Ok the weather outside is frightful and the fire is so delightful, and since we have no place to go, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!
Nope, let it rain, rain rain! Today is the shortest day and boy does it feel it. It seems that it has never really got properly light over the last few days and for those of us feeling slightly ‘down’ at the moment, it really does not help lift the mood. The temptation to let the exhausted body and soul take over and curl up under the covers is huge and a day spent in pj’s watching rotten telly even more so. Whenever we feel low, it is oh so easy to retreat and ‘hibernate’ but sometimes you have to let others take charge and drag you out of bed!
Today was one such day! I got myself up after another sleepless night and went to the gym in an effort to make myself properly physically tired, as ordered by the Doc, instead of mentally exhausted but the overwhelming feeling to go home and get back under the blankets was still huge. It feels like a constant battle to achieve anything at the moment. However today my sister had a treat in store, a chilled out destination guaranteed to feed the body and calm the mind. A health spa ? A massage ? A peaceful walk in the fresh air? Nope, try afternoon tea at Hotel Du Vin (One Devonshire Gardens).
Now some of you might think, WHAT ? But for me, the calm, relaxed atmosphere of HDV was a perfect first foray out into the real world again. The fire in the dining room, the cosy armchairs in the Bar and the great staff always make it a pleasure to go there. When you have not been feeling your best, sometimes you need to go somewhere with someone you trust in an atmosphere where you don’t feel any pressure and the hardest decision is which sandwich to have first, which is important particularly if you have been ‘off’ your food! The other point about HDV is it is just around the corner from where I live so if I needed to ‘escape’ it is not far away.
At this time of year when we are all rush rush busy busy, it is too easy to forget to take time out and if we don’t fate can take a hand and the time out can be forced on us. So for some it maybe an amazing massage, for others a brisk walk in the park but for me, the joy of white table cloths, shiny silver coffee pots, scones and jam, tiny meringues and cute mince pies was all the therapy I needed for today. We will face tomorrow, the shaky hands, the anxiety and the sleeplessness when it comes.
Thank you so much to Nan and the staff at http://www.hotelduvin.com/hotels/glasgow/glasgow.aspx, for helping me feel totally at ease. Oh and the delicious pudd in the tall glass was a gingerbread parfait. I hated every mouthful …. NOT !!!!!
PS This is NOT an advert, I just wanted to say thank you to somewhere providing great service.
