Enjoying Christmas in May at Thermea Spa

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 16/05/2016 (3665 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

As I write this column I am in a state of complete relaxation. 

Not because the house is clean (it’s not), but because my hubby and I just enjoyed an evening at Thermëa Spa. We finally got around to using the Christmas gift from our children, and what a gift it was. 

Thermëa is located just off South Drive in Fort Garry, in a cozy corner by the Crescentwood Golf Course, and it is open year-round. Amid the pools, steam rooms, saunas, waterfalls, relaxation areas, a restaurant and treatment spa, is an atmosphere we hadn’t anticipated. We felt totally isolated and that was fine with us. We wandered from the sauna to the Finnish eucalyptus-and-orange aroma steam baths, then on to the self-exfoliation room, where you have a choice of lavender or menthol salt scrub. If you’ve never scrubbed yourself with oil-infused Epsom salts, you don’t know what you’re missing. Let’s just say it’s easier to scrub everywhere if you have a partner (no worries, this column is G-rated and everyone is wearing swimsuits).

Then we braved the Polarbër pool, which is set to a brisk 10°C.

I have to credit my other half for immersing himself totally in that icy bath, while I  ran very quickly through the glacial waterfall. As per the Thermëa cycle of hot-cold-rest-repeat, you then soak in a warm pool, relax on a heated tile chaise-lounge or sauna mattress, and sway gently on one of the many hammocks or comfy chair swings.

Relaxation is clearly key, and Thermëa accomplishes this objective perfectly. The most difficult instruction to follow while you’re there is the whisper rule, which meant I had to park my work-voice in the locker.

It’s all in the details: the aromas, temperatures, quiet, comfort, organized simplicity. Congrats Thermëa.

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It’s time to welcome spring with your favourite family traditions:  a Goog Special at the BDI; a walk over the footbridge with a waffle cone from Sargent Sundae; dinner on your favourite outdoor patio; perhaps a pleasant drive to the Half Moon restaurant in Lockport for “Canada’s Best” hot dog, or to Skinner’s Restaurant in Lockport for a “World Famous” hot dog.

In an effort to bring Metro readers the most accurate information possible, I will conduct an unofficial hot dog taste test and report back next month.

Wanda Prychitko is a community correspondent for St. James-Assiniboia. Contact wprychitko@yahoo.ca