Tasmania is dotted with Day Spas and Retreats.
Who knew?
The top ten include:
Hidden Cove
Cradle Mountain Lodge and Spa
Saffire Freycinet (pictured at the top of this page...and certainly my choice)
Savoy in Hobart
Harmony Harvest Health Retreat
Pool and Spa World
Quay Day Spa
Hobart Float Spa
Eagles Nest I II and III Spa and Retreat
and Jun Lin Spa and Massage
Today, I've decided to recreate some of the best of each (as closely as possible) here at home for a Friday Day Spa Retreat!
With a bit of planning...you can too!
Starting with Morning Meditation and Exercise.
A light breakfast...including Australia's favorite coffee drink: The Flat White.
Flat White has basically the same ingredients as a latte. But the similarity ends there. And you can see why it is referred to as a Flat White.
Because it is.
Australian Flat White
2 shots of espresso
A small amount of steamed milk frothed until bubbles are micro-fine, then poured over the espresso.
The consistency of this drink...almost velvety with the fine bubbles...is what elevates it from a latte to the Australian morning wake-me-up. Far more espresso and far less milk. For purists (and baristas) there are aerators for the fine frothing of the steamed milk. For the rest of us, there are personal blenders. I used my Magic Bullet and still had to whip it four times in order to achieve the micro-bubbles necessary to make this Australian Coffee concoction. Well worth the time. I found it impossible to really capture the foaminess in a photo...and surprised to find the consistency held up through drinking the entire cup! I can also see where this micro-foam would lend itself well to the cinnamon and powdered cocoa art creations often seen.
May try it myself, sometime.
A quick bask (natural vitamin D and a bit of color) and book on North Patio Beach.
A Spa Bath with vanilla sugar scrub, facial masque, hair-conditioner pack, loofah, cool rinse and vanilla body lotion afterwards. Bath towels in the warmer...such a treat.
Vanilla Sugar Scrub
A few drops of vanilla.
A cup of granulated white sugar.
A teaspoon of water
A wonderful exfoliating scrub that smells great!
'
A light lunch of salad and cold boiled shrimp with homemade cocktail sauce.
Cutting some recently bloomed roses for the house. Dead-heading and playing in the plants a while.
And since today in The States is National Donut Day (...thanks John, I'd have missed it, you know...) and because I have all the ingredients... creating a few jam filled donuts.
Working on my painting: Monet's Ghost
And I learned why Peterson adds a bit of color wash or grays to his ghosts...makes them (especially features) stand out a bit. Will be adding this in the week to come.
Exercise
A good dinner...hey healthy, was breakfast and lunch, okay? Including one of those donuts for afters.
Not going to waste perfectly good deep fry oil. Besides all the shrimp can't be on the barbie...seriously.
Herbal tea with Leatherwood Honey and Evening Meditation
Followed closely by a great night's sleep, I'm thinking!
More anon...
