WELLNESS CYNIC FRANCES MILLAR TRIES OUT A SPA GETAWAY FOR FIRST TIME..

I'M a health spa sceptic. There, I said it. When friends or colleagues espoused the benefits of chic getaways to pricey spas or wellness resorts, I rolled my eyes.

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I've always pushed health matters to the back of my mind until warning lights began to flash - shooting sciatic pain, muscle ache, brain fog, fatigue, bad sleep... I've had them all and suffered in silence. Then add endometriosis and perimenopause to the mix.

So when the chance came up for a health-focused break in the rolling hills outside Bologna in Italy, I decided to put my misgivings to one side.

My purpose for my trip stretched to a two-item to-do list: "relax and eat pasta". But Palazzo di Varignana, a sprawling wellness resort with an award-winning spa, had other ideas.

Not long after arriving, I did a quick sweep of my private villa: airy rooms, a snooker room with a balcony library, marble bathrooms, an infinity pool that melts into rolling vineyards and olive groves, and even a little orchard.

Then it was straight to the Varsana Spa: a 43,055sqft playground of pools, saunas, steam baths, plus a salt cave and ice room. You can book facials, manicures, the works - but I went for a hardcore sports massage to pummel out the stress knots. Turns out 10 hours hunched over a laptop five days a week isn't good for you.

I also tried the Ars Vivendi private spa journey. Robe and slippers on, I stepped into a bathhouse with a Moroccan hammam vibe.