MIDDLE EAST: An Israeli spa offers a chocolate bodily delight to maximise romantic experiences on Israel's Valentines Day

Chocolate lovers are in for a new experience - it's sensual, it's sweet and its touch comes just in time for Israel's Valentines Day on Monday (July 30). Veronica and Michael Assaulenko, an Israeli couple working as massage therapists, have recently inaugurated the "Chocolate and Coffee spa", a health club with a nutritious, sensual and sexually stimulating twist for the Israeli lover. Located in the rolling green hills of the disputed occupied Golan Heights, the spa serves as a gateway for chocolate lovers. It's a fast growing global trend and Veronica Assaulenko says it's hard to resist. "Recently we found out that chocolate can be used for massage and it is much more pleasant both for the therapist and the patient. The sensation of the chocolate is wonderful and it is very pleasant, pleasant to work with, pleasant to touch, it feels nice on the skin," said Assaulenko as she dripped chocolate texture from a chocolate fountain on a guest's back. Assaulenko says the chocolate is nutritious and healthy for the face and skin. It provides the body with essential mineral and vitamins as well as other vital elements as it absorbs toxins and even cellulite. But the sweet, rich texture is not only beneficial for health, it is also known for its ability to arouse senses. "The scent of a chocolate produces a hormone, a hormone of love inside our body and people are vary satisfied after (the massage)," said Assaulenko. "It just smells like heaven, it tastes like heaven... It's wonderful, it makes me feel like I'm swimming in a chocolate river," said a guest at the spa, Ola Ma'ayan as she took a lick from the chocolate on her shoulder during the rub down. Guests at the boutique spa can also pamper themselves with chocolate and coffee wraps, which absorb toxins before being peeled off the body like a mask, leaving the skin smooth and clean. Assaulenko says their therapists use only genuine dark chocolate without artificial ingredients or preservatives. They also refrain from using milk chocolate or sugar to enable them to treat diverse customers, including those who keep kosher, separating dairy from meat products, or those who suffer from diabetes. The tasty and sensory treatment coincides with the Jewish Valentines Day, marked by Israelis and also known as "the holiday of love", during which people treat each other with romantic gestures and is considered by many as an auspicious time for marriage.

ITN Source | August 2, 2007

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