Bonnie Carroll's Life Bites

This hotel was once a very imposing and stately residence which has become a chic destination of great renown to not only the rich and famous of world, but those who seek a serine and healthful environment to restore and renew their body and spirit. The interiors of the hotel are of contemporary design and very inviting.

The Maricel Hotel has expanded from fifty-one rooms to seventy-three rooms, with the addition of two new buildings. The new Bodynn Spa building is a contemporary venue that melds lovingly with the hotel pool overlooking the ocean and the Mallorcan “Merjades,” a series of natural terraces of rock built by the Muslims in the X century that are today a close to nature private treatment area with an ocean view that allows spa patrons an experience of the ocean breeze during spa services. The open-air access is very popular with guests and therapists alike. According to Bodyna Spa General Manager Catherine Callan “we strive to create an atmosphere that enables our patrons to achieve their goals while at Maricel.”

The Bodynn Spa offers an external/internal heated pool, Jacuzzi, Finish sauna, steam

bath, five traditional treatment rooms with water bed massage tables. Spa packages include Ritual of the Orient, Romantic Getaway, Rejuvenating Retreat and Bodyna Indulgence, a 1-3 day treatment featuring scrub, massage, facial, reflexology and aromatherapy massage for 440 Euro. Stone massage therapy is also a specialty at this spa.

Facial treatments at Hospes Maricel are magnificent. I had a facial that made me look ten years younger, or at least took away the tired travel lady lines created during my journey to Mallorca. They also offer slimming and firming treatments, waxing, make-up and hair services; anything you could want to be healthy, beautiful and free you will find in this exquisite sanctuary. The products used at Maricel are from Cinq Mondes Spa Paris, Polynesian inspired products that feature beauty rituals of the world, and are so pure they make your skin feel like silk.

The spa is currently offering a program “Learn to Sleep” which helps guests obtain the ability to sleep well. The sleep clinic was designed to help people understand the important part sleep plays in over all health. How it improves the quality of life and assists in balancing our energy. The program includes aspects of medical history, sleep study and steps to “learn to sleep” which also includes information on eating habits and proper nutrients, relaxation and massage techniques to provide optimum well being. Marical offers a variety of programs to help with the maintenance of your overall experience of well being.

My only regret about discovering this magic castle by the sea is that I was unable to spend a longer period of time with the talented spa director and her staff who are clearly devoted to providing the finest in spa services to guests, while also implementing a stellar line of French skin products to generate the results patrons are seeking.

The atmosphere in this spa is so-o-o relaxing that to try to really convey it in words would be a mute point. All I can say is I hope to be back there sooner than later to be restored and renewed by the ambiance, atmosphere and loving care they have worked so hard to provide.

                 7 Tips to Turn Your Vacation into a Travel Sabbatical
                                                      by Rita Foley

About to go on vacation? How about turning your next time away from work into a travel sabbatical – a real break from work? With a one or even a two-week vacation we barely get relaxed and stop looking at emails before it's time to go home and back to work. A longer break allows you time to reflect, to get to know yourself, to reconnect with family and friends and your dreams.

While you are away on your next vacation, spend some time dreaming about a longer one. Assume there are no boundaries. You have the time, the money to do anything or go anywhere. Answer the question “if you had two or more months off, how would you ideally like to spend that time?” That’s the beginning of your plan. You will have to shape it, but start with what you really want to do.

According to the 2011 Fortune Magazine survey, 21 of the best companies to work for offer formal, paid for sabbatical programs. Even if your company doesn’t offer one, you too can do it. I have taken four “Reboot Breaks,” as I call them, and I have interviewed over 200 men and women of all ages and from many different types of careers who have had the courage to request time off from their work. Each person said they came back better professionally and personally.

Start by giving yourself permission. Did you recharge your cell phone yesterday? What about your laptop? Have you taken your car in for a check up lately? When was the last time you took time to recharge your battery? Not just for a day, a week or even a month - when was the last time you took at least two months for yourself? Think of this not as ‘time off’ but as ‘time on’…investing in one of your companies most important assets – you!

Now that you have given yourself permission, here are seven tips on how to fund your travel sabbatical:

   1.      Create a Reboot Break account. There are several ways to do this. You can approach your company and ask them to pay you ¾ of your salary for now. They, in essence, defer paying you that money until you are on your travel break. This helps with tax flow as well.

   2.       Create your own savings account. Fill it with a monthly deposit out of your paycheck. This should not strap you, but should be a commitment that you stick to over the time before your break.

   3.      Ask family and friends to contribute in lieu of birthday and holiday gifts and deposit that savings to the account.

   4.      Use a "windfall," such as a bonus, tax refund, or inheritance. Sell assets you don’t need, such as a second home or car, and use it as a windfall.

   5.      Make money while on your break:
           •    Writing your own travel blog and getting it sponsored
           •    Working as a travel companion
           •    Being a guest lecturer aboard a ship
           •    Getting a grant for research while you are off
           •    Teaching English as a Second Language
           •    Offer to drive a car across the country
           •    Rent your home for a year

   6.     Cut expenses while you are on your vacation sabbatical. Examples include:
           •    Trading your home or apartment for one in another area if you are going to be away.
           •    Selling your car - or park it and cancel the insurance temporarily.
           •    Stopping your cable service and cancel club fees temporarily.
           •    Exploring ways to entertain yourself that are free while you are at home or on travel.

7.     Learn to live light. Simplify your life so your load is lightened both financially and psychologically. The concept applies to packing light when traveling, to reducing the dependence on material things, to focusing on personal growth.

About the author:
Rita Foley is a co-author of Reboot Your Life: Energize Your Career and Life by Taking a Break. She is a Corporate Director, retired Fortune 500 Global President, and a committed leader in numerous organizations dedicated to improving the health and lives of individuals. She has taken 4 sabbaticals and loves to travel. For additional information please visit her website: www.rebootbreak.com.

Self-help measures can greatly relieve bunion pain, advises Harvard Women’s Health Watch

Many women suffer from bunions—a deformity of the joint at the base of the big toe. A bunion develops when the first metatarsal bone of the foot turns outward and the big toe angles toward the other toes, causing the joint to jut out. The resulting protrusion may rub on the inside of shoes, and the entire joint may become stiff and sore. Eventually, exercise and even walking may become difficult. But you can do a lot to relieve pain and prevent bunions from progressing. Simple measures can relieve pressure on the joint and improve foot mechanics, reports Harvard Women’s Health Watch in its June 2011 issue.

The first step is to wear the right kind of shoe. Shoes should have a wide, flexible sole to support the foot and enough room in the toe box (the part surrounding the front of the foot) to accommodate the bunion. Shoes with a back should have a sturdy heel counter (the part surrounding the heel) to keep the heel of the foot snugly in place. Heels should be no higher than an inch (the higher the heel, the greater the pressure on the front of the foot).

To protect the bunion, cover it with a moleskin or gel-filled pad. An orthopedist or podiatrist may recommend semisoft orthotics (shoe inserts) to help position the foot correctly as it strikes the ground. You can also wear a splint at night to hold the toe straight, which may help ease discomfort.

When the bunion is irritated and painful, warm soaks, ice packs, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin or ibuprofien may help. Whirlpool, ultrasound, and massage may also provide some relief. Bunions generally don’t require surgery unless there’s an underlying deformity that can’t otherwise be corrected or the pain becomes debilitating despite conservative treatment.

Harvard Women’s Health Watch is available from Harvard Health Publications, the publishing division of Harvard Medical School, for $28 per year. Subscribe at www.health.harvard.edu/women or by calling 877-649-9457 (toll-free).

Dear EarthTalk: Radioactive rain recently fell in Massachusetts, likely due to Japan’s nuclear mess. Given the threats of radiation, wouldn’t it be madness now to continue with nuclear power? How can President Obama include nukes as part of a “clean energy” agenda?

In the wake of the Fukushima disaster in

Japan

, countries around the world that were growing more bullish on nuclear power are now reconsidering their future energy investments.

Germany

has shut down seven of its oldest nuclear reactors and is conducting safety studies on the remaining facilities; those that don’t make the grade could be closed permanently. Meanwhile, in earthquake-prone

Chile

some 2,000 demonstrators marched through the capital to protest their government’s enthusiasm for nuclear power. And

China

, the world’s fastest growing nuclear energy developer, has suspended the approval process on 50 nuclear power plants already on the drawing board, and begun inspections on 13 existing plants.

But despite calls to shutter the

U.S.

nuclear program, President Obama remains committed to the industry despite his stated opposition to it pre-election. In December 2007, Obama told reporters at a campaign stop in Iowa: “Until we can make certain that nuclear power plants are safe...I don’t think that’s the best option,” adding that he was much more keen on solar, wind, biodiesel and other alternative fuels.

According to investigative journalist Karl Grossman, Obama changed his tune on nuclear as soon as he took office, “talking about ‘safe, clean nuclear power’ and push[ing] for multi-billion dollar taxpayer subsidies for the construction of new nuclear plants.” Right away, Grossman says, Obama brought in nuclear advocate Steven Chu as energy secretary, and two White House aides that had been “deeply involved with…the utility operating more nuclear power plants than any other in the

U.S.

, Exelon.”

Undeterred by the Japanese nuclear disaster, Obama pledged just two weeks following the initial explosions at the Fukushima Dai-ichi facility that nuclear power should be revived in the

U.S.

, as it provides “electricity without adding carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.” He added that he requested a comprehensive safety review by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to ensure the safety of existing facilities. “We’ll incorporate those conclusions and lessons from

Japan

in designing and building the next generation of [nuclear] plants,” Obama added.

But just because nuclear energy isn’t a fossil fuel doesn’t make it green, given the ongoing risk of radioactivity. Also, reports the non-profit Beyond Nuclear, “Nuclear power is counterproductive to efforts to address climate change effectively and in time…funding diverted to new nuclear power plants deprives real climate change solutions, like solar, wind and geothermal energy, of essential resources.”

Indeed, if policymakers were able to divert the hundreds of millions of dollars in subsidies to the

U.S.

nuclear industry every year to solar, wind and geothermal developers, there is no telling how quickly we could innovate our way to sustainable non-polluting energy independence and put the specter of nuclear power that much further in our rearview mirror. But it looks like as long as Obama remains in office, nuclear will remain a big part of our near term energy future, damn the torpedoes.

CONTACTS: Karl Grossman, karlgrossman.blogspot.com; Nuclear Regulatory Commission, www.nrc.gov; Beyond Nuclear, www.beyondnuclear.org.

Self-help measures can greatly relieve bunion pain, advises Harvard Women’s Health Watch