Rest & Relaxation in Escalona

The spa

Raquel was very kind to visit me after the Pico de Posets climb and asked me if I wanted to go to a spa. My legs were not feeling that sore but sauna and jacuzzi at €25 for 1 hour and a chance to check out the building - why not? She was very kind to help me make the appointment at the spa at Monasterio de Boltaña. 

The spa's jacuzzi area was big and had a glass wall that looked into a garden and hills, which had a calming effect. There were different water jets. I liked the one that was shaped like a vacuum cleaner nozzle and sprayed water on the shoulders.
The spa curiously used Chinese and Balinese artworks when the spa treatments offered are not even remotely related to Chinese or Balinese ones. Hmm.... 

The building

Monasterio de Boltaña was previously the monastery of the Virgin del Carmen and was founded in 1651. The building has since been used as a farm house, a sanitarium and is currently used as a hotel. (source: http://www.turismoboltana.es/2008/07/monasterio-de-la-virgen-del-carmen.html)

Source: www.monasteriodeboltana.es

The façade is really beautiful and would have made an ideal setting for a garden wedding. For me, the bell tower stands out for its simplicity. It is not a typical tower but simply a wall with bells.
The building is made of stones and the stones' raw form made the archways above the corridor to the spa especially beautiful.

Corridor to spa

The building was to be restored and renovated to a hotel befitting of a 5-star status. A glass roof was installed on top of the cloister which now functions as a reading area.  I like how the glass pyramid roof lets in light.

Cloister

Glass roof

That was pretty much where the 'like' stopped. I could not get the concept/ theme behind the interior decoration. It was too crowded - every nook was filled with something. It was just too much - the interior designer must not have agreed to the fact that sometimes, less is more. Worse, the decorations were either meant to look like some sort of Chinese or African or Aboriginal works. YUCKS! WHY? I would happily remove all decorations and just leave the wooden chairs behind. I am so glad we do not do this at ours.

What?

L'Ainsa

After the jacuzzi, I went to visit an old castle and old plaza of L'Ainsa. 

The castle has existed since the 11th century. It was drizzling and I was lucky to see double rainbow and supernumerary rainbows from end to end.

Raquel explained to me how there are 2 lanes leading into the square where people lived. The lane on the right would reach the rich and the lane on the left would reach the servants. Accordingly, there were vast differences between the exterior of the 2 blocks. The rich had bay windows, coat of arms and iron grilles etc that enhanced their prestige and showed off their status. Their doors were also taller so that the horse carriages could go in. The houses that lined the "servants' lane" had simpler facade. (Is there anything this lady does not know?)

 

This, effectively, was my last day in Escalona.