Health resort to clear the fog.. and cynicism

Suffering from perimenopausal horrors, fatigue and stress, Frances Millar set aside her natural scepticism to give a wellbeing getaway a try for the first time

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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.

I've always pushed health matters aside 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.

There are 13 million women who are peri or menopausal in Britain. And about 1.5 million of us also suffer crippling endometriosis.

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

Wellness tourism is a booming industry, valued at £625billion in 2023 and set to rise to £1trillion in 2028.

I had a two-item to-do list: “relax and eat pasta”. But Palazzo di Varignana, a resort with an award-winning spa, had other ideas.

My villa boasted airy rooms, a snooker room with a balcony library, marble bathrooms, an infinity pool, olive groves, and even a little orchard.