Feeling like Jelly...

Bonjour mes amis,
I am sitting at the table with legs like jelly, skin like a baby, and a distinct eau de eucalyptus eminating from my general direction....perhaps I should explain. Walking around Paris for 2 weeks had taken a toll on my feet and legs, well, my body in general. So Molly and I decided to go to the hammam at the Paris Mosque, and get a steam and a gommage. The Paris Mosque was built in 1927 and is right next to the Jardin des Plants, which is supposed to be one of the most beautiful gardens in Paris. There are specific days for women, and men, so you have to plan ahead. It seems like every time we wanted to go, we couldn't, so we planned Wednesday specifically with this in mind. You walk into a lovely courtyard, that has an inside space and an outside space, where you can purchase hot sweet mint tea and all sort of lovely little pastries. There is a small door to the left that opens rather secretly to the hammam section. You pay your entrance fee and leave your clothes in a locker. A bathing suit bottom is required and most people bring their own towels flip flops, but for all our planning we had not really thought of this! :) Go figure....anyways you shower the day off of you with this black soap that they give you, and then you enter the steam room. It is a lovely domed room, walled in Moroccan tiles and marble with various levels, depending on how "hot" you can handle it. In the middle of the room is a small, round pool, filled with lovely cool water, to keep you from getting too hot. Needles to say, you cant really see when you first walk in, the steam is so thick! I loooved it! When you think you can't handle any more, you wash off, and then go to these large plastic tables, where 2 very large women scrub the life out of you. That part is a bit gross, as most of your skin peels off in black bits...eww. Okay, I will stop with describing that part...next you go to another room, get on another table where they slather you with eucalyptus oil and massage you into oblivion. And because that is just not enough, they then give you sweet mint tea while you lounge on cushions and try to bolster yourself enough to step back out into the real world. Molly and I wished we could do this every week! I feel so relaxed that I didn't even notice the train ride home. We are currently making couscous and sipping port, and eating cheese and figs. Good night all. Gros Bisous...