Tuscan

IF you’re going to forget to pack something as basic as a T-shirt, it helps to do it on a trip where you will be spending most of your day in a spa robe.

I’m rolling my eyes at my other half as he stares haplessly into his suitcase but I do understand — the stress of parenting four kids, with another on the way, means both of us are fairly frazzled after a busy festive season.

So what better way to get some January wellness than at a Tuscan retreat where we can snatch a precious few moments to ourselves to relax.

The luxury Terme di Saturnia Natural Spa & Golf Resort in Manciano is so dedicated to relaxation that they ask you to stay wearing the hotel’s dressing gown and sliders all day and only smarten up for dinner.

It is one of the country’s top wellness destinations but any fears it would be all quinoa and minuscule bites of raw food were short lived.

This is a spa for busy people who want to chill out quickly, as most only stay for three days.

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So whatever you want, goes.

Fancy a steak? Done. A few beers? No problem. Five courses instead of three? You’ve got it, whether that’s tender meat or bread dipped in local olive oil.

But the main event is the natural hot-spring pool at the heart of the complex, which is honestly magnificent.

Water flows into it from an underground thermal spring at 500 litres per second, and a steady 37.5C.

Think of a steaming hot-tub half the size of a football pitch and you won’t be far off.

The pool is about four metres deep — so while a few industrious types do lengths, most guests grab a noodle and float in the mineral-rich water.

Then they get out when they feel too warm . . . and repeat.

All day.

But you can mix things up, too. There’s an 18-hole golf course, electric bike hire and tennis courts.

There are also programmes for detoxing or mindfulness, where you get a set series of activities and food, if you want a more structured approach.

Our jam was more the spa, which has a magnificent menu of high-end treatments to choose from.

I had an anti-ageing facial and found 80 minutes of being massaged, doused in serum and buzzed with suction machines helped me look a lot less knackered.

Dan had a detox mud treatment on his legs which was just as good — the spa treats the thermal mud itself, using plankton from the spring.

This is supposed to ease inflammation and, as Dan is a builder who suffers a lot of aches and pains, it was ideal.

But if you don’t fancy a spa treatment, the minerals in the water give your skin a glow and will zap any dryness anyway.

For a change of pace, is also worth taking a five-minute walk outside the resort to the Cascate del Mulino, a series of waterfalls that are over 3,000 years old and free to visit.

The cascades might already be on your bucket list — the beautiful blue pools have been all over my Instagram feed — but I had no idea they would be on our doorstep, until we stumbled across them.

Flocks of flamingos

Back at the resort, it’s all about five-star luxury — and so, of course, the rooms are stunning.

Our suite, with luxury bathroom, bedroom and living area even featured our own courtyard.

Whether it was the hot spring or how quiet and dark the room was, I had the best sleep I’d managed in months.

The spa also prides itself on its food. There are three restaurants — including the fabulous 1919, which serves up fine dining meat and fish.

This restaurant is the one to pick if you want a romantic date because it overlooks the pool. There, we had the best ravioli we’ve ever tasted.

The Golf Club also has a restaurant, with a smaller menu — think dishes such as grilled meat and soup.

But the real selling point here is the view — you can see for miles over the rolling Tuscan countryside.

There is also a pizzeria which is relatively new and offers the Italian staples — but sadly no pasta, I was slightly disappointed to find.

Terme di Saturnia is nestled deep in Tuscany, so getting to it feels like an adventure.

We flew to Rome and got a series of trains — feeling quite smug that we didn’t get lost — then a car for the final leg.

We tried a couple of different routes but found driving to Orbetello, around 45 minutes away, the easiest.

For more freedom to explore, hiring a car from Rome’s airports would cut down the journey time.

The area is home to one of the few natural flocks of flamingos in Italy — and were lucky enough to see one flying right by the train on the way down.

Hopefully we’ll spot another when we go back — which is the plan.