Ibizarre

Having just made my now regular pilgrimage to Ibiza, I’m so laid-back I’m almost horizontal. I’ve even managed to hang on to the chill through what would normally be a hellish workday and may even surprise myself and float through tomorrow on a little cloud of Balearic bliss as well. I think the outfit helps. Clothes maketh the woman, so I’m still in full rich hippie sartorial flow. As a colleague noted with a faint air of bemusement today, “you look like you’re dressed for the beach”. It probably wasn’t a compliment, but it’s not exactly like I care …

There’s something about the island that almost instantaneously restores you, however stressed you might be. The flights were hellish – the soi-disant ‘world’s favourite airline’ should rename themselves Chav Air if there’s any truth in advertising. It’s no fun being stuck up in the sky with a job lot of boozed-up Burberry knock-offs on a stag party at the best of times, but when the air hostesses are ducking for cover and praying for flak jackets, you really know you’re in for a dodgy flight.

Ah, but then when you land they go off to their ghastly San An holiday resorts, where they’ll be confined for the rest of their visit - when conscious - and you get the rest of that fabulous island. It’s worth a little temporary airborne pain for some laid-back luxury on land. My first stop is always the Atzaro spa, www.atzaro.com, which is guaranteed to shift your mood the second you walk in the door. Peacefulness reigns supreme there, so mundane concerns just fall away.
After the detox, the retox is so much more delightful at Km5, www.km5-lounge.com or the gloriously decadent Bambuddah Grove, www.bambuddah.com, with its Moonlight Bedroom Lounge. That’s a languidly-decorated open-air secret haven of Balinese day-beds swathed with silk curtains, mixed with curiously formal French furniture – all hidden behind a curtain of bamboo plants, candle-lit and reeking of glamour.

By now, I imagine that you’re getting the picture that I love the place. Is it that obvious? Well, it’s one of the few places on earth that I feel absolutely, totally at home. There’s something quirky about Ibiza that draws unusual, interesting people and you always make connections there that are fun and meaningful. Not to mention reconnecting with yourself, remembering what’s important and perhaps even more valuable - what’s not.

This week, take yourself somewhere where you feel really at home, where you can get some time out to remember what’s important to you and forget the rest. If you can’t get away right now, do something simple that reminds you of your favourite place to be. Dress like you’re going to the beach. Pretend you’re going to a meeting and sneak off for a massage. Buy some chillout music, turn off the phone, light some candles and have a good, long uber-bubbly soak. Take your time - don’t rush. Let the world come to you. Stillness is a very attractive quality.

Click through to the Coach Fabulous advice column by using the link in the Favourite Sites section on the right or by going to http://coachfabulous.blogspot.com. For alert emails on new postings, email subscribe@iamfabulous.co.uk. To contact me, email coachfabulous@iamfabulous.co.uk. All material © 2007 Alison Porter. No article may be reproduced in full or in part without the express permission of the author. (Originally posted 26 Jun 07)