In County Sligo it rains most of the time. If you are lucky enough however to be there on the day once in a hundred years or so that the sun actually shines it is a truly beautiful part of the world. For this reason however, the ubiquitous Plan B is an essential ingredient for any successful visit to the North West. My Sister in Law and her husband (exiled a number of years ago to Yeats County) gave us a voucher for the Seaweed Baths in Strandhill. We have visited this wonderful establishment a number of times and I note that recently it has been given a makeover. Originally called ‘Celtic Seaweed Baths‘ it has been rebranded as VOYA. There may be some trendy Germanic looking dots over the ‘O’ but I can’t swear to that.
Now a word of warning to those considering a seaweed bath; bring LOADS of water. The first time I tried it a couple of years ago I emerged like the human incarnation of a Peperami. It was only as I ran into the reception, diving for the Ballygowan fridge that I noticed that there are signs everywhere telling you to “drink water before, during and after your bath”. You dehydrate something akin to a burst water main in a drought and I have to admit that I had the shakes for the best part of an hour. I had never respected the true beauty of wonderful H2O until that fateful day!
The process is straightforward. You are brought to a room in which there is a little steam cubicle and a hot bath full of slimy brown seaweed. You start off in the steam-room to get the pores open and then immerse yourself into the hot, salty, seaweed-filled bath. The water is actually gloopy (my spell checker has never heard of this word so if it doesn’t exist I will be campaigning for it to be included in the next OED with a specific reference to its originator) with whatever the seaweed secretes. It is a truly wonderful experience (as long as you keep drinking water) which is deeply moisturising for your skin and if you’re brave enough also your hair. Now I have to admit that I don’t usually indulge in this type of thing but when in Rome!
4 comments:
As a resident of Sligo, I can also recommend another salt-water skin treatment, known as "Walking to the Shop Without an Umbrella".
Hi Conor,
As much a I would like to take the credit for sending you and your lovely wife to the seaweed bath the voucher was from your brother in-law and his fiancee. We did give you one at some stage but not this time around. You are right though it definetly should be done when in Sligo to while away the rainy days.
Talk Soon,
Fiona
Apologies to my Brother & Law and his fiance. My darling wife has confirmed that it was they indeed who so kindly gave us the voucher for the seaweed bath!
Hi Conor - sounds fantastic! maybe my next visit I'll try that - although Andre's hydration treatment sounds a lot easier on the chilled Ballygowan fridge!!
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