"What a tough week. Let’s go to SPA over the weekend!" the husband said.
"Spa? Why? It is SO cold and wet anyway. Am sure it is going to be REALLY expensive here. Let’s save it for when we go back to Bangalore.", I retorted.
"Tsk, I am not talking about those useless spas. I am talking about the mother of all spas. SPA. The place, which inspired the word "spa" for hot bath", said he impatiently and thrusted the Lonely Planet in my hands.
Indeed. I quickly looked up wikipedia too; was more than convinced, and eagerly anticipated the SPA trip.
As usual, we backpacked with a few clothing items, toiletteries, etc., looked up the weather forecast online, and packed some spare warm clothing pronto. Belgium can be as cold as 5 degrees celcius in winters, and this IS winter. To top it, the rains. So, with all this and an umbrella in tow, we set off just before noon on a gloomy Saturday morning.
The journey was to be from Brussels Central - Liege [change] - Pepinster [change] - SPA. It was comfortable and scenic and Liege onward, we traversed through the beautiful hills dotted with cottages of all sizes, lush fields with grazing cattle, and the countryside interspersed with many natural streams and canals. I shivered with excitement!
We landed in the rather deserted and tiny station of SPA and immediately made up our minds to stay on just for the sake of the calm the village provides. A quick thumbing through the Lonely Planet and voila! Le Primevera. This was the Bread & Breakfast(B&B) that we stayed at that night and it was a brilliant discovery. It is a mere 5-10 minutes walk along the railway tracks from the station. There is a Radisson if you’d like, but for backpackers like us, this is just what we needed. The owners - Chris and Anandi were very friendly with a house full of kids and pets. The cherry on the top was Chris being a Spanish wine importer! Of course, my husband had to pick 6 bottles. It is a different experience altogether to pick wines with tips and details from a connoiesseur. Chris also found a honey-like sweet wine to my liking, so I am not complaining!
The next stop was by the Tourist Office in the city center. The very helpful folks supplied us with activity and restaurant catalogues and maps and we were on our way!
A friend had graciously gifted us two coupons for a 3 hour lounge at the Thermes Spa, so Thermes it was. The Thermes spa is located on a hilltop and the best way to reach there is using the Austrian designed Funicular. The panoramic view of the teeny-tiny village, a spa on top - a perfect setting!
Thermes is well equiped and well maintained, so you have plenty of things to do, and 3 hours is time enough to relax and rejuvenate. We tried the indoor and outdoor heated pools, simulated sunning areas(I don’t know what else to call those hot, amber lights on the ceiling!), Jacuzzi, and the Sauna. Don’t be stumped by the bifurcating wall for the Sauna with naturale and textile signs. Textile would be where you can sit with your swimsuit on and naturale is. well . without anything, but your skin on!
A little over 2 hours of swimming around, massaging various parts of you in the strategically placed jets of water, the Jacuzzi, and sweating in the steaming Sauna is bound to make your stomach growl violently. Fret not as Thermes has a well stocked and priced snack bar, and drinking water jets at multiple locations. You can also take a break from swimming and stretch out to snooze or read a book on the many recliners or massage chairs.
Imagine taking a 3 hour long swim on the weekends in fizzing, warm, mineral water in the cold, COLD weather! Pure heaven.
Without a doubt, I will call this my best weekend retreat ever, better than Gokarna, and THAT is saying something.
Also, now I know why the SPA water bottles here have Raine, Mary Henriette, and such names inscribed on them. They are the natural springs that the water in those bottles are trapped from, afterall.
Another curious fact about SPA is the oldest Casino in Europe. It is a sort of a miniature version of the Casinos I had seen in Vegas, but the history makes it more attractive. Only a few machine across 2 floors and few old, unfriendly ladies at the reception, few more elderly people knocking things along. Slow paced, but it had the charm of the past.
Photos uploaded on Flickr at https://flickr.com/photos/mons/sets/72157602927701722/
Note: It is rather convenient and affordable to travel within Beligum, which has a well connected railway network. The weekend tickets actually account for infinite number of hops you may need to take to and fro any two cities for one time return travel usage.
Weekend Travel Costs:
Return Train Tickets - Euros 34.80 per person
Accommodation - Euros 60-65 per night at a B&B
Food - Approx. Euros 60 per day
Local commute - On foot, Funicular, or rented bicycle
Thermes Spa Rates - Euros 18.5 per person for 3 hours
Total Costs - Approx. Euros 190~ Rs. 10, 000/-