staycation 2018: day 1
What better way to shake off the stress of work and jumpstart the relaxation than a massage? We found a new place that is known as a go-to for fitness pros - Fishion Therapy Center. Nestled in the middle of Chinatown, it is not fancy, and pain is promised, but the use of acupressure, scraping, and other methods find your trouble spots and release the tension. I love the sign that says "legitimate massage only". The best part - it's only $68 for 90 minutes. Derek was quite red in spots after his session, and I feel loose as a goose after mine. Definitely expecting to sleep well tonight, but may have some soreness tomorrow.[gallery ids="640,641" type="square" columns="2"]The day actually started with a trip to Sadelle's to grab a bagel breakfast, but we were disappointed to find that their to-go counter was closed due to an absent employee. Strange that a restaurant can't figure out how to sell a few bagels using the staff in attendance. We found a suitable alternative at Olive's, so it didn't ruin the staycation. Also, an exciting twist - we won the Mean Girls lottery for tomorrow night, and our seats are front and center.Next on the agenda was a trip to Despaña, which you already know is beloved to us. We picked up a bottle of orange wine at the adjacent sister wine store before ordering an assortment of tapas for a late lunch. The chorizo tortilla, lentil salad, bonito and boquerones sandwich, olives, and black sausage dishes were all satisfying and paired perfectly with the wine. We didn't notice the gazpacho on the menu until later but decided to grab one to have for dinner with our leftovers.Strolled into The Laundress for some fancy detergent for our sheets to deepen the relaxation at bedtime. Lovely people and lovely products. They even had detergents featuring our two prized La Labo fragrances - Rose 31 and Santal 33. We settled on the classic with a lavender scent. Can't wait to try them out!Our final stop of the day was to Jimmy at the James rooftop pool bar. I've been wanting to wear my swimsuit and take a plunge in the pool while sipping a cocktail all summer but didn't want to waste the money on an all-day pass for an hour of dipping. Unfortunately, I didn't understand the description from the hotel website and multiple other online reviews of the venue. Yes, the rooftop is open to non-hotel guests beginning at 5 pm, but no, the pool is not open. The "pool party" I was expecting apparently only happens on the weekends. We had two expensive and subpar beverages and then hightailed it off the rooftop.
Finished the day off with our Spanish leftovers while catching up on Sharp Objects and The Affair. Great start to the staycation.