The Christmas and New Year season has not finished yet and we find ourselves at home already dreaming of a summer holiday. Is it the darkness of the days or the coldness of the nights that makes us dream away, I really don’t know, but around this time of the year we seem to come with the same question of where and when to spend our summer holiday and once our mind is set, the destination fixed and the travel tickets booked a sense of calm, joy and anticipation sets into the house feeling our hearts with purpose. The New Year might have not come yet, but our summer holiday is booked. All working stress and worry might come through the first half of the year, yet the summer holiday days are getting near. Its a simple act, yet through the years we have learned how much this one week summer holiday really means to all of us. It is our intimate time of unity, away from the daily stress, a moment to relax, be together and have fun and we deeply cherish it.
Three years ago a customer had invited us on a two day workshop in Gloria Resort in Turkey. We were ready for the business talk, we were ready to travel to Turkey, but we where definitely not ready to experience Gloria and all its breath-taking beauty. The complex is composed of three separate hotels, all integrated within one domain, a golf court, numerous swimming pools, sea-side relaxation area, children’s aqua park, air-conditioned fitness room worthy for olympic players, tennis court, open air theatre arena, inside bowling and pool area, insomnia disco club, SPA centre and hamam, thai-chi area on the sea shore, numerous restaurants and bars, live music and dancing parties. And we loved it all…
We fell in love with the peaceful serenity of the hamam. After a day in the heat, surrounded by the the noise of people, sealed by the sea and burt by the sun there is something absolutely indescribable about the pleasure to be all alone in an acoustic cathedral like, cool water, warm marble hamam.
Then we fell in love with the Turkish lemonade. Lime, mint and ice. Simple ingredients resulting in an extraordinary delight.
We fell in love with the food as well. How could we not, after our senses have been tempted in abundance from sun-rise until sun-set with sumptuous delights? Roasted lamb, grilled fresh fish or summer vegetables, fruit, nuts and pastry soaked in honey…
Too much of a good thing? Probably yes, but after tasting it once we are surly ready to repeat this unforgettable summer holiday adventure over and over again.
