Sigur stiti intamplarile acelea prin care ajungi in locuri la care nu te-ai gandit vreodata, dar care se dovedesc imediat a fi exact ceea ce ti-ai dorit mai mult, acea frumusete atat de ascunsa in noi incat nici nu o percepem, desi exista si o cautam inconstient toata viata. Intotdeauna ni se pare ca aici decide hazardul, insa nu e asa. Totul porneste, cred, din copilarie, cand mintea si sufletul sunt pline de uimire si povesti pe care le conturam cu nesat, sperand apoi in miracolul de a le trai aievea candva.
Ei bine, hazardul cu pricina a facut sa plec brusc intr-o calatorie in Tunisia, destinatie la care nici macar nu ma gandisem vreodata. Dar care, din prima zi, am descoperit ca era o piesa esentiala din puzzle-ul meu interior. Acelasi hazard, tenace in felul sau, a decis sa aleg in alta zi o varianta de traseu prin desertul Sahara care m-a dus exact in povestea lampii lui Aladin.
Coborand spre sud, pe drumul catre Tozeur, am ajuns la Tamerza Palace, un hotel construit pe locul ruinelor berbere, care nu arata deloc a palat, ci mai degraba se confunda intr-un mimetism perfect cu peisajul maroniu roscat al muntilor desertici din preajma. Cand am intrat in acest ksour cu iz ancestral, pur si simplu m-a coplesit simplitatea monahala a peretilor zugraviti in alb, punctata calm prin usi mari din lemn cu nituri metalice si covoare de lana, tesute in modele colorate. O senzatie totala de bine, pace si liniste, care m-a dus imediat cu gandul la casa taraneasca a bunicilor.
O opera de arta si eleganta subtila in the middle of nowhere, integrata armonios in peisajul mineral inconjurator, si in acelasi timp, o invitatie umila la relaxare intr-o oaza de pace. In acest univers al design-ului minimalist traditional, centrul Spa vine ca o completare fireasca a starii de bine, fie prin piscinele cu apa filtrata din oaza desertica, fie prin ritualul hammam traditional de purificare, camerele cu aburi de eucalipt sau menta, ori prin masajele si terapiile facute cu uleuri esentiale de iasomie, argan, piersica, apa de trandafir, galbenele, muscata, ulei din samburi de smochine. Sau impachetarile cu miere si argila rhassoul, ce fac minuni pentru piele, prin efectul lor puternic detoxifiant, de catifelare si luminozitate imediat vizibile.
M-am dus in Sahara ca sa ajung de fapt, in casa mica a bunicilor, si inapoi in starea de tihna a copilariei.
English version text:
The Treasure of the Sahara Desert: Tamerza Palace & Spa
Surely you know the happenings through you reach in places you have never thought of, but which turn out to be just what you wanted the most, that beauty so hidden in us that we do not perceive it even though there is and we are unconsciously looking for entire life. We always seem to decide the hazard here, but it’s not like that. Everything starts, I think, from childhood, when the mind and the soul are full of amazement and stories that we are shaping up with, and then hoping for the miracle of living them sometime.
Well, the hazard made me suddenly gone on a trip to Tunisia, a destination I had never even thought of. But which, from the first day, I found it was an essential piece of my inner puzzle. The same gait, tenacious in its own way, decided to choose, another day, a route through the Sahara which led me exactly in the story of Aladdin’s lamp.
Downhill to the south, on the way to Tozeur, we reached Tamerza Palace, a hotel built on the site of the ruins of Berber, which does not look like a palace at all, rather it is confused with a perfect mimetic with the reddish brown landscape of the desert mountains around. When I walked into this piece of ancestral ksour, I was simply overwhelmed by the monastic simplicity of the painted white walls, dotted with great wooden doors with metal rivets and wool carpets woven in colorful designs.
A total sense of well-being, peace and quiet, which led me to the grandparents’ house. An artwork and subtle elegance in the middle of nowhere, harmoniously integrated into the surrounding mineral landscape, and at the same time a humble invitation to relax in an oasis of peace. In this universe of traditional minimalist design, the Spa comes as a natural addition to well-being either through the filtered water pools from desert oasis, either by traditional purification hammam ritual, eucalyptus or mint steam rooms, or massages and therapies made with essential oils of jasmine, argan, peach, rose water, marigold, geranium or fig tree oil. Or honey packs and rhassoul clay, which make wonders for the skin, with their powerful detoxifying effect, velvety and brightness immediately visible.
I went to the Sahara to actually get into my grandparents’ little house, and back into the child’s softness.
Photo credits: Tamerza Hotel & Spa, arhiva personala Ruxandra Chiurtu