A Recipe for Relaxation
Take four friends, pop them in a car, and then drive to Le Nordik Spa in Chelsea (no more than 10 minutes from downtown Ottawa). Move from steam room, to cool pool, to hot tub, to cold water fall, to Finnish sauna, to relation areas as the spirit moves you. Repeat as needed.
I had heard only great things about Le Nordik Spa and so was glad to give it a try. I was also glad to discover that I most certainly agreed with the good reviews I had received. The location alone is serene and calming, tucked in the Gatineau hills. The facility is charming, wooden buildings, and cleverly crafted pools, waterfalls and stone walkways that tend to blend in nicely with the natural surroundings.
We four started in the steam room - if you go try not to sit at the lowest level by the door as the steam tends to blast right at that spot first, very hot. Then we hopped into the cold pool beneath the waterfall. After a few minutes relaxation on the many outdoor lounge chairs, we moved to the Finnish sauna. Within the steam room and sauna and the relation room you must be quiet, which at first seems hard because you want to talk about how great it all was and how you never want to leave. Then you really begin to relax and conversation seems less important than just soaking it all in.
We ended our visit at Le Nordik's bistro. The menu looked great, and we decided be completely decadent and ordered the chocolate fondue - there is enough for two in each plate. We each of us ended up spending about $50 to $60 each, but it was more than worth it. Check it out at lenordik.com.
