Tuesday 9 March 2010

Hideaway Heaven!

A little bit of what you fancy does you the world of good...... and thats why a couple of months ago we booked ourselves a break to CenterParcs in Sherwood Forest....



We'd been counting down the weeks and so when the day arrived, we eagerly packed up the car and headed off.... It was also the week after my Dad had been taken ill and was definitely needed...


This was our first time at CenterParcs but we'd heard so many postive reviews we were confident of a well needed break.


Arriving at our woodland lodge in the Maple area, I did my usual thing and checked every nook & cranny like an excited kid on a Christmas morning.  Huge windows letting in lots of natural light.  The corner sofa beckoning you to snuggle up while logs crackle on the wood burner.  The patio doors leading onto your own private area, where you can sit in complete serenity, watching the wildlife.









The first part of the week was totally about the relaxation!  That night we went to Aqua Sana for a Twilight Spa.  Experiencing the different rooms such as the Greek Herbal Bath, Indian Blossom Steam Room, Japanese Salt Steam Bath and the multi sensory showers.  We finished off with a swim under the moon and stars in an outdoor heated swimming pool   :)


Tuesday was spent relaxing, having coffee in Starbucks and taking in the surrounding areas....  Walking through the forest, you're met with beautiful views like this....






It was then back to our lodge for a hot chocolate in front of a crackling fire






Every morning we would have guests over for breakfast... First it started off with the ducks....






They then told the geese... who quite liked the bread but not as much as the crumpets!






Word finally got to the swans..... and wow! Such beautiful creatures :)






The weather wasn't brilliant... we had snow the first couple of days and then rain but we didn't care.... We were in our little hideaway and it was heaven!


Wednesday was a day for target archery.... This was the first time Phil had ever tried it.... I've done archery for a number of years, although that certainly hasn't improved my aim!


It was lots of fun and we got plenty of practice plus we managed to avoid the squirrels :)


After being out in the cold for a while we definitely needed to warm our cockles in the bar.....


First it was a gorgeous Mojito (white rum, sugar, lime, soda water and mint leaves)




Followed by a luschious, creamy Grasshopper (vodka, chocolate & mint liqueur with cream)  If you imagine a chocolate mint aero melting in your mouth... this is the drink version!  It definitely felt naughty drinking on a 'school day'




Thursday was by far, my favourite day!!  Dirt buggy day!  Forget boring old asphalt, these were set on a dirt track, and were made even more interesting by the rain. 


We made sure to go in old jeans and trainers plus waterproof bike jackets but just in case, the guys also provided us with protective suits...  You know the kind that they give to suspects in police dramas, the lovely all in one paper suits ;)


We also had a rather lovely surprise..... Phil and I were the only one ones taking part so we had the buggies and track all to ourselves!

I went round first but ended up losing the buggy on my 3rd lap after my visor steamed up (that'll teach me to breath so heavily hehe)

Phil went round next and I was really taking the mick at how slow he was going.... We could have attached a blade to the back of the buggy and have him plow the field ;)  The instructor then explained that I wasn't going that much faster *blush*





We moved onto the next track... a muddier one *grin*  Again, I was up first and I decided to go for it!

Keeping my foot down most of the time, I managed to get the buggy sliding sideways round the corners.  I lost it a few times and you could hear the screaming and cursing as I went through the ski poles.... My favourite part was after the 2nd turn where a huge puddle lay... I'd get the buggy sliding up to the 2nd corner and then whizzing it through the puddle... the wetter I got, the happier I was....

After Phils turn, I took one look at him and couldn't stop laughing... His face was covered in mud where the visor had lifted.... Taking the paper suits off, we couldn't believe how much mud and water had got in... we were filthy!

The best part was the walk back to our lodge, the looks on peoples faces, wondering what the hell we had been up to!

Now I know why they call them dirt buggies ;)



After we had freshened up, we took the short stroll across to the pancake house.  Here we tucked into the New Mexican containing chicken, jalapeno peppers, salami, spring onions, meatballs and cheese, topped with salsa, guacamole and sour cream..... I had mine done as a pancake and Phil had his as an omelette... One word for both *lush!* 

For dessert I had a Tropical Paradise pancake which was a banana and pineapple pancake with rum and raisin ice cream, toasted coconut and butterscotch sauce.  Phil had Chocolate Heaven.... a chocolate flavoured pancake smothered with vanilla & chocolate ice cream, whipped cream, chocolate sauce and flake


The next day it was time to head home...... Sadly, we packed our bags and said goodbye to our guests......




Thank you to everyone at CenterParcs Sherwood Forest for making our stay a beautiful and relaxing one!





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