I am counting down the days to be back at work. However, I am still enjoying my last days here in England.
While here in London, I took the opportunity to visit Portugal and Paris.
Portugal (left) was my first visit and France (right) my fourth.
In Portugal, I stayed at my first Airbnb. Although I own a villa in Aruba that I rent on Airbnb, I hardly ever stay at a hotel. So instead, I stay at one of my timeshares.
I no longer have my timeshare, so I opt to stay at an Airbnb. The space was elementary but relatively clean and spacious, with a lovely pool. Several times I have been asked if my villa in Aruba comes with a chef, but particularly in Aruba, it would cost a small fortune.
We went to a different restaurant every night and experienced a range of diverse cuisine. Lunch was a hit or miss depending on the day’s activities.
In Paris, we stayed at the Mercure Paris Boulogue, a (4 Star Hotel) although very elegant, the limited space was pretty confining. I am spoiled by all the space I have when I stay at my timeshare or villa.
In the past, when I stayed at a hotel, I would opt for an all-inclusive. However, I no longer desire to eat as much as I used to. The weight is difficult to shift when you are getting older, so for the future, I will only book at a hotel if I am staying one or two nights, but for anything over three nights, I will opt for a Tripadvisor or Airbnb private villa.
My fourth visit to Paris, and the highlight of this visit, was a day at the spa where I had an excellent 90-minute therapeutic massage. The therapist had hands and techniques I would compare to mine. In the last two months, I have visited four massage clinics in Toronto for a Deep tissue therapeutic massage but was extremely disappointed.
My trip to London coincided with the death of the Queen, and as a past resident still holding a British passport, I was happy to be here.
My next spa day was spent at a lovely spa in Kent, where my cousin attended a one-day seminar. However, I was highly dissatisfied. After speaking with spa management, they offered me to return for some services, which I graciously declined. The spa manager told me she was new and thanked me for my feedback, and planned on doing some further training based on what we discussed
I went to BeautX Beauty Talk in Kent for my last holiday massage and was not disappointed. It was an incredible massage. The holiday concluded with a day of Archery practice with my cousin’s friends and a lovely dinner at a country restaurant.
I will be back at the spa from Wednesday, September 28th to Saturday, October 9th. After that, I am leaving for my usual fall vacation on October 10th and returning to work on Wednesday, November 28th.
If you are planning a family vacation or considering a girl’s trip, check out The New Villa Serenity for the peace and serenity we all need.
You are on vacation. Eat breakfast, lunch, or dinner only on your time.
To view the lovely Villa Serenity, click the link below:
https://www.airbnb.co.uk/hosting/listings/18391948/details/photos
Yours truly,
Jean