USP The first Shiseido spa in Europe, apparently. The spa at
this deluxe hotel which has the feel of a large private villa, is small
without being pokey, and artfully laid out with a good indoor-outdoor
balance – each of the four treatment rooms has a neat Japanese garden
opening on to a larger one. It provides a tasteful, liberating experience
after countless subterranean city spas cluttered with faux-Buddhist jumble.
AMBIENCE The lavender scent, flowers and outdoor garden with
Jacuzzi, hammock and spa pool make it feel like you are wallowing in a Monet
canvas. This retreat high above the French Riviera has views of Grasse and
is one of the most welcoming spas that I’ve visited.
EXPERIENCE Shiseido’s Qi method uses a combination of
oshiboris, special Japanese hot towels that dissolve aches, and shiatsu
massage on the body’s tsubo points, which are situated on the path of Qi, or
energy, flow. The massage took place on a high-quality white leather
dental-style table, that flipped me over at the flick of a button. There
seemed to be a nose bag of soothing lavender beneath the table's face-hole
which made it just a tad hard to breathe but tipped me towards sleep. The
therapist Laury used a light body cream - that looked like mayo - with an
energising fragrance, and wrapped up with a neck massage and hot, microwaved
towels. The choral requiem was a first for me in a treatment room, but
sounded so much more sonorous than tinkling New Age music.
IN CROWD TV presenters Tess Daley and Vernon Kay, former
Arsenal superstar Patrick Viera, and Euro-couples aged 30 plus. French
trendsetters Catherine Deneuve, Yves Saint-Laurent, Christian Dior and
Picasso all had boltholes in Mougin, an arty village a pebble’s throw away.
FOOD Provencal gastronomique – there is a Michelin-starred
restaurant on site and another, Le Moulin de Mougins (where Alain Lorca is
head chef), just down the road. Both offer charming, creative dishes such as
bon bon de foie gras, and an imploding gilded chocolate globe filled with
sorbet and wild raspberries. These sort of dishes may sound like the
detoxer’s worst nightmare, but the chefs themselves glow with health, which
is always a good sign.
WALLET WATCH A 30-minute facial and body massage start from
€65 and rise to €200 for a 45-minute four-hands bodycare treatment.
Your Golf Holidays offers breaks to Le Mas Candille from £459, which includes
flights from London to Nice, mid-size car hire and three nights B&B
accommodation. Price is based on 2 people sharing a room and is valid for
departures from November 2006 - March 2007. A round of golf at the stunning
Royal Mougins golf course will cost an extra £75. For further information
please visit www.yourgolfholidays.com
or call 01277 824 100
The "Gastronomic food and wine matchmaking package" can be booked
direct with Le Mas Candille. The package costs from €925 (£633)* per person.
This price is based on two people sharing a room on a bed and breakfast
basis for two nights and includes a visit to the market, dinner for two on
both nights, plus wine tasting. For further information see below.
NEED TO KNOW Le Mas Candille, Mougins, France (0033 492
284343; www.lemascandille.com)
