By this point in the trip, we were completely smitten by Tuscany… and this was reinforced by a stop-over in Pitigliano. This was like stepping back into the Middle Ages – it’s a fairy tale town built on high tufa cliffs (for protection) and can trace a long history from pre-historic Etruscan times, through the [...]

Tuscany … so much to see! We are doing this Tuscan spa adventure in bite-sized spa chunks – so no Florence, or Siena…. this time! Heading due south we stop off at San Gimignano, see Siena from a distance, and arrive at our destination – Borgo la Bagnaia in good time. This was a small [...]

Even in these recessionary times there is a land that can take your breath away, take your stress away and re-kindle your joie de vivre. It’s Tuscany in Western Italy, a magical destination that’s easily accessible and has an amazing cornucopia of art and culture, vineyards and olive groves, big cities and ageless agriculture. Very [...]

Travelling from Zurich to Interlaken, the venue for the Global Spa Summit, we are subjected the pleasure of the Swiss rail system – part of an integrated approach to transport that is a joy to behold! Zurich – change at Bern by exiting train, walking 3 metres and joining the connection almost immediately – then [...]

2009 marks the 3rd year of the Global Spa Summit – an annual conference for the great and the good of the global spa industry who have accepted the daunting challenge of providing leadership and insight into the future direction of the spa sector. As spa irresistibly moves from niche to mainstream this is an [...]

Continuing my English spa journey I visited Harrogate in North Yorkshire, another traditional spa town alongside Bath, Buxton, Leamington Spa, Tunbridge Wells and Cheltenham. Many of these towns are seeing renewed interest in their spa facilities although many have been lost during the 20th century as dilapidation and re-development have taken over.
Harrogate is another architectural [...]

Kevin writes…
“Recently I was invited to speak at the Buxton College, part of the University of Derby and specializing in spa and beauty therapy and management. I’ve been to Buxton before and it’s simply an awe-inspiring place. If you like living history this is a ‘must do’ visit – and all set in the beautiful [...]