Between weddings and a lifetime family trip to Scandinavia, I’m having my European girl summer this season. Normally, I’m restless to head to Syria, or Sierra Leone, or at least Turkmenistan (the latter of which, I’m still going to make happen this year). But right now, Europe is the place to be for me.
A Lifetime Trip
I am fresh off five weeks of travel, and I didn’t realize how much I needed to be back in the world. I spent three weeks in Africa, which I’ll be sharing over the next few months. I’ll shortcut, and say that it was the best trip of my life. The hotels — from the Royal Malewane, Singita Ebony, Gmundner and andBeyond in Namibia, The Silo in Cape Town and the exquisite Kisawa — were lifetime. I don’t know any trip in the future that could top it. It was also nice to have a so-so person to travel and experience the adventure with, which probably also added to the vacation.
Of course I thought I would work much more than I did, but something really special happened. The Galavante team ran the show without me, and they did more than survive. My absence allowed the team to rise to the occasion, and I see so much more of what we can accomplish together. After 13 1/2 years though, it’s pretty special when things start to, for the most part, run without you. As if on queue, opportunities that I’ve been working on for quite some time are luckily coming to fruition. As they say though, luck is the intersection of opportunity and preparation. The pseudo-sabbatical I had in Africa prepared me to take on this next chapter. I’m excited to share updates as these projects kick off. I know many of you burn the candle at both ends, and I hope that as we enter summer, you also have the chance to recharge.
Italy Calling
After my trip to Africa, I had to travel immediately to Italy. The trip was a wellness journey, Italian-style. Normally I do my annual revamp at SHA in Spain, but the opportunity came up to experience three wellness-focused hotels in Italy. The first was the Six Senses Rome, as I am a huge fan of their programs. Ten years ago, I did their wellness diagnostic and it flagged issues with my health that could have been seriously problematic. Health is not just determined by diet and exercise; it’s also impacted by those who you surround yourself with. The wellness diagnostic I did at the Six Senses Cambodia was the opportunity to identify issues and make lifestyle changes around those warning flags. I am happy to report that a decade later, my main issue was a very tired body from jet lag. What that assessment told me was that I didn’t need to go hard-charge on wellness. Instead, rest, and allowing my body to recover from 24 flights in four weeks was what the doctor ordered.
Officially a Lake Garda Fan
Enter in Cape of Senses in Lake Garda, a wellness center that was show-stoppingly beautiful. I’ve always been a Lake Como girl. However, like Jackson Hole is to Aspen, Lake Garda is to Lake Como. It’s one of those in-additio- to versus in-lieu-of situations. As I arrived, they made me a signature Cape of Senses cocktail, served alongside local cheese and meats, and a savory bombolini. Along with their stunner of a spa with Finnish saunas with views, it was a soft landing into wellness, Italian style. I even hugged a tree (but more on that when I share my full experience).
Wellness with a View
Our final stop was at Lefay Lake Garda, which was about a 2-hour boat ride away from Cape of Senses. We were really living our best life, as we cruised along checking out the villas. Taking a boat is the only way to make this journey properly. Lefay is perched on one of the top points, in the town of Gargnano. It’s about 15 minutes from the famed Villa Feltrinelli, right up the hill. The views here are stunning. In this iteration of wellness, we arrived on a Saturday, and were treated to a glass of wine. There were groups of friends who were there to party, and I think I had pasta twice a day. By Monday though, it was like there was a whole other crowd of couples looking to get their wellness on. And there was a version of Lefay for that too. Their medical spa treatments were some of the top from my repertoire of wellness experiences. I did a treatment that gave me a thigh gap as well as made my whole midsection tighter. What I really liked about Lefay was that you could choose your own wellness adventure.
Whether your summer includes Africa, Italy, The Hamptons and/or many places in between, I hope you choose your best adventures yet.
All the Best,
Christine Drinan, Founder
