Blissed Out

Yesterday I cashed in my birthday present chit from Alec and the kids for a massage at the Bliss Spa—it only took me four months to use it.  Bliss is at the W Hotel, a tall building on the very edge of the sea—its shape evokes a sail.  The W is not exactly conveniently located, but its location is spectacular.  It feels good to be so close to the water.  It took me forever to get across town during the morning rush hour, but I made it just in time for my 10 am appointment. 

The hotel and the spa are spanking new, the robes incredibly plush.  Once I got myself face down on the massage table, I realized I should have gotten my butt there sooner.  Maria, the massage therapist, started with a paraffin treatment on my feat—a nice touch that made some progress in healing the canyon-like cracks on my heels.  I know I can’t complain about spending this particular winter in the Mediterranean when my New York friends are suffering through yet another snowstorm, but even here, winter is no friend to my skin.  I get dry and itchy.  My nose turns red. If only I could walk around in paraffin booties from November to March.

After the rubdown I hung out in the Jacuzzi and super hot sauna.  No one else showed up, so I had the place all to myself.  Carlos Abellan (of Comerc 24) has a restaurant called Bravo at the W, and I thought I might go there for lunch, but it was only noon, the restaurant didn’t open until 1:30, and I had to be in Gracia for a 1:45 meeting.  So I ate a sandwich in the lobby surrounded by Beautiful People and headed out.

Over dinner, Milo wanted to know if anyone had walked on my back, and if I got to soak in mud.  C.C. wanted to know if there were cucumbers for my eyes.  I think they were a little disappointed that I answered “no” to all of their questions.  “But they have mud and cucumbers at Phineas and Ferb’s spa,” Milo said.  I had to convince them that it really was a good spa and that I had had a lovely time.

Later, as C.C. and I were rough-housing before bedtime, I threw her onto the bed and her mouth hit her hand.  When she sat up, that one last front tooth, which has been hanging on for weeks, was gone.  She looks like she got hit in the mouth with a baseball.  I told her she doesn’t need to brush her teeth for a full two minutes because she hardly has any left.