AS TOLD TO
CATHERINE COOPER
PHOTO
ALEX COOPER
#2
Ruth Jenkins
The founder and co-owner of walking and spa holiday company
Spa Treks (
spa-treks.com
)
loves Les Bains du Couloubret baths
at Ax-les-Thermes, near Toulouse
“
there’s something about LES BAINS DU
COULOUBRET
(
Promenade Paul Salette,
Ax-les-Thermes; bains-couloubret.com
)
that
just makes me feel happy. I don’t know if it’s
the thermal waters, the mountainous backdrop
or simply the brilliant massage jets, but I
always come away from here feeling almost
like a new person. Sometimes I visit with a
girlfriend, but just as often I come with my two
sons (Luca, nine, and Ben, seven). Their
favourite thing is to float about in the warm
water then jump into the freezing cold plunge
pool – they love it!
“
My business partner, Anne
Arran, and I were inspired to
bring our clients here after a
walking holiday in
the Alps one July when it
started snowing. While
we were traipsing
through the metre-high
snow, we saw a poster
for the spa and thought,
‘
Wouldn’t it be lovely to be
there instead?’
“
My life is often physically
demanding – I also work as a stunt
woman. Being asked to fall over once is fine,
but by the time you’ve done it 10 times, you’re
ready for a bit of relaxation. You feel the same
after a long walk, which is why we bring our
clients here. People have been coming to the
Pyrenées for health reasons for centuries, and
it really makes sense. There simply aren’t many
other places like this, where you can sit outside
in a warm pool, looking at snow-capped
mountains. It’s my favourite place to relax and
I’m delighted to have been able to introduce it
to some more people.”
People
have been
coming to
the Pyrenées
for health
reasons for
centuries
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T H E R E G U L A R S
