We started our day with a real treat – a visit to a traditional Turkish bath or hammam in Kyrenia. Daisy and I have been to the Saray Hammam several times before and always enjoy it so I wanted Fran and Janet to have the experience too because it is very unique and different to a normal spa.
The hammam is beautifully arranged with changing rooms, showers and lockers, resting rooms with daybeds, massage rooms and of course the bath rooms. The hammam chambers are completely decorated floor to ceiling in white and grey marble with basins around the edge and large marble platforms in the centre. They are heated to a very warm temperature and even the marble platforms are warm. You begin by laying down on the platform with your feet and head on leather cushions. Then your individual attendant pours basins of hot water over you and then rubs you down all over with a loofah, exfoliating your skin to a shiny polish. More water sluicing follows. Then they work up a foam with special soap and cloths and cover you in foaming lather massaging it gently into your skin, turning you. They wash your hair and face. Finally the massage a creamy lotion in to your receptive skin before wrapping you in hot towels and leading you to a daybed in a resting room. It takes about 45 minutes and you feel like a queen at the end and your skin feels amazing. Unsurprisingly really as this process has been refined over a thousand years of preparing the ladies of the harem for their sultan!
In the resting room you take a drink of water or tea and they apply a face mask for 15 minutes. Then you wash that off and are taken by your attendant to a massage room for a 60 minute full body massage.
The whole experience is just great and will leave you totally relaxed and with super soft skin. It cost 55 euro per person for 2 hours of pampering. Highly recommended.
Afterwards we had to bustle a bit though as we had organised a little party up at the house for our friends out here to join us. We were about 16 people and we sat out around the pool and on the terraces under the great big moon. It was a bit breezy but not cold and the breeze calmed as the evening went on. Bob bbq’d and we enjoyed burgers, sausages and chicken, potato salad, coleslaw and the usual Cypriot dips and breads. Fran and Janet so kindly made two delicious appetizers – an onion cheese hot dip and a chilli bean cheese dip – sensational dishes both. And Heather brought two amazing desserts up with her – a glorious fruit cheesecake and a lovely lemon meringue roulade!!!!! Fantastic. We had a lovely, lovely evening and enjoyed company till the midnight hour. Thanks to everyone who made it such a special time.
