Total relaxation in Paris - Hammam Pacha (Turkish Bath)
What to expect at a hammam and I explain "grommage".
A year ago I had barely heard of hammams and had the idea of exotic natural water pools with people lounging in steam filled rooms, possibly eating grapes.
And I REALLY wanted to go. Since I love natural water and lounging.
But the reality is a bit different.
Hammams are also called Turkish baths and the core of them is an exfoliating scrub down. Not lounging in pools (dang).
My first Hamman is the photo below, in Paris, and run by people from Morocoo and Tunisia.
I LOVE IT! In case you didn't quite hear... I LOVE THIS PLACE
See the room below in the photo above? This is the main area of the hamamm and it has:
The woman is sitting on the heated stone/marble slag in the middle.
Two steam saunas, a natural jacuzzi pool with waterfall (on the left), several showers and three open rooms where people get natural exfolation scrub.
The scrub is called grommage (GROH- MAZH). This is what is meant if someone talks about hammam.
Grommage is the core of hammam:
An exfoliation process involving black soap (brownish pasty stuff), buckets of water dumped over your head, and exfoliation with a special scratchy glove.
It is common to do this process weekly or so in North Africa (I assume in other middle eatern countries.)
Here is the process.
1. You or an attendant has a large bucket of warm water and a ladel and pours the water over your head until wet.
2. You slather on 'black soap". This is brown or black olive oil based very soft soap. You leave it on a while.
3. You rinse it off.
4. You or someone else scrubs you with a sandpaper-like glove. Everywhere. For a long time. And they aren't gentle.
5. You rinse again and then relax.
6. Massage and other nice things optional and you pay extra.
What does it cost?
In Hammam Pacha in Paris you pay 39 Euro and can stay as long as you want.
You can do the saunas, jacuzzi, showers, lounge on the marble slab.
AND there is relax room that is warm and dry with wrap around area to lie down with pillows and read or sleep or very quietly visit.
AND there is a kitchen serving homemade moroocan tea, desserts and couscous.
What is included?
A locker with a towel, slippers and robe when you arrive.
The first 5 or so times I went I didn't do the grommage. I was in heaven just doing the sauna, jacuzzi, marble slab and resting.
I would leave literally feeling like a new person.
What do you wear?
Most wear panties and some swimsuits and some au natural. Women of all ages and sizes.
The ladies who run it are warm and friendly and you feel completely taken care of.
Hamma Pachi is for women only. Some hammams have men and women but they are in separate areas.
It was my first experience with hammam and still my favorite!
I tried the very traditional local hammam in Tangier…and it's another story. More earthy, gritty and kinda stressful.
But super interesting.
I’m linking to that story below
And if you have been to a hammam or want to go, please comment. I’d love to hear.
Traditional Hamman (Bathhouse) in Tangier
I heard of hammams for about a year before coming to Tangier. I had blissful ideas of sitting in steamy pools with towels and mud baths and attendants.