Letter From Paris
Paris Kiosque - February 2001 - Volume 8, Number 2
Copyright (c) 2001 Harriet Welty-Rochefort - Used with permission.
What do most respectable Parisians do when gray old January rolls around?
Simple: they head for a spa.
While this may sound glamorous and out of sight for most of us common
mortals, going to "take the waters" is a time-honored (and sometimes Social
Security reimbursed) tradition in France.
Taking the waters (sea or spring) was what people did and still do when
they have various aches and pains which need a lot of loving care in a
peaceful environment dedicated to that and that alone. Serious and proven
medical conditions are reimbursed by Social Security. However, more and
more people, including under-60s and even under-30s, are flocking to spas
preventively, either to just take a rest or lose weight or have a specific
part of their body attended to.
Being a respectable Parisian, I too have come around to this, although in
the beginning I thought spas were probably one of the most boring things I
could envisage doing on a vacation.
Then I went - last year - to a spa located in St. Jean de Luz, a pretty
little town in Basque country. Four days of delicious food later and two
kilos lighter (?!), I decided that the French are really on to something
here.
This year by the time November rolled around, I'd already signed my
husband and I up for a week in January at a spa in Hendaye, near St. Luz, on
the Basque coast. Massages, mud baths, huge tubs filled with sea algae,
swimming in a huge pool were all part of the daily fare. There was also a
fitness room for exercise but it was much more fun to hang out at the bar
drinking Rioja and tasting tapas (Hendaye is on the Spanish border ).
In addition to the relaxation, the entire former French Soccer Team
showed up for a few days of golf and relaxation. They may have gained
years and pounds (hey, that guy looks like Michel Platini - it IS Michel
Platini, dummy) but none of their glamour has worn off so it jazzed up the
stay somewhat.
The thing about being a Parisian, though, a true one like my husband, is
that no matter how great it is where you are, it's always better in Paris.
"Isn't this divine?" I would ask, as we strolled by the sea. "Wouldn't
you just love to throw everything over and come down here to live in this
peace and quiet on the coast?"
He looked at me as if I were truly certifiably insane. And although he
too enjoyed the R & R (and especially the wine and tapas), the day he looked
the MOST relaxed was the day we boarded our flight for Paris.
In the taxi on the way home on the péripherique amid the pollution and
heavy traffic, he suddenly seemed more relaxed than I'd ever seen him
before.
Was it the spa? Or was it being back in Paris?
I didn't even have to ask.
Harriet Welty-Rochefort, a bona fide Midwesterner from
Iowa, visited Paris for the first time while in
college. She became so completely enamored of
France that she stayed - and has been there ever since.
Married to a Frenchman and the mother of two
Franco-American boys, Harriet Welty-Rochefort writes
on business, lifestyle and travel for major U.S.
publications. Her book -
French Toast
- is a lighthearted look at
French manners and mores.
Her second book, French Fried: The Culinary Capers of an American in Paris will appear in March 2001.
Both are published by St. Martin's Press.
If you've had some funny, startling, satisfying, or dismaying
food experiences in France you'd like to share,
you may contact Harriet directly at
hwelty@club-internet.fr.
You may also visit Harriet's website
here.
Editor's Note:
Dear Readers, while our writers are always
delighted to hear and to receive comments, both about their columns in the The Paris Kiosque,
as well as your experiences in Paris,
they are unable to answer any requests
for travel information.
Thank you for your understanding.
Your Hotel In Paris