine on exercise. This was much easier than jogging and my circulation was still - circulating. After such a rigorous workout, I had one more treatment.
I readied myself for a Givenchy signature treatment: a "No Surgetics Facial. It sounded interesting. Inspired by medical techniques in plastic surgery, three products were developed to remove the appearance of wrinkles. I endured a divine facial cleansing and massage that combined the three "No Surgetics creams. I then looked in a mirror, not expecting much, but found I really did have more youthful looking skin. I still had a few minutes to dip in the pool and try the sauna for a few seconds before dinner at Givenchy's award winning restaurant, Hostellerie Les Trois Tilleuls. I spent the night at the Givenchy Inn in a very spacious room with a cozy fireplace.
Morning arrived to a group of four very lethargic, totally relaxed women. We piled in the van and headed through the wooded countryside to the Eastern Townships at the foot of the Appalachian Mountains. Located on a private lake in Magog, Manoir des Sables and their Clinique Algotherapie, was a resort spa. Ready for more pampering, I had the Hot Stone Massage, where hot, flat, smooth stones were placed in strategic spots on my back and massaged with long strokes.
It was heavenly and cozy like the feeling of a warm duvet on a snowy day. In fact, that day saw Canada's first snow of the season. Clinique Algotherapie offered a plethora of services that included Pressotherapy or Pyramid, Aromatherapy, Waterfall Massage, Lymph Drainage, Reiki and Reflexology. Create your own package to include a massotherapy and a body wrap of apricot or sea sediments. We enjoyed a delicious dinner and overnighted at Manoir des Sables. I certainly slept well and quickly acclimated to the rigors of being pampered.
Arriving at Spa Eastman, we were greeted by the founder and CEO, Jocelyna Dubuc, an energetic dark haired woman whose enthusiasm for "her baby" shone in the sparkle of her eyes. Opened in 1977 with one small building, Jocelyna expanded Spa Eastman over the years to now encompass a village with seven lodging pavilions, the spa pavilion, a pool and a restaurant on 315-acres with trails and a lake. I felt at home as soon as I arrived; it had a comfortable, close to nature feel. Eastman Spa is the only destination spa in Canada, meaning it is "entirely devoted to promoting fitness, physical and mental replenishment, and health through the adoption of a healthy lifestyle".
We were in for a treat. I received a Swedish massage, one of my favorites because of its soothing and relaxing quality. As a destination spa, Eastman hoped to "induce lasting effects" in us. Therefore, in addition to the fifty spa treatments offered by fifteen therapists, we were encouraged to take walks on the trails, attend a morning seminar or a yoga class.
Wellness specialists of all types were available for consultation: Kinesiologists, naturopaths, othotherapists, and fitness instructors, even a somatotherapist to improve sleep. Of select importance is the cuisine that is prepared with only basic, natural ingredients from their own gardens or from local farmers. At dinner, organic wine was offered along with a mineralized seaweed drink.
Breakfast was a sumptuous buffet with all sorts of berries, homemade doughnuts, organic breads, waffles and oatmeal that "awakens the senses and stimulates the palate". At first the food was interesting, but gradually I enjoyed it, especially the variety of homemade jams. I only wondered how I'd continue this good life without taking the chef home with me.
The next day we were off to Spa des Chutes de Bolton, a day spa that features a geothermal bath and a polar river bath. Because of time constraints, we forsook the massages and went straight to the baths. First we sat in the sauna and got really hot. Then some of us chose a dip in the icy river, but I chose the geothermal bath (both are outside). It is only large enough for a single person dip. And it's a quick dip, indeed! From there, we popped right into the hot tub; it felt so good. From there, we flitted back and forth from sauna to polar dip to hot tub like birds in a birdbath.
On we drove to our last spa arriving at Spa Concept Bromont, a resort spa located in Chateau Bromont, a ski and golf resort. By now, I fancied myself quite a spa-pro; I knew the pre-spa routine (garnish yourself in robe and slippers) and what each treatment entailed. Bounding into the Chateau, full of vitality, we found it extravagantly decorated for the holidays. At the spa, a legion of masseurs in white lab coats awaited us and called each of us in by name. I indulged in a chocolate body wrap. Smeared in a chocolate-cocoa butter concoction and wrapped in a silver mylar sheet, I smelled delicious and felt like a Hershey chocolate kiss. It all melted away in a spa bath in a softly lit room.
By this time, we were cleaner than a bar of soap and kneaded more than bread dough. I think we were totally spaaed out.
"Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?" Each one of us is the fairest of them all and to continuously feel that way, it's important to pamper and rejuvenate our bodies and spirit.
The Spa Guide:
Spa Givenchy
1-800-263-2230
Visit Givenchy Site
www.spagivenchy.com
Les Trois Tilleuls (restaurant)
1-800-263-2230
Visit Our Site
www.lestroistilleuls.com
The Algotherapy Clinic at the Manoir des Sables
1-800-663-9848
Therapy Site
www.manoirdessables.com
Spa Eastman
1-800-665-5272
Visit Our Spa
www.spa-eastman.com
Spa Concept Bromont
1-800-567-SPAS
Visit This Site
www.spaconcept.qc.ca
Chateau Bromont
1-450-534-3433
Visit Chateau Bromont
www.chateaubromont.com
Spa Des Chutes De Bolton
450-292-4SPA
Visit Our Site
www.spabolton.com
Bonus
Vegetable - Miso Soup
Preparation : 15 minutes Cooking : 20 minutes Portions : 6
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups sliced carrots 1 1/2 cups sliced celery 1/2 cup sliced onions 1 1/2 cups peas 4 thin slices ginger root 1 -2 garlic cloves minced 8 cups water 2 tablespoons organic olive oil 1/4 cup snipped dulse (sea vegetable) 1 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice 1 1/2 teaspoons tamari sauce 1 teaspoon honey 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper 2 tablespoons light organic miso Garnish: 2 scallions chopped and organic sesame seeds, toasted and ground
1. In stockpot, add oil and sauté the carrots, celery, peas, onions, ginger and garlic for 10 minutes. Remove the ginger slices. 2. Add the water, dulse, lemon juice, tamari, honey and cayenne. 3. Cover the pot and simmer for 10 minutes. 4. In a small bowl, mix the miso with a few tablespoons of hot soup until well blended. 5. Add to the soup, stirring well. 6. Serve garnished with scallions and sesame seeds. Secrets of the Chef...To reheat leftovers, use low heat and avoir boiling soup. This soup is excellent for your immune system.
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