Day 5

I can't believe it's already day 5. Today we have another day chilling at the villa. The skies are a bit cloudy as we start our day with stretching & more circuits, so some of the girls decide to take advantage of the the cooler day & wander into town to visit the market which runs every Thursday. I wait it out by the pool instead & my gamble pays off, soon the sun is shining once again & I resume my tanning position (by this time I am looking nice & brown, on top of feeling fitter I am feeling pretty good about myself!). It's worth pointing out that whilst all of this time by the pool might sound like it could get boring, it most certainly doesn't. All of the standard women's magazines are on hand as well as a selection of books. I personally love the fact that the sun loungers are nicely cushioned & the wifi reaches everywhere you can sunbathe - sunbathing with my iPad is great!

Our meal plan for Thursday rotates & we have a solid breakfast followed by juices for lunch & dinner. Nuts, seeds & dried apricots are freely available to graze on whenever you like, & a couple of the other girls & I decide to snack on avocados & tomatoes later in the day. To be honest I am not particularly hungry, it's more out of habit but as it is healthy I don't feel guilty. Kerry & Nora have ensured that there is always enough food in the house, & all of it is fresh, natural & raw. The intention is not to be hungry, but to detox & eat well. So far it's working very well for me!

I have a little treat today - Lauren, our resident masseuse, is treating all of us to a free session of reflexology. For those who are fond of having their feet, er, fondled, there is an option to have a massage instead. I opt for the reflexology despite my rather mangey feet (I live in flip-flops & spend my time walking around London). The session is an hour & based in the covered area of the terrace. I sit on the massage bed & look out at the incredible view once again - this is the life! The reflexology, which I have never had before, is good & I end up so relaxed I fall asleep (& dribble). Lauren tells me afterwards that she could tell that I have chest problems (correct - asthma) & am dehydrated (correct - I am awful at drinking enough water unless it has gin in it). Genius. Most of the other girls have already had their sessions by this point, I was saving mine!

I call home in the evening after a great boxing session (instead of Zumba, I am delighted being a boxing fanatic!) & share stories from the retreat with my family. I think they are impressed with me, it's a nice change from talking to me on the phone whilst I am standing outside a bar...!