” Water is the symbol of pure consciousness. 

Water is the gentle way. The path of least resistance.

When it reaches a blockage, water find the easiest path around the blockage or it continues to assemble, and flows over the blockage.

Water uses itself to go beyond whatever it needs to go beyond”

Lao Tzu

In Chinese tradition, the place of honor is always at the water’s edge. Inspired by the wisdom of Chinese practices for health and well-being, water’s edge at Park Hyatt Shanghai honors life in harmony with the quite strength and fluid nature of water.

I am in China for the last 5 days but I feel completely broken due to the pitiless 12 hours  jet lag. On the desk  in my suite I see a beautiful brochure  inviting me to visit the spa at the 85th floor . I quickly put my bathing suit and head up in the spacious super speed elevator.

The door opens to a high ceiling white and taupe corridor with very dim light but I can hear from afar the relaxing noise of water running. I  love it!

Crossing the narrow corridor I arrive in a spacious relaxation zone featuring the most stunning 20-meters infinity pool, a Wellness Studio with two treatment rooms and a ultra equipped last generation gym. Behind me a tai-chi courtyard where I learn that I will be able to practice at 6 AM tomorrow and every morning at the same time if I wish to.

While drinking an infused Mineral water  I enquire about the different treatments and  complaint about my irritable condition. I am suggested to experience by a young woman in a suit a Tui Na massage. Literally translated as ‘press and rub ‘ . Apparently  Tui Na uses deep digital stimulation on vital points along the meridian to stimulate Qi and relieve pain and fatigue. This rejuvenating therapy will be used to treat any cold and my headache, relieve insomnia or intestinal upsets , and remedy the  low back pain that has been bothering me the last few days, my stiff neck, and possibly  hormonal imbalances. ‘ Please fix me”  I ask.

Once all set with my appointment , It’s time to enjoy the water. I swim in the perfect temperature pool and the sky at my left hand side is the limit! Like in a house on my left several ornamental terra-cotta vases placed  on Chinese wooden  identical armoires . The symmetry and rhythm of the designed space is perfectly aligned with the movement of my arm stokes in the pool water.

It feels like being in a home spacious entrance hall adorned with art objects and sculptures where I happen to find water and enjoy  a long peaceful swim at it’s edge. Truly maddening!

The hot and cold bubbling jacuzzis are inviting as well. I will deep for a few minutes to detox and stimulate my blood circulation and will head to the locker rooms.

The views are breathtaking. It’s a raining outside and the pollution gives a grey aspect to the small , minute houses complex at my feet. Indoor I am surrounded with Ming Style wooden chairs and ranunculus flowers bouquets in black lacquered vases, fresh linen towels for the face and couple of large towels piled up in rolls next to every individual vanity. Goes without saying that bottles of water are everywhere.

In the steaming room,  I hardly believe what I see. The most beautiful I have ever seen, showcases an  open view of the sky through a thick transparent glass wall. Vapor indoor, dizzying water  outside the best is still yet to come. Yes my friends and that is the shower!

Super large Japanese rain shower. I try to reproduce the sensation through the lens of my camera …in vain.

Ready to my Tui Na I head to the rocking chairs courtyard. My therapist Wendy confides me that it ‘s all in the rocking chair, the flow, the meditation, the Chinese tea she is serving in a tiny ceramic cup without any handle.

Through a long , very long corridor filled with several libraries of art books, I  am taken by two your girls silently to my treatment room overlooking the city at night.

From this moment on I forgot my name. I am floating weightless under the experienced 8 hands of  my female therapists searching every single meridian spot they can find.

I am like water.

Joelle’s Tips

The Spa: Water’s Edge

Park Hyatt Shanghai

I  recently came across  a quote that said: “An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves.”

I stayed up until past midnight to see both the new and the old year leave.

As my custom on this occasion,  I sit quietly and evaluate through meditation a strict check list of my previous year performances before starting  with a fresh list of new resolutions for the year to come.

I realize that actually I cannot complain. Being  am a very determined person and most of the time, when I decide to accomplish something, no matter the effort involved, I work very hard  to be successful on the goals have set to myself.

There is one small issue and that is beeing too hard on myself .  Due to my extremely committed nature, the list of my goals and new years resolutions is always far tool long.

Looking at the stars in a snowy starless night I realize with clarity that the price I have payed to take my life to the ” next level” was maybe not that worth.

I got extremely stressed during the journey,  just because I have all year aimed at perfection.

Like ballet dancer Nina in the psychological thriller ” Black Swan” personified by actress Natalie Portman ( a perfectionist in real life as well), aiming at perfection resulted in fragmenting even more,  my already tortured soul.

But then, the question is how will I transcend during this coming new year the burden of wanting to succeed in all areas in my life but still manage to stay unconditionally human?

Blinded by my deep quest, I search within the core of my essence answers that don’ t want to reveal themselves yet clearly  in front of me, but watching a flashback of the months that passed though, I have learned

that the destination is always important , but  the journey, the process, the enduring alignment of consistent efforts that translate into small steps going forward, one after the other is what definitely makes us evolve to a better place.

But again, where is the better place? Have we all got in mind what we call a better place?

I decide I am ready to open a fresh page on my new diary next to stars and the candlelight of my bedroom side table.

Outside large snowflakes falling down like soft cotton balls take me away from reality. Riding  of a  gold and ivory Pegasus  to a realm of dreams and visions I connect to the collective universal structure of my own my inner self.

And yes, I can perfectly design my new year to come.

Possibly reinvent myself as a whole new individual whose past victories and achievements are no longer important into this new  realm of energy .

Dressed like a 1930 adventurous pilot,  I imagine myself once again in a new  glamorous method of air travel.

I look back at the year that just left me and look ahead into the new set of aspirations, inspirations and realm of new possibilities.

The idea of being able to choose my itinerary, direction and perspective empowers me tremendously and make me feel i am alive.

And here my list starts with a trip, a voyage, a turning point a journey .

This journey will be about discoveries of my new self, a self melted into new environments, new challenges, exquisite ways to break new frontiers and on going missions.

To seek out new ways of civilizations and new forms of living life within and out the inner boundaries of my learned behavior and pure instinct.

Yes , this is my first thought while I read on line legendary astrologer Susan Miller’s predictions like  in every passage of a new month.

The people I know whose  signs that I recognize in my own ‘movie”  play one after the other a primordial role into the new set of predictions.

Amused I  figure out what the stars have reserved for me , and if pleased with their hints  I will use them as gifts to get great leverage into my designated path of  intelligent choices.

And if I don’t appreciate the directions the stars are heading me , I will use the prestigious Kabblistic concept that one soul can raise above the stars to meet with her  destiny through free will and absolute certainty knowing about the maximum potential of the divine sparkle within her DNA and a bigger universal plan.

I wish to travel well dressed, in good taste and luxury, with furs and precious jewelry, but knowing how to pay the right price for every item I decide to own.

The price is the one that will allow me to understand that acquiring what I wish to consume will enlighten another human being’s work of art, life devotion and satisfaction.

It will be though educated choice but practicing immediate detachment if indeed it might be the case,’  cause after all nothing stays forever on this earth and the awareness about the impermanence of reality is a must if we are to understand that what we desire in the material world is only an illusion a pure translation of how in reality we wish to feel.

I want to feel that my life like Gandhi’s is a message of integrity where what I feel, what I say and what I  do are all the same.

And I want to be healthy, and if I can why not immortal because after all I can be all I am .

I just have to remember  not to carry with me a heavy load in my luggage as  heavy load will slow me down in the earthy struggle defying gravity.

But who cares after all? As long as I will not let judgment step on my plans and understand I must learn from my mistakes,  universal mercy will never leave my sight.

So definitely ready at last, I am fastening my golden seat belt against all odds, and with my notebook filled of pretty thoughts and fresh resolutions I can now cross peacefully  the new year ‘s door expecting finally safe at heart , the best of what life  is yet to offer.

Joelle’s Picks:

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The Spa at Las Ventanas embraces a holistic approach, drawing upon the belief of the ancient healers of Baja California that emotion, spirit and physical well-being must be constantly balanced.

The healers were masters of the four elements of Earth, Water, Air and Fire, recognizing that each element evokes a specific power within oneself. The elements were the foundation of their holistic ceremonial rites and healing rituals.

At The Spa at Las Ventanas, the four elements are the foundation of their techniques, treatments and products.

I take a quick shower and with the thick cotton white robe I cross the sandy gardens adorned with  cacti plants and beautiful iron sculptures representing cacti as well. At the Zen-like spa  reception I am silently offered by a small smiley angel a fresh fruit juice with cucumber  and  a cold small cotton towel.

I enter an iron gate and I am immediately caught by the tranquil atmosphere under the dark blue sky and the gentle breeze inviting me to a nearby solarium with a few lounge chairs . Sun is setting and in it’s almost twilight . I feel a strange vibe coming from the wind  I lay on a chair, making myself comfortable to welcome what is yet to come.

A small pond lays in the center of the floor. It is  filled with water and many interesting stones in all sizes.  A short young woman dressed in white appears  silently from nowhere  and after a small reverence, she looks up in the sky  and starts to play a wind song with an  Apache Indian flute.

An older woman also dressed in white, resonate with a wood hammer  beautiful harmonic tones, on several  crystal bowls in different shapes, materials and colors.  The ancient Mayan ritual slowly begins .

This energy cleansing ritual – known as a “Limpia” among the Maya – is performed with sage smoke and shaman prayers. Hopefully it will awaken my traumatized , polluted,  ill and fragmented soul with a totally  fresh new awareness.

The music of the crystal bowls  heightens my experience, encouraging thoughtful meditation that should empower my spirit. My limpia will be carried  out using traditional Curanderismo elements, including shaking raw fertile eggs (intact not broken!) and fresh rosemary over my body.

Curanderismo treats categories of physical, emotional, or soul dysfunction. Although defined in a traditional way that seems out of place compared to modern medicine, all can be interpreted in a broader healing perspective.

Physical categories include bilis (rage), with ailments aggravated by our frenetic fight-or-flight lifestyles; empacho (blockage), associated with digestive disorders, as well as emotional blocks; and mal aire (bad air), causing ailments in children such as earaches or chills.

Consistent with scientific studies that suggest that negative consciousness can adversely affect living systems, traditional emotional categories of cuaranderismo include envidia (envy); mal puesto (hex or curse), in which negative energy directed toward a person creates havoc or disharmony;

mal ojo (staring), in which children become ill because they can not handle excessive adult attention; and mala suerte (bad luck), in which adversity fuels a vicious-circle creation of bad luck.

Here she comes my curandera dressed in a white cotton cape. She waves an eagle feather through quick moves around certain of my body areas in an effort to push out the negative energies she perceives in my energy field .  That stagnant energy , released should  promote my good health and a positive mental attitude.

I am standing still  my eyes closed and arms wide open as instructed in Spanish. Continuously moving like in a trance, she whispers words very close to me , platicas (heart-to-heart talks).  In a subtle-energy healing, , with incense and aromatic waters , prayer and barridas (sweepings) , consecrated plants such as sage, rosemary and rue I realize I am  slowly entering  an altered state.

I am asked to lay down on the reclining chairs and relax while a fresh wet towel is gently placed on my eyes and a towel roll under my knees.  In a little while I will be taken to the another treatment room for the  sobadas (indigenous massage). A spiritual herbal baths may also be indicated but I am told by an angelic voice that I will depend on how I will feel.

I am now entering one of the beautiful room at the spa where I will be having a hot stone and  crystals massage to purify my spirit and soul. The same shaman that previously conducted the Limpia ceremony is now washing my feet on a colorful Mexican ceramic bowl while I look outside at the desert garden and bamb0u fence .

Since ancient times, Mayan shamans have believed that jade and quartz are sacred due to their metaphysical properties, purifying qualities, and energy benefits therapy . Certain herbs like Basil and Thyme combine the vigorous healing energy accumulated in hot stones, native salts,  clays and  massage therapy.

I am handed 4 different oils associated with the 4 nature elements. I pick The Earth Blend: It combines  herbs with mugwort, rosewood, frankincense and cedarwood oils. It is designed to ground , uplift the spirit, re- store life and energy flow, and enhance feelings of stability and security, peacefulness and contentment. Just what I need.

A meditation starts with a mantra, a female mantra.  The shaman sings  (ooooooooo), a prayer invoking angels and  spiritual guides to prepare my body to a total  state of relaxation an have good connection with the shaman’s angels and spiritual guides .

Once this takes place, they will be able to work together and align all my Chakras with their own color and balance the energy . Her hands and minerals touch the depths of my core.  Chakra Crown  Color White (the Light) Chakra Brow (3rd Eye) Color Violet (Vision) Chakra Throat color Blue (Communication with all the chakras). I sense a few tears running down my cheeks. Strange past memories from a long time ago strike my eyes and leave one after the other instantly…

Chakra Heart color Green( Feelings) Chakra Solar Plexus Color Orange (cleaning of courage and suffering resentment.) Chakra Spleen  color Yellow (Cleans all the digestive organs)Chakra Root Color Red (Sexual and connection with the earth) I feel lifted.

At the the end of the meditation the shaman thanks the angels and spiritual guides in her prayer  for healing my body and reminding her the mission she has in life.

The massage  released my tension, anxiety, and the toxins those emotions create renewed the energy of my body and mind  increasing a holistic harmony within myself.

Once each stone is used, it is cleansed, purified, and placed on Maya sacred ground to renew its pure energy flow.

The shaman leaves me alone to slowly wake up and take a fresh shower or if I choose, a bath in the outdoor jacuzzi placed in the middle of the garden surrounding the treatment room.

I sit down on a wood chair, suddenly a bright light reflecting through the glass door of the shower reminds me I am awake and alive.

I had not noticed yet that a few birds were singing a song all along

My awareness is clear, my third eye sharp, my looks sharper.

I forgot….I must quickly get changed, there is a show down at the beach , some men will be playing with fire at night..I should not worry after all, my spirit revived joyful is coming to have fun with me.

“… And while I am here, I if could control time, if I could give a direction to the wind… Try with a bunch of roses ” – Pino Daniele – Scirocco D Africa

Monte Solaro is the highest part of Capri, towering 589 meters above sea level, and boasting a 360° panorama of the island of Capri. It’s my last day at the Capri Palace Spa, I decide to have a “quick visit” at nearby mountain and come back to the hotel, as I have the Measurement of energy expenditure still attached to my arm and I am still a little tired.

As soon as I pay for my ticket, I realize before I have any time to change my mind that I am about to be seated into an individual chair lift where an old Italian man tells me- “Non aver Paura” (Don’t be scared) and only after I am already sitting and aloft I answer : “Ho Paura” (I am scared). I’m on my way to the top of this famous Italian mountain.

I realize that despite being the courageous world traveler that I am, I have always been afraid of heights.

My camera quickly finds the safest place in my pocket. This is the reason why you will not see pretty pictures of the marvelous landscape at my back. The only thing I can think of at this moment, is to try to look up because this is what you are supposed to do in life.

Suddenly, I become a philosopher, a spiritualist, an analyst, a Bacardi addict, a Zen Master and even Mohamed, personifying whoever I need to be, in order to survive this moment and arrive safely at the top of this mountain Belvedere.

The biometric device on my arm must certainly be registering some extra heart beats from my poor heart which is remembering against it’s will childhood traumas of abandonment, fears of being dropped dead on the floor by my mother, being hurt and abused by humans that I have loved and trusted, the obscure financial world crises with a consequence of monetary uncertainty due to possible lack of sponsorship for my review.

I suddenly visualize in the bushes, myself constrained doing nothing better than eat junk food gaining all the extra weight I proudly lost at the Spa and look horrible in front of a disapproving mirror facing a useless human being.

After 12 minutes that felt like 12 hours (or a little more) I have finally arrived. I rush to the Canzone del Cielo bar and drink a glass of Aqua Minerale. The bar is part of a small restaurant built in the fifties at the ruins of the Fortino di Bruto (Brutus’ small fort) which itself was built at the beginning of the 18th century during a period of battles between the English and the French.

I finally catch my breath, my mind pauses for a while and the battles of my own heart lift a temporary white flag. Distracted by the beauty of the silent and imposing landscape In the distance I can identify the mountains of Calabria, the Pennine Alps, the Amalfi coast, the Sorrentine peninsula, the Gulf of Naples, and the islands of Procida and Ischia.

Monte Solaro is also called âAcchiappanuvole (cloud catcher) after the thick blanket of fog that forms around the summit, especially at dawn, when the thermal difference between the sea and the rock is accentuated.

During the night as the temperature drops, the warmer, damper sea air condenses in a dense mist on the ground.Where its path is obstructed, the vapors rise upwards generating a characteristic crown of clouds. This phenomenon also occurs in the evening, especially in the Autumn.

The wind clears away parts of cloud, randomly revealing various segments of the beautiful island landscape below. And like in a miracle, the clouds of my thoughts in my mind are also caught allowing me to breathe safely a relieving sensation of being suspended floating in a welcoming void completely free from past, present and future ghosts as at this moment there none around.

The descent is much, much easier, and with my new found courage, I manage to catch a few photographic shoots with my camera of what I probably missed on the ride up .

Flying back home from Napoli to New York, especially following the wonderful enriching detoxicating experience in Capri Hotel & Spa, I will have time to meditate about my life and recall the Mount Solaro “episode” that apparently balanced so much my unconscious stability.

But in the strenuous flight, we are held hostage by wind turbulence, falling oxygen masks, children throwing up everywhere, my silent vows with repetitious donations to religious Jewish charities in order to arrive home alive. All those unpleasant events are due to the imminent hurricanes in the region and who knows what other universal or personal premonitions of the actual social instability and financial world crash. During the repeated course of events, I decide to take action and control my own fears and life anxieties as soon as I step on American soil.

It’s a bright blue sky and sunny day in Manhattan. After two days sleep, I am ready and buy myself a ticket to the Rockfeller Center Plaza tower :  The “On Top Of The Rock Observatory” opended two years ago and is sponsored by Swarovski Crystal. The girl that sells my ticket to the high-speed elevator asks me, “excuse me miss… what a nice perfume you are using… where is it from? ” Nervously I answer, ” In Anacapri, not here. I am sorry!” She then insists, oblivious to the long line of impatient tourists behind me wanting to climb to the top of the world. “Can I buy it in New York? Not even online?”

I suddenly realize, Americans, especially New Yorker,s have access to everything they desire all at once!  With the globalized Internet, market consumer competition, new world-wide communication technologies and sustainable energy know-how, anyone can reach to the next level and obtain what is desired.

It’s just about asking for it and finding the passion in what’s is being done, created, invented, reaching slowly step by step into the next level and higher goals.

“Can I have your email address? Yes, of course, you can buy it on-line. Check out my next newsletter, “Capri Olympus ” and you’ll find what you are looking for in a small shop that is near a Mountain called Solaro, and they have an email address, and by the way tell them I said hello! ” – I answer to the smiley lady who will not stop thanking me for the simple information I provided.

The high-speed elevator to the sky took exactly one minute to ascend 70 floors, and I felt safe. Overlooking the crystal-clear breath taking 360 degree view of New York City from the heart of Midtown Manhattan, is something you must do before you die. I then imagine how John D. Rockefellerâ’ s vision for his center never wavered at the time where the country was facing economic catastrophe and the world was between two wars.

The Rockefeller Center and the observation deck were his and the thousands of laborers that build the buildings including Rockefeller Plaza, legacy proudly offered as a gift to Manhattan by opening the deck s doors for the world to see Manhattan the way he imagined it – a place for locals and visitors to marvel at the city he loved.

Experiencing with beatitude the gentle breeze over my thoughts my mind now like in a flying carpet reaches the Anacapri people who like Rockerfeller taught me examples of courage, soul searching, hard work values and faith in almost impossible visions, always respecting their legacy and historical roots.

Even during these tormented times, life goes on. New and better solutions will be proactively created and this my friends is all that is needed to reach to what I like to call, the top of the world!

Have a safe journey!

Extra Virgin olive oil from Tuscany, Umbria and Campania was on every single salad, home-made bread, pasta and delicious antipasti. I have spent literally hours under the sun, dried my skin to the point where my mother thought I was somebody else when I went to visit her in Brussels for a few days. By the way, she though because it had been a long time since I’d tried her Belgian truffle chocolate Cote D’or and hazelnut drinks before going to sleep, “a little sugar won’t hurt, cherie!” It was now a perfect time to burn off those calories, right?

Arriving in Anacapri, I realized (apart from not being able to look at myself in my summer pictures in review) that my heart is pounding every time I swim, walk or get irritated. Maybe the coffee? I am not a coffee drinker, even decaf, so it must be something else.

Yes, I am happy in Italy but the delicious food, the wine, the sun will not end for God’s sake! Can I just put some sensibility in my brain and get on with what’s really healthy for me at this moment? What is the solution? I am thinking silently: the person in front of the mirror looks like me but a bit more swollen than me, a bit more overweight than me, a bit less reasonable than me; and, does not want by any means to go back to New York City in this state having to face the coming harsh winter.

The solution appeared in the form of Caroline Courteau, Director of the Capri Palace Hotel Guest Relations, who is running towards me: “I have a few free minutes for lunch. Would you care to have a look at our marvelous Beauty Farm Spa? Of course, it’s just a visit as it’s completely booked up; during this time of the season it’s the busiest!” Without a word, I follow her. I know it’s a sign from God, not the Jewish one, maybe a Greek god, but it’s definitely a sign.

We walk through a kind of glass gazebo, a corridor in the middle of an enchanting forest of bright green, healthy ferns very well known in Brazil as Samambaias. We enter another very bright room with a different ambiance and atmosphere, where we are surrounded by a think curtain of yellow bamboos and a refreshingly attractive aroma of Ylang Ylang incense. On the wall hangs a dark art work known as “staging photography” by Italo-German artist Stefano Cantaroni, depicting sculptural and half naked bodies draped in cloth as if they were in a Greek tragedy performance.

At the reception desk, Caroline introduces me to a smiling Valeria, Letizia, Clara and Veronika — all dressed in white and eager to serve you with your most intimate needs of well being and consolation. I hear myself whispering into Caroline’s ear: “Are you sure they have no availability for any treatment at all in this place?”

“I don’t know Joelle, let me check, but maybe you would like to meet with the Professor. He’s available now.”

Professor Francesco Canonico is a charming tall man, white haired and stylish. By his looks, I assume he is for sure a connoisseur of women. Born in Cosenza and graduated in medicine and surgery from the University of Modena, he holds degrees in pediatrics, food science and medical oncology. In 1980, he was elected to the board of the Italian Pediatrics Society. He is a lecturer in medical auxology, genetic medicine in the pediatrics and neuropsychiatry departments.

He asks me to sit, and the first thing he says without looking at any papers or asking me my name: “Come stai?” (How are you?). I love it!! I immediately take advantage and like a broken fountain confide him my despair from the chocolate cakes to the anguish of an imminent heart attack.

He pauses, asks me how long I will be staying in the hotel, and makes a phone call to Dr. Cinzia Grassi, the spa nutritionist (who severely asks me why I have put on seven kilos on during the year). After a few questions, specific and routine blood tests, a indirect calorimetry test with canopy, body impedentiometry to determine lean and fat body mass, intra- and extra-cellular water with the consequent quantification of water retention, determination of alimentary intolerance (these tests will be performed by the University of Milan). With the last few measurements she has the answers.

“What do you have generally for breakfast?”

“On Monday in New York City, granola, non-fat yogurt and strawberries. On Wednesday in Paris, a hot croissant with butter and home-made orange confiture. On Sunday in Sao Paulo, acai pulp mixed with Pao de Queijo and orange juice.

The Professor and Dr. Grassi look at each other and say simultaneously: “She needs the Metabolic Response  Plan (a project done in collaboration with Milan Center for the Assessment of Nutritional Status). “You start today! The diet will be 900 calories per day and at three o’clock Clara and Letizia will be waiting for you for the La Scuola Delle Gambe (Leg School Treatment).

In 1994, when the professor became the medical director of the Capri Beauty Farm (he wanted to improve people’s lifestyle), his foremost contribution was to add medical treatments and aesthetic medicine to the existing cosmetology and fitness offerings.

The patented Leg School is an original topical method for improving the venous and lymphatic circulation of the lower limbs. He then confides in me with a smile full of assurance (the result of many years of observing women in the stage of post pregnancy): “If the circulation of a woman’s legs is healthy, everything else in her body will follow accordingly.” I immediately agree to undergo the miraculous treatment and theory without really knowing what’s coming next.

A personalized Mediterranean diet for lunch, at the Olivo restaurant overlooking the pool, is next. My name is on the table setting, very chic, (I write about the dishes in my next post). Afterwards, I anxiously walk to the open air garden of the gorgeous spa.

Letizia eager to start,  applies water and mud from the Dead Sea. This medicated mud, a clay enriched with active substances which are invigorating, soothing and decongestive, has the natural freshness of seaweed all secretly manipulated by the professor himself here in Capri. I can recognize the scents of camphor and licorice. Letizia assures that the vasco-active substances will help to improve the lymphatic system, the vein circulation and the elasticity of my skin.

“Believe me, it’s freezing,” I tell Letizia who assures me that the mud did not come out of a refrigerator, and that it’s just my body’s healthy and expected reaction to the active ingredients. “Adiposity, liposclerosis and cellulite are certainly going to disappear after a few session, stimulating and improving the blood circulation of your veins Joelle! – your legs will experience a highly beneficial sensation — you’ll see.”

Without a word and shivering a bit , I am then taken by Letizia to an open air shower that is sculpted inside of rocks full of beautiful leaves. She’s taking the mud off for me; I feel like a baby in her dedicated care. Medicated bandages are then applied over my washed legs. Apparently, they are highly effective in combating water retention; these supposedly invigorate venous walls through the use of vaso-active substances. “Much, much colder you won’t believe how cold this is! Cold!” I ask for some hot detox tea which is served near the warm and inviting indoor pool (also sculpted inside a rock).

With the bandages off, I am asked to go to the third and final stage of this treatment, The Kneipp vascular treatment. Letizia says “it’s a little annoying at the beginning. The experience differs from woman to woman, but as time goes by after a few walks in the shallow tanks of medicated water enriched with vegetable and mineral extracts (the same applied in the mud and bandages) you won’t notice so much the difference between the (18°-38°) temperatures. Do not worry, it’s worth it. It will definitely bring back vitality and lightness while improving both your venous and lymphatic tone.” I start wondering if all that salt and sugar in my meals was worth it!

It was hard–very hard–but that night after dinner I drifted off into a deep sleep with a such a pleasant feeling of forgetting what life was all about.

The days passed between Slimming Hydrofor (the latest cure to treat cellulite, aging problems,
muscle and facial and breast hypotonia, wrinkles, stretch marks and localized adiposity carving the body),
LPG Endermologie, Electro stimulation, Slimming seaweed mud therapies with medicinal plants ingredients such as Ivy Leaf, Centella Asiatica citrus extracts, in a steam bath and open-air under the blue sky, Lymph drainage massages (almost as good as Brazilians). I did no gymnastics in thalassotherapeutic swimming pool or the Personalized Fitness program; I do that all year round and felt like using my time visiting the city of Anacapri, slowing my pace down.

My favorite treatment apart from the Coffee Peel is the revolutionary exclusive Sun Peel. Patented by Professor Francesco Canonaco based on a chemical peeling for body and face, it has a combination of phyto-essences and essential oils and it’s basically characterized in two phases:

The first step, containing Tirosine, is applied by Veronika (a very kind and cute, blondish, tall girl) who explains passionately that its natural component exfoliates the skin’s first layer and Rose Pepper containing Pepperine with marine salt stimulates the production of Elastin and collagen. The second phase, Holistic, helps the new cells to produce melanin while avocado and other essential oils will hydrate. It’s magic my friends, magic.

While I take a few shots with my camera, I get the final precise explanation of the benefits of this treatment: it’s an ideal way to prepare the skin for sun exposure or to avoid peeling after over-exposure, as in my case. The tan gets brighter, homogeneous and lasts longer without leaving the skin stained. Seems like I can almost take New York back.

Each day, I gradually feel more resistant to the vascular Kneipp treatment.  Even with a lower salt intake, I was not particularly hungry; the diet was well balanced but I felt extremely tired without a real reason since I was not even exercising.

The answer came after uploading all the information from the efficient results of Measurement of energy expenditure and physical activity anamesis to a computer.During my past day’s 24 hour performance, Dr. Cinzia Grassi plugged in the armband, a small device on my triceps (upper arm) that I religiously kept on that day and night.

I went shopping, visit Monte Solaro(where I got the scare of my life), had three meals, went sunbathing at the pool and worked on my computer for a while.The next day on the discharge information, Dr Cinzia asked a few questions based on surprising facts and parameters of my energy consumption, physical activity and sleep.

During those 24 hours the results showed I walked 9,325 steps in 2 hours and 37 minutes of physical activity. I expended 583 calories, a larger amount at the time I was in Mount Solaro chairlift (I was nervous and afraid of heights) but what surprised me most was that I went to bed early at 10 o’clock in the evening (I was exhausted) and got up at 7 in the morning. Apparently I also woke up 10 times that night without even noticing — resulting in a total of only 4 hours of quality sleep.

No wonder I have been so tired! I understood that although I seem to manage my stress during the day and feel somewhat healthy, at night my sleep won’t lie! The doctor gave me some pediatric drops to help me sleep better.

I lost almost 3 and a half kilos, it could have been more if my body did not have to defend itself from fatigue and had I spent more time at the spa. Cinzia promised to work on an overall customized lifestyle maintenance plan of my own once test results came back from Milan (and everything would be sent by mail directly to me in New York).

While waiting in the hotel lobby getting ready to leave, Professor Canonico, probably on a break, introduced his pretty assistant cardiologist of the La Scuola del Cuore program. With a straight face he then asks me: “Well done Joelle! Would you care for a Martini to celebrate?”

Joelle’s Tips ;

The Spa Treatments Plans:

La Scuola Delle Gambe -The Leg School

La Scuola del Cuore / The Hear School

Dimagrimento / Weight-Loss- Metabolic Response.

Capri Palace Hotel & Spa -80071 Anacapri, isola di Capri Via Capodimonte,14

Tel + 39 081 978 0111- Fax + 39 081 837 3191 /

beautyfarm@capripalace.com /reservations@capripalace.com

If you wish to take me seriously fine, and if you can’t, just accept my invitation and ‘travel’ with me in the realms of this life entering the doors of this ‘ magical ‘ old  pharmacy . Entering the Officina Profumo Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella is like walking into a foreigner’s vision of Italy: fresco ceilings, bronzed angels, stirrings of a violin concerto and rows of soaps and elixirs stacked neatly in glass cases.

This artisanal perfumery, which has produced fragrances since 1400 and opened to the public in 1612, sells a seductive mix of handmade fragrance, cosmetics and herbal remedies, old perfume bottles and old scents  whose  intact secret formulae have been kept secret through centuries.

In 1200 located next to Piazza di Santa Maria Novella, Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella is one of the oldest pharmacies in the world. Founded by Dominican friars shortly after 1221. the year of their arrival in Florence, the pharmacy used medicinal herbs grown in the monastic gardens to take medications, balms and pomades fro the monk’s infirmary.

In 1600 when the news of the quality of the products produced by the pharmacy reached the outside world, it was decided to open to the public. Thus in 1612, Father Angiolo Marchissi was appointed head of the title of His Royal Highness’ Foundry (Fonderia di sua Altezza Reale). In 1700 thanks to the excellence of the formulae developed by the apothecary fathers, during the 18th century the fame of the pharmacy spread across national borders to reach such distant lands as Russia, the Indies and even China.

In 1800 following the confiscation of the church’s assets by the Italian government, in 1866 the company became a state owned enterprise. Later however it was ceded to Cesare Augusto Stefani, the nephew of the last monastic director, whose family acquired the name, the goodwill and the assets of the company and has since run the business for over four generations. With Eugenio Alphandery at the helm, Officina Profumo Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella both perpetuates and renews the ancient traditions of herbal care.

Using only natural raw materials of the highest quality and continuing to follow the ancient procedures originated by the Founding Fathers, Officina Profumo Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella focuses exclusively on the herbalist’s art, basing all its preparation on traditional herbs and oils of natural origin. The vast majority of the medical herbs used in its products are grown locally on the hills around Florence. Furthermore, none of it products are tested on animals.

Each  product tells a story. For example the precious Aqua della Regina perfume was originally created for Caterina de’ Medici, the queen of France,who made it popular throughout France,while the perfume produced by Giovanni Paolo Feminis, who moved Cologne in Germany in 1725, was named Eau De Cologne in honor of the city in which its producer lived.

What is even more interesting, while I stroll with my camera exploring ceilings with renaissance painted figures that have seen many important people passing by and Neogothic style cabinets  carrying displaying bottles of Liquore Mediceo,  Alkermes, Elisisr di China, Aceto dei Sette Ladri (smelling salts) and Aqua di Santa Maria  Novella (for controlling hysterics). This latter product was produced using a local herb recognized for its calming properties. in the sales room are filled with

The perfumes include a whole series of Eau de Colognes, essences and triple extracts ranging from the sweetest Iris, Rose and Gardenia scents to the more astringent Verbena and Vetiver oils or the delightful Aqua di Sicilia. The essences are also used in the production of  soaps which are left to mature in specially ventilated storage facilities as well as a range of  face and body creams which include an Almond paste , great for parched hands Polvere per bianchire le carni (an exfoliating powder), a cleansing milk and a tonic. The Officina produces also reconstructing shampoos and conditioners.

On my way to last room the Old Apothecary, now a herbalist shop I ask the sails person an old woman with a very bored look in her face what was exactly I was smelling around those walls, she answers me adding irony  in her face ” 500 years of aromas” I then realize without her kind help that they are Santa Maria Novella’s Pot Pourri- one of the company’s distinguishing products-is a mix of herbs and flowers from the Florentine hills, left to macerate in Impruneta terracotta Jars (orci). Once the real and proper heart of the company’s production facilities.

Next to it the Green Roomused until 1700 for serving the pharmacy ‘s specialty: a mixture of Alkermes, China Impruneta and chocolate syrup an extremely fashionably drink at the time. The museum is stored in the Old Laboratories and Storerooms of Officina Profumo di Santa Maria Novella‘s. Created with the aim of giving a new lease of life to the machinery as well as the precious glassware,antique ceramics and historic copper and bronze utensils which the company has gelously guarded throughout the troubled events of the centuries.

I decide to sit down, my hands full of  different overlapped creams, Eau de Colognes and  perfumes I stop a minute to reflect…All traditions have a history and few are the ones who have been able to keep them secretly intact and  religiously confirmed by the written word like the Officina . The original texts are luckily offered to us the visitors who have the chance of examine at our easy the details of what was kept once in the Sacristy together with a treasure chest and new specialist volumes.

Finally the aromatic garden is a perfect place for a peaceful reflection, an oasis which seems to have remained untouched for centuries. The aim of the museum is not only to inform those who normally use Officina di Santa Maria Novella products of the way in which they are prepared, but also to anyone wishing to view the magnificent history and superb craft of this pharmacy. Projected towards the future, but nevertheless conscious of the past.

Joelle’s Tips:

The pharmacy:

SANTA MARIA NOVELLA FLORENCE
Via della Scala, 16
011.39.055/216276

The products:

My favourite unissex : Aqua di Cologna Melograno Room essence :Carnation

Now luckily all exclusive Oficina Profumo di Santa Maria Novella products and other traditional European brands are imported and available for purchase on line and at their elegant showrooms in United States thanks to American company Lafco.

SANTA MARIA NOVELLA NEW YORK
285 Lafayette Street
+1 212.925.0001

SANTA MARIA NOVELLA LOS ANGELES
8411 Melrose Place
+ 1 323.651.3754

I have a few hours before my last dinner at the Villa. I decide to pack.  I organize my catalogs, books, BlackBerry, computers, wine and olive oil gifts, licorice sticks, Aqua di Cologna, pretty notebooks and cards. I decide to isolate myself and meditate as I always do every time a trip is over.

It’s always questioning a new way I will approach everything I have seen, the people — always so interesting — that I have met, and the way I will assimilate it in order to be able to write, respecting as well as I can the truth of my insights and the reality inside the lives of the local people and their culture.

The Naduska spa is just beyond the Giardino della Scultura among the Tuscan landscape of vineyards and olive trees. Only such a spectacular environment could offer the perfect sanctuary for the relaxation I need at this moment. A little rejuvenation won’t hurt.

As I go down the stairs of a little doorway, almost inaccessible due to the heavy leafy plants around it, I hear a calming noise of running water. Wow!!!! What am I seeing? What an amazing, long pool. Maybe only two meters wide, just perfect for a Nymphea to swim by herself.

I slowly immerse my hand to get a warm sensation of perfectly heated temperature but suddenly the water color changes from gray to purple, the color of spiritual transformation, then to aquamarine, the color of hope and relaxation…to a Burnt Sienna color of visualization and positive energy… This pool, inspired by the roman baths, changes color every few minutes.

I get changed into a tiny Brazilian bathing suit, swim for a while, then step into the Jacuzzi. In the relaxation area, there are all kind of herbal teas, Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and Elle magazines from Paris, London, and Milan. Surrounded by suggestive lighting and mosaics, I feel in a kind of underground temple.

There is some kind of magic in the atmosphere, maybe extreme relaxing solitude. Without realizing it, I have gently closed my eyes, abandoning myself to the sound of the running water through a composition of Tuscan stones and Fior di Pesco Carnicio blocks of marble from Carrara in subtle peach color. Very rare my friends!

I decide to indulge myself with a relaxing massage with the Officina dei Tornabuoni Princess Viki aroma therapeutic oil. You won’t believe the active ingredients it contains! Want to hear it? Bisabolol, Sweet Almond oil, Avocado oil, Rice bran oil, Olive oil, Calendula, Shea butter, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Chamomile extract.

The treatment room is darkly lit, not far from the gym and the old cellars. Its ceiling has very, very old bricks all around Gelsomino (jasmine) scented candles and two massage beds where I am immediately asked in a soft Italian voice to lay down and forget where I am… How can I?

The warm oil on my skin fills every pore and the pure non-greasy blend of food-quality cold-pressed oils of Sweet Almond, Avocado, Rice bran, Olive, and Calendula, along with nourishing Shea butter and soothing Chamomile made me absolutely forget where I was for one hour.

These natural therapeutic products are locally produced using mostly plants and herbs from the Tuscan countryside. The holistic, total approach to beauty and well-being enables my mind and my body that soothing inspiration that I needed.

Last step, the Turkish-style sauna. All Italian marble mosaics from Bisazza, color changes alternating with each other according to the different intensitys of the vapors. I brought my camera, it’s in the pocket of my robe.. I will never be able to capture what I am seeing; there is too much steam. Et voila, it’s done!

I am now ready to leave dear Naduska — named, by the way, after the owner’s fiancee; I will meditate and also ask for a spa named after me from my new and next love relationship. (I’ve always thought you get inspiration on your travels!!) Oh… and in order to reinforce this through the law of attraction technique, I am taking with me from the Naduska Spa, the Oficina de Tornabuoni Love – Aromatherapy Shower Gel Collection: L – relaxing, O – Sensuality, V – Revitalizing, E – Harmony. And then just watch!

Arriverderci Villa Mangiacane. Thank you for having me and please check out my roundabouts in the Florentine Lifestyle edition newsletter. I will certainly mention you!

Joelle

Joelle’s Tips:

The Spa:

Naduska Spa – Villa Mangiacane- Via Faltignano 4,
San Casciano 50026 Firenze Italia
for reservations :
Tel No. +39 055 8290123
Fax No. +39 055 8290358
E-mail : info@mangiacane.it

Holistic therapeutic and beauty products from Tuscany :

Is there anything that can evoke a memory like the wafting fragrance of a real desi perfume?  In this regard, attar – the centuries old Indian art of blended perfumes – comes redolent with nostalgia when the elegant, dignified, sophisticated, grand and unhurried lifestyle made people praise the aesthetic subtleties of grace and personal charm.

Attar, originally an Indian perfume, has a heritage of multipurpose potency behind its distilling.  These unforgettable fragrances of the world are presented in cut glass decanters.  Now these fragrances are in vogue in the Parisian fashion seminaries, especially since Naomi Campbell, the bewitching model, fell for Indian mehndi and attar of late.  Stolen from fresh flowers, the fragrances are whisked into glass bottles after a very tedious and long-drawn process.

I am walking in Chandni Chowk when suddenly an old Indian man bumps into me with a box filled with old glass bottles.  I almost fall to the floor and – mortified by the incident – he invites me into a small shop to drink rose water essence, the same thing my grandmother used to give me after a long, heartbroken cry.

Here I am in this very old apothecary.  Aromas and scents permeate the atmosphere in a room filled with very old wood furniture and very old salesmen.  Nobody seems to care about my entrance.  I drink the delicious filtered water while I watch the busy activity around me.

A young couple, apparently bride- and groom-to-be are picking a few items for their home and wedding.  The young girl sees my increasingly curious interest and asks what I do.  After I hand her my card, she proudly shares with me that people often use the same perfume for years, in fact sometimes for their whole lives.

She then elaborates, talking to me out loud and looking upward as though she is reciting a script, while her husband-to-be experiments with different sandalwood essential oil samples.  “The queen of all attars happens to be Rooh Gulab, which was discovered by Noorjahan, the wife of the Mughal emperor Jahandir.  Once, when she went for her morning bath, she found an oily layer on top of the water.  It was kept to cool overnight and when it was later distilled as she had ordered, it turned out to be the costliest attar – priced at 3500 rupees per ten grams.

I decide quickly, hearing the story, to ask another extremely old man to bring me a small bottle of that specific attar.  The brothers Ram Singh and Krishna Mohan Singh – owners of Gulab Singh Johri Mai, Delhi’s oldest attar shop established in 1816 – explain to me that it’s not an easy job to collect pure and fresh flowers for the purpose of extracting attar from them.

The Singh brothers relate their tales of running from pillar to post in search of fresh, pure flowers for gathering.  For Rooh Gulab – the attar of roses – they visit the flower gardens of Kannauj, Aligath, Ghazipur and Jaunpur.  The condition is that the flower must be plucked at dawn and used before the sun rises, for after that the fragrance begins to leave the blooms.

Young men and gods dreamed of maidens walking in a cloud of jasmine, rose and marigold scents.  I am now ready for my own consultation.   I am offered a wooden tray with different small, bottled scents.  I am to choose the ones I like.  Like Cleopatra, I pick the heart before seduction, I wear sandalwood powder on a wick of attar-soaked cotton tucked behind my ear .  It’s a symbol of prosperity and culture.

Mr. Singh suggests increasing the powerful effect desired by using the fragrant attar along with burning incense sticks daily.  The incense is burnt in a gold and silver censer.  “I see,” I reply.  I ask to include herbal soaps without animal fat in my basket.  I keep with my scent selection from the wooden tray.

One of them particularly captures my attention.  It’s Frankincense. I remember studying the Torah portion of the week where the Hebrew priest Cohen Gadol valued Frankincense highly and used to spread this essence in the sacred temple tabernacle.  I request more information about the essential herb Boswellia Sacra‘s mystical properties:

The word is from the French word ‘Franc’ meaning ‘luxuriant’ or ‘real incense’ and together with Myrrh, it was the first gum to be used as incense.  Also known as Olibanum, Frankincense was used by the ancient Egyptians as an offering to the gods and as part of a rejuvenating face mask.  It was also used to fumigate the sick, in order to banish evil spirits.  I decide to take the attar, the incense sticks and the essential oil for my bath and massage.

The old man slowly packs every single one of the 7 scents I have chosen in different forms.  All of these were sampled with a coffee bean sniff break in between, from aromatherapy oils to soaps, fragrance and incense sticks and cones to perfumes, attars to medicinal drops.  Among those I chose were Tuberose, Amber (in a large glass bottle), Jasmine, Indian Neroli, (better than Tom Ford’s), Lavender, Tangerine and Lime.  I will treat my depression, rheumatic pains, hangovers, migraines and digestive ailments.

And like men – nawabs, rajas, landlords, subedars, and nobility during the reign of Akbar Shah II sat for hours - I did too, delicately sniffing and choosing my attars.  These were placed in exquisite boxes with ivory inlay work and Belgian cut-glass decanters, then sent to the inner sanctums of Mughal queens and princesses and other purdah-clad women from the nobility to sample and select their favorite fragrances.

While I wait at the cashier for my bill to come, Kristan Mohan laments that this quaint way of keeping fragrant is gradually slipping into the realm of “antique things in our grandfather’s time.”  But the elder brother Ram is hopeful as he says, “Attars are like flowers – as old as them but as fresh as tomorrow’s new drops.”

Without a word but perfumed to my soul, I leave the shop with a smile.  Through nobody has the time and delicacy to make it a passion anymore, I was privileged enough to have bumped into a man that made me understand my fondness for this art still remains untouched.

Joelle’s Picks:

Attars for the summer: Rooh khus – protects from hot, dry winds.  Cooling effect, five drops when added to 1 kg of sugar makes a perfect drinkable syrup.

Attar Keora: Cures both high and low blood pressure.  Just the thing to beat the rising mercury.

The Old Shop: Gulabsingh Johrimal- 467, Chadni Chowk-Delhi/Ph:+91232.637.43/32919886/E-mail info@gulabsinghjohrimal.com

I decide to have a look at the garden and check out the pool. Who knows, perhaps I’ll dive into one of the many treatments available. Amit, the pool attendant, follows me with a pretty wooden tray while he asks if I would like my reclining chair facing the sun or in a shaded spot. Curious as usual, I don’t answer him immediately…I am intrigued by the different cute things he carries on top of the tray.

Two small bottles of SPF 20 protective lotions on either side of a cold, white, small towel on a ceramic plate; an aromatized rose water spray re- freshener; a small Himalayan bottled water from the Tata Group promising the “Elixir of Life”; a funny square wood panel with buttons and words such as “call for menu”, “call for drink” and “call for help”.

After picking my place in the sun I decide to call for help. “Amit, please could you please bring me the menu of Spa treatments?”

“Of course Ma’m,” he replies, quickly running inside. The temperature is perfect, the sun is mild, and a light breeze gently caresses my very white, not-anymore-Brazilian skin.

“Take your body on a journey of transformation as soon as you enter the serene and soothing spa and fitness center.”

Wow, I like this introduction! While I read, I am checking my most recent E-mails on my Blackberry from New York, Sao Paulo and Brussels. Soon my clients and the ones I love are going to immerse themselves into a deep night’s sleep because of the 10 hour difference, and I feel my liberation into this journey will soon be initiated almost furtively and happily, without guilt.

My desire at this very moment is to be pampered in holistic treatments based on Aromatherapy and Ayurveda. I am definitely sure that my body and spirit will at last be revitalized, rejuvenated and re-freshened.

In the spa menu I read about Ayurveda. Ayurveda is a holistic system of healing which evolved among the sages of ancient India over 5000 years ago. This ancient science focuses on establishing and maintaining the balance of energy within us, promoting harmony between the individual and nature.

It is important to know that in Ayurveda, each person is viewed as a unique individual governed by one or more of the universal forces of nature. Good health is promoted by balancing these energies.

Among the many treatments: Banana Oatmeal, Cucumber Yogurt, Honey Softening Mask, luxury back treatment, Chakra head shoulder and Ayurvedic massage, Rain Mist splendor experience, Orange and Oat, Lemon Yogurt scrubs, and Honey Almond Cleanser. Hawaiian, Balinese Aromatic and Stone Massage are supposed to be very popular too. I try to pick the most suitable for my muscles’ injuries and my state of mind.

Shirodhara, is a rhythmic precision of trickling oil for two whole hours onto the forehead. It is believed to awaken the third eye, which in turn triggers healing and restores good health, apparently good for calming the mind and soothing the senses. I think I am going to pick the Marma Massage therapy.

At the bright reception desk Shelly, with a sign of Namaste, registers my room number and name. Her third eye is adorned with a pretty round Tikal between her eyes. She introduces me to a small, smiley young Indonesian girl named Pook. After crossing a long corridor whose walls are made of Italian Travertino marble slabs facing the magic dark blue pool, Pook invites me into a fresh and welcoming room.

Pook asks me to undress while she closes her eyes, ready to leave the room. At the same time she handles a nice tray with a variety of room incense. I am supposed to pick my favorite. “It’s about your mood Madam,” she affirms. Without noticing her departure, I realize she’s not in the room anymore.

In front of me lies the responsibility of my mood choice. Bergamot: refreshing and uplifting. Eucalyptus: invigorating, clarifying, energizing. Jasmine induces euphoria and relieves nervous exhaustion. Lemongrass: purifies the emotions and relaxes anxieties.

I must admit in India I am never anxious, and my emotions are at their purest. Don’t ask me why, but this is a fact. What I really need is energy and soothing my muscles. Eucalyptus will be perfect. Pook is back. She lights the aromatizer with a tea light candle and the Eucalyptus essential oil. She explains that it’s the same essence we are going to use on my skin during the massage therapy and on the soles of my feet.

Without any more words Pook shows me with a Namaste sign to a large container with multicolored rose petals floating in warm water. Gently my feet are transported into this blessed Eucalyptus immersion. After this I am invited to lie on a bed embellished with an Indonesian blue and white block printed cotton throw and very pure white sheets, where I am asked to rest my forehead downwards in a hole where a dendrobium orchid is waiting silently to be replaced.

With a specialized pressure point technique on my energy gateways, my palms, soles, upper and lower limbs, Pook concentrates on my reflex points, promoting within my senses a feeling of complete physical and mental well-being. She then asks me to turn onto my back.

Adapted to the traditional Indian system of natural healing, for 45 more minutes Pook applies a facial that apparently will stimulate my “Marma”, which are the vital energy points on the head, face and ears.On my way out to the sauna and hot steam bath, wrapped in a very comfortable bathrobe, I thank Pook for her great touch. Like in a song of appreciation in her pronounciation, she thanks me back.

I am now fully energized and purified, ready to once again face the intricate beauty of this chaotic but yet organized metropolis called Delhi. But most important at this moment is that I am definitely blessed with that touch of serenity.

It’s very, very hot here. I am staying in a beautiful rooftop overlooking the sea on the hills of Posillipo. The name comes from the Greek Pausilypon meaning “pause from pain”, it is the city’s oldest neighborhood. I am surrounded by a lively countryside of green trees, stunning views of the Sorrento Peninsula and a majestic Mount Vesuvius at eye level.

Every morning, the best thing I have to do, is go to the sea that I silently watch every night at sunset from my bedroom. It takes me approximately fifteen to twenty minutes walk through the viewer of my camera and for nothing in this world I want to miss the insights of this hidden Posillipian countryside marvel.

La Repubblica‘s Venerdi insert about the weekend’s cultural events, Kuky Nobel’s suntan creams, my vintage Persol, and old Etro blue and white towel all packed in a straw bag from the nearby Thursday market are my daily companions.

On my way, I stop for my usual fresh Percoche peaches at Salvatore, who every morning tries to sell me watermelon and every morning I explain that it is too heavy to take with me down to the Rocce Verdi. Salvatore resigns, giving me his word of honor that the small green figs I love will be perfect to eat at the beginning of August and that I will be the first client to try them. Like every morning wishes me a “buona giornata signorina” and turns to take care of another customer.

I proceed with my walk, it’s still early but the sun is already high in the sky. The day promises to be as warm as all the others during the two weeks I have been here. But the reward, as I’ve learned from living here, is that the warmer the days, the prettier the sunsets and evening colors. Day after day I have enjoyed watching those pink, orange and blue colors — receiving them as eternal gifts to my soul that is seeking rest from the hectic heat—sometimes reaching 38 degrees Celsius (100 Farenheit)—and the noisy sea of the day that just passed by.

It’s a cycle. The cycle of a genuine and simple life starting at 6 .30 in the morning with the freshly squeezed orange juice from the tree property and the aroma of strong burning coffee re-freshened by the good night sleep and a previous great meal.

The entrance gate of the property is large, heavy and made of iron. On the top of the gate is a green and gold sign that says “Villa Fattorusso, terra di rocce e mare” (land of rocks and sea).

This private estate used to belong to a family for three generations. At the beginning of this century, the patriarch, Mr. Bartolini, a wealthy retailer and manufacturer of the prestigious Haute Couture embroidery house, Fratelli Fattorusso, picked the magnificent landscape of rocks over the sea charmed by the beauty and greatness of the region and steadfastly focused on this area of excellence that have made Naples renowned worldwide to build his home and a house that during several years was the mecca of his friends and relatives sea escapes.

It is only about 40 years ago that the children, over-boarded by the continuous movement of guests of guests and relatives that decided to open the once upon a time on an invitation-only paradise into one of the most exclusive lido open now a nearby neighborhood public.

I am now crossing old Roman arches and huge walls made of Tufo. It’s like being in a land where time has no more dimension and the present is presently immaculate.

If you really wish to, you can only tell its passing by blossoms of flamboyant Azaleas bushes, uncontrolled cascades of dark blue wrapping Bindweed flowers, called once by deco artists Belle du jour or Morning glory and explosive pink-purple- pea-like shy and delicate Glycine bushes.

Their intricate and disorganized existence together with numerous oranges left on the ground and small plantations of corn is orchestrated by the intensive heat and owners nonchalance in face of an aggressive superiority of the Mediterranean sun.

Finally after spying with my invading camera lens people’s details of small intimate lives in gardens, small courtyards and inviting shaded terraces I see the small wooden sign Baia Rocce Verdi (Green Rocks Bay) sending me to a steep downhill site. 17 euros is the price of a lettino. (Small bed)s I make my way to what in a few minutes I call paradise. From where I am, a terrace with tech furniture getting ready for tonight’s wedding party I can see already a group of early morning sun seekers giving themselves away on lettinis and materassini (small mats) without remorse to the gentle rising breeze.

First thing I’ll do after picking my own place under the sun is dive into the dephts of the fresh blue waters of the bay of Naples and feel completely re-freshened from the heat. But one must be careful as there is plenty of moss, green slippery moss.

And with this intention, this summer, I will dive between those green rocks by the waves to take a closer look at the Bay of Naples treasures, and to perhaps explore the local history hat has been swallowed up by the deep. The wonders of underwater archaeology,the rusting relics on the sea bed,the abundant marine wildlife,and the colorful caves that have been gouged out the rock.

Together with ‘pearls’ like Capri, Ischia and Sorrento this is the sea of Campania laden with its “catch” of history, culture and traditions. Probably who knows my own, somewhere in time and space during these few long sunny hours and fresh encounters with its clear waters.

The day was great. Insights? Plenty, but now it’s time for the sunset, and the cycle begins again.

Joelle’s Tips:

Lido delle Rocce Verdi: Via Posillipo, 68, Napoli

For dinners, events and ceremonies reservations at Villa Fattorusso: + 39 081 575 6716 / + 39 081 575 6183