LEXPERT MAGAZINE
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MARCH/APRIL 2018 69
TRAVEL
Health Trips:
Resolutions Renewed
This new year, rejuvenate with a healthy getaway to almost anywhere
Donizetti's ever-popular opera L'elisir d'amore is
replete with wine references. e elixir of love itself,
sold to the gullible Nemorino by the quack Dr. Dul-
camara, turns out to be a cheap claret.
A humorous scene in Act III of Strauss's gender-
bending Der Rosenkavalier finds the young hero,
Count Octavian Rofrano (played by a mezzo-sop-
rano), dressed as the Princess Marie érèse von
Werdenberg's maid, pretending to have an assigna-
tion with the princess's coarse and lecherous cousin,
Baron Ochs. (Opera plots are as convoluted and
fantastical as French farces.) At one point, while the
Baron tries to ply her with alcohol, she sings, "No, no,
I don't drink wine."
And, of course, champagne plays a substantial role
as a plot enhancer in numerous operas. In Mascagni's
Cavalleria Rusticana, Turiddu's mother, Lucia, owns
a wine shop. In a brindisi, Turiddu extols the virtues
of bubbly:
Hurrah for the sparkling wine Bubbling in the glass,
Bringing happiness Like a lover's smile!
Hurrah for iendly wine at livens every thought
And banishes melancholy
In cheerful drinking!
And naturally Verdi, the master, jumped aboard
the champagne bandwagon. Don Giovanni sings an
aria to wine that's come to be known known as the
Champagne Aria, although the word champagne is
never used.
e Champagne Aria is not to be confused with
the Champagne Song from Johann Strauss's Die Fle-
dermaus ("Im Feuerstrom der Reben" – "In the fire
stream of the grape"), which is sung by Gabriel von
Eisenstein, his wife, Rosalinde, and the entire ensem-
ble as they celebrate the midnight passage to a new
year and a new century.
EISENSTEIN: Rosalinde, forgive your
faithful Gabriel!
You see, the champagne was to blame for it all!
ROSALINDE: Champagne was to blame, tralalalala,
For what we have endured today, tralalalala!
Still, it also gave me the truth
And shows in full clarity
My husband's fidelity to me
And has guided him to repentance.
Join in! Join in
And unite in homage
To the king of all wines,
To the king of all wines!
ALL: Join in! Join in! Join in!
ROSALINDE: His majesty is acknowledged,
Acknowledged throughout the land;
He is jubilantly crowned
Champagne the First!
IT'S BEEN A COUPLE of months since you started the new year with a goal
of being healthier — and perhaps slightly less time than that since you threw in
the towel — so there's no time like the present for a do-over. Push aside those
folders, step away from that billable file and book yourself a healthy holiday that
will make sure the next nine months make up for the past three.
>
Where: Máncora , Peru. Beginning in March, the newest offerings from
Naya Traveler present physical challenges but aim to get your spirit in shape,
too. In Máncora, on Peru's northwest coast, Naya's Pachamama Rituals will
draw on ancient traditions. Surfing mixes with meditation and detoxifying
meals, and a Shaman priestess connect yous with the rainforest surroundings,
and thermal baths in the Colca Canyon for the perfect finish. is is one
of Naya Traveler's new wellness journeys that also include experiences
in Cambodia, Morocco and South India. http://www.nayatraveler.com
>
Where: Palm Springs, California. For a complete body-and-soul getaway,
Southern California is hard to beat. Palm Springs is a great spot to start,
especially if what you're aer is some new age Zen therapy. Try something
unique like a liquid nitrogen facial at Desert Cryotherapy, or float your tensions
away at the Mot'us Flotation & Wellness Center in a sensory deprivation tank.
When you're ready to get outside, the intoxicating desert landscape (pictured)
is perfect for explorers who hike and bike. www.visitgreaterpalmsprings.com
>
Where: Almost anywhere. Sometimes a vacation has to take a backseat
to work responsibilities, but that doesn't mean you need to sacrifice your health.
If time is tight, consider booking a stay at a Westin Hotel & Resorts property.
From Madrid to Boston, Seattle to Singapore, you'll find that the brand's
commitment to wellness works for business and leisure travellers alike. It now
has a partnership with the suspension-training brand TRX, in addition to the
already popular Run Concierge program that offers a global roster of fitness
pros who lead groups of runners through urban, beach or rural landscapes.
http://www.starwoodhotels.com/westin/about/move-runwestin.html
| DETOURS |
Heather Greenwood Davis is a lawyer, a contributing editor at National Geographic Traveler,
and a columnist for The Globe and Mail. Reach her at Heather@globetrottingmama.com.
Tony Aspler is the author of 17 books on wine,
including his latest, Canadian Wineries.
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