YOLO Journal Issue 12 - Flipbook - Page 10
I’ve been mildly obsessed
with Swiss clinics ever since
college, when I first read The Magic
Mountain, the 700+ page dense
novel Thomas Mann published
in 1924. I was fascinated by the
setting—a luxurious-ish tuberculosis sanatorium in Switzerland—
and that the main character, who
was meant to visit for three weeks,
ended up staying for seven years.
On my first foray I went to Therme
Vals, a hotel/spa/thermal-spring
complex (since renamed 7132
Hotel) that is probably one of
the most brilliant pieces of architecture in the hospitality world,
designed by Peter Zumthor. But
I’ve also been attracted to all kinds
of alternative healing and ancient
knowledge practices. Years ago, I
was on a shoot in Gascony having
dinner in the thermal spa town of
Castéra-Verduzan. As a lover of a
hot spring or thermal bath, I asked
if we could visit the next day. My
friends replied that no, this water wasn’t meant for soaking, it was known for its
power to heal oral and lingual conditions. Apparently people who had these issues
were sent by their doctors to this town for a three-week cure. I was fascinated by the
incredible specificity of this—healing waters with a directed target. In that moment,
I announced I wanted to start a magazine called The Cure that highlighted these
very niche interesting places: energetic centers, cutting-edge clinics, traditional
therapies and healing retreats. And while I haven’t started that yet, I thought
I would begin by devoting an issue to the topic.
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