Whirlwind travels
Sometimes it’s good to hop off the island for a change of scene, though usually my travels involve work, rather than holiday. All the same, I have so enjoyed my recent sojourns in London and Switzerland, returning to Mallorca full of ideas, vim and vigour. The icing on the cake of returning to the UK last week was to find sunshine everywhere. I had brought my characteristic black wardrobe and puffa jacket only to be greeted by a radiant blue sky and smiling sun at Southend Airport. Luckily, I arrived just before the outage drama unfurled in Spain and Portugal, having touched down at lunchtime. With a swag bag of meetings all week, it would have been disastrous if I’d not been able to fly.
Having read a great deal in the media of late about the violence in London with criminals nabbing handbags and mobiles on practically every street, and knife crime reaching an all-time high, I was bemused to encounter quite a different city. Of course, Londoners are always rushing about and there is traffic everywhere, but London was sublimely cheery, and I found people to be friendly and helpful wherever I went. As I always say, life is like a mirror – if you’re friendly and treat everyone with respect and warmth, there’s a good chance they’ll reciprocate in spades.
Time for a check-up?
When it comes to health assessments, I fully admit that I am on the backfoot. Many of my friends book in for comprehensive medical check-ups once a year but somehow with pressure of work and life, I conveniently never find the time. As we get older, of course, it becomes more important to invest in our health and to seek preventative measures before we actually encounter potential health issues. For this reason, it’s wise not to put off the hour, and to find a good clinic to suit the budget, and check-in. for busy people, check -ups can be performed fairly rapidly, and for those with the luxury of more time, a week-long programme can be just the ticket, which also incorporates treatments and R&R.
So, happily this week, I found myself at Clinique de Genolier and Clinique Nescens, two of the flagship clinics of the impressive Swiss Medical Network, which comprises 21 clinics and 60 medical centres across 15 cantons in Switzerland. Both clinics are situated on the network’s exclusive campus squirrelled away in the tranquil hills, with breathtaking views to Lake Geneva.
The reason for my visit, was to celebrate the announcement of a partnership between the famous and revered Mayo Clinic in the United States and the Swiss Medical Network. This is no mean feat, as the Network is the first institution in Western Europe to join the Mayo Clinic Care Network. The partnership aims to develop advanced preventative care, including executive health and check-up programmes among other things. It will also allow doctors and specialists from the Swiss Medical Network to gain access to cutting-edge clinical resources, a scientific library and to share scientific knowledge via continuous medical education programmes to ensure optimum patient care.
Aside from this key announcement, I had the opportunity to learn about the Rolls Royce 7-day Reset Cure Programme at Clinique Nescens which offers medical assessment, personal treatment plan and lifestyle coaching and health-screenings, taking into account family history. Surprisingly, it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg and the advantage over other clinics back home, is that you have mesmerising surroundings, and access to the gorgeous spas at the holding group’s nearby five-star hotels. There are shorter check-ups designed specifically for both women and men that offer good value. Worth mentioning too are the delicious and healthy dishes served in the restaurants – all of which are beautifully presented. Of course, when the check-up is done and dusted, one can always set off for an extended break in the wilds of Switzerland.
So, it’s got me ruminating. Maybe it’s time to check-in for a check-up. How about you? For further information go to www.swissmedical.net/en/hospitals/international-patients
Spilling the beans
Of late, there has been a lot of ‘first-world’ polemic about the cost of a coffee in Mallorca but really, as soon as one visits London or other international city, it’s obvious that we are still, thankfully, behind. In London I paid on average £4.50 for a cappuccino in a local café chain and far more if I opted to sit down and swap a cardboard cup for china mug.
Having said that, the quality is overall very good, and the likes of Gail’s Bakeries offer superb fare albeit at a price. What did surprise me about London was the affordable accommodation compared with Mallorca. I had colleagues staying at pleasant four-star hotels in central London – even St James’s - for between 200 to 350 quid. This also included concierge service and access to some pleasant lounges, spas and other frills. I can’t honestly think of many such establishments here that offer the same value, bearing in mind that we’re talking about a Capital city.
Dining out in London is never cheap but with prices creeping up in the Baleares, the difference is not so great. The added benefit of London dining is that you often have good table linen and serviettes, a rarity in Soller, at least. Of course, as Mallorca based restaurateurs always lament, the cost of living is high, along with local taxes. Added to that, we are on an island so many products need to be transported.
I would never swap Mallorca for London, but it would be foolhardy to imagine that we are living in an inflation-proof idyll – far from it!