THE ULTIMATE GIFT GUIDE
1 JOURNEY TO THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION AND TAKE A RECORD-SETTING SPACE WALK
• Nothing says “I love you” like passing up the opportunity to be the first civilian to walk in space so your partner/BFF can make the record books instead. The potential for such, well, astronomical self-sacrifice is but one perk of this genuine one-of-a-kind trip of a lifetime.
Yes, you and your guest will spend two weeks on the International Space Station (ISS), with the luckier half eventually donning an Orlan space suit to make what will become a world-famous stroll through space. Deciding who will be the space walker could involve pre-launch couple’s therapy, but that’s about the only thing that’s not included in this extraordinary opportunity.
The space walk is no cakewalk, however. It will involve four months of preparation, primarily at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, outside Moscow, before blasting off on a Soyuz rocket. “We train them on Soyuz and ISS operations, including emergency preparedness, along with medical exams and gym training, stints in hypobaric chambers and space walks in a neutral-buoyancy pool,” says Tom Shelley, president of Space Adventures, which organized the first ISS space-tourist trip, for Dennis Tito, in 2001.
Even with all that prep work, stepping into space won’t be a solo experience: A professional cosmonaut will join you as a guide. One word: Wow. From $120 million; info@spaceadventures.com, 703-524-7172 Michael Verdon
2 GLIDE OVER THE ALPS WITH A WORLD-RECORD BREAKER
• German athlete Klaus Ohlmann is a record-breaking glider pilot, holding more than 60 laurels, including for speed and distance; he was even the first to fly a glider over the summit of Mount Everest. Ohlmann’s favorite hardware is the Stemme Motor Glider, which swoops and soars like an oversized bird of prey. “It has better aerodynamics than even the fastest sports car,” he tells Robb Report. “And the price is the same as the most expensive Ferraris.”
In this package, Ohlmann will personally take a guest along for the ride on a one-day adventure over the French Alps. (As each glider can carry only one passenger, a second guest can fly with an additional pilot on the same day or go up with Ohlmann the next day.) Start in Cannes, or one of several other locations in the South of France, and expect thrilling speeds and altitudes—up to 155 mph at almost four miles high—with views of snow-capped mountains, including Mont Blanc. He’ll also share some of his secrets to finessing such flights. “Finding the strongest lift requires focus, attention, observation and a deep understanding of the atmosphere,” he says.
You’ll cap the day with a celebratory dinner at Château des Marres, a family-owned Provençal vineyard whose Rosé Prestige Cuvée is a yacht-world staple. $25,500 for one person or $37,500 for two; mark@untoldstorytravel.com, 44-20-7523-5858 Mark Ellwood
3 WINE TOUR OF NAPA VALLEY AND CAP-FERRAT WITH FOUR SEASONS
• A celebration of the Old World and the new, this 10-night oenophile’s itinerary samples a soupçon of Napa’s finest wines before jetting off to the French Riviera to enjoy an exceptional selection of Provençal vintages.
Beginning in the new Four Seasons Resorts and Residences Napa Valley, the area’s only resort set within a working winery, take a private tour of the recently opened Elusa Winery in Calistoga followed by a tasting of limited-production fine wines in the company of Thomas Rivers Brown, Elusa’s founder and one of California’s most influential winemakers.
Over the next few days, the schedule, created especially for Robb Report, includes a private dinner at Opus One Winery as well as a private chef’s table dinner with wine pairings at Truss, the new restaurant from Erik Anderson. While at the Four Seasons, guests will have use of the on-site holistic spa, with wine-inspired treatments including the Vineyard Scrub—useful for easing the aftereffects of all that alcohol.
After a private jet and helicopter transfer to the celebrated Grand-Hotel du Cap-Ferrat, guests will join winemakers at the Château de Selle estate. There they will explore how the annual viniculture cycle takes shape and enjoy a tasting and picnic prepared by the hotel’s Michelin-star chef, Yoric Tièche. Depending on the time of year, guests can also participate in the harvest itself.
$500,000 for two people, including round-trip Napa-France flights; fourseasonsnapapr@jwadepr .com Lucy Alexander
4 DESIGN A ONE-OF-A-KIND FURNISHING WITH ACHILLE SALVAGNI
• A common thread throughout Achille Salvagni’s furniture is that it’s all meticulously crafted by master Italian artisans, some of whom seldom, if ever, lend their talents to any other atelier. One Robb Report reader will have the rare chance to create a custom piece with Salvagni and this exclusive troupe, a roster that includes bronze specialists whose families have worked in the Vatican for generations, and cloistered nuns whose embroidery tradition dates back to the 12th century.
You’ll first travel to London for a one-on-one design consultation with Salvagni at his new atelier in Mayfair. The acclaimed Italian architect and designer will consider every detail, from the best quarry to source stone to the ideal lacquer artist to commission for a cabinet. You’ll get a sneak peek at his next collection before it’s exhibited in his showroom and receive a signed copy of his monograph. The furnishing will take about four months to be completed—this level of craftsmanship can’t be rushed, after all—but you’ll be involved in the creation process via Zoom every step of the way. From $35,000; london@ achillesalvagni.com, 44-20-7409-0026 Helena Madden
5 A PORTRAIT BY FAB GORJIAN
• Fashion fades, but style—and portraiture—is forever. Fab Gorjian is an expert in both: The London-based artist first took up the brush while creating patinas for such esteemed shoemakers as John Lobb and George Cleverley, eventually finding that his true passion was in illustrating menswear, not making it. Gorjian’s signature style is heavily informed by the elegant Art Deco advertisements of the early 20th century, using gouache paints to mimic the graphic look of vintage printed posters and paper ephemera. His dapper designs have been commissioned by many a Savile Row maker, and now he’s offering to immortalize one reader in a timelessly handsome painting. After you sit for him in London (or dispatch him to your location), Gorjian will consult with you on the composition before rendering it on a canvas of whatever size you wish, which will be
