Birthday Spa Day

[I am not normally prone to mentioning by name any specific product or business, and this post is not an official endorsement, but I do say that if you find yourself in Jerusalem and need to completely de-stress, the David's Citadel Hotel is the place to go.]

The Day:  English Birthday, number 44
The Place:  David's Citadel Hotel, across from the Mamilla Mall in Jerusalem.  An oasis with amazing feng shui, fluffy robes, high cotton count towels, gentle relaxing music (even in the sauna and the shower) and healthy snacks.
The People:  lovely and absolutely obsequious staff (in that positive service way), other friendly spa attendees with varied family and personal backgrounds, but all with fascinating stories.  I would be friends with most of them if we traveled in the same circles in the "real world."
The Breakfast (with one of my favorite cousins):  pancakes, apple crumble, natural mozzarella and tomato salad, egg white omelet with all the fixins, espresso and hot chocolate fudge cake for dessert.
The Pedicure:  little jet bubbles, foot massage and wonderfully joyous red nail polish.
The Massage: good looking and intelligent Russian therapist with amazing hands, 45 minutes was far too short.
The Dry Sauna:  before and after the pool.
The Pool:  did laps and reclined on the deck chairs.  The cherry on the icing on the cake was the Israeli guy with the dragon tattoo who hit on me, telling me what a great body I had; I haven't received that kind of attention and flirting in years, and even if half of what he said wasn't totally accurate, it is nice on a birthday to feel like you've still got it, that men find you and your post-nursing breasts attractive.
The Hotel Room:  hanging out with my cousin, enjoying air conditioning on this sweltering Israeli summer day, feeling removed from my every day life and loving every minute of it.
Bonus:  lousy phone reception and no Internet connection for my iphone, so I could truly say that I was on vacation.

Raphaela decided this morning that if I was wearing a dress and having a birthday, then it was also her birthday.  She wore a dress to Gan, and told me she was going to make me a crown, as befits all Israeli children on their special day.  When I asked her old she was on her 'birthday,' she happily answered "Ten!"