Great Getaways

With hectic schedules, hordes of e-mails and phone messages,

and crucial meetings, area executives obviously can’t help but anticipate

getting away from it all—at least for a few days. Some head to exotic locales;

others escape to second homes. Those who force themselves to shut off the

computer and not answer every call say they return rejuvenated and ready to

delve back into business. We asked local executives: Where are your favorite

places to get away?

Gay Thompson, president of Cement Industries, Fort Myers:

The outdoors. I head for hiking trails in locations such as Patagonia, Chile

and New Zealand. Each year, I select a new location to visit, and to get away

from Florida’s humidity, I make sure there is cool weather. My vacation choices

are peaceful because I get to spend time outside, rather than in the office,

and I meet people with the same interests. Instead of high-end hotels, I

typically room at lodges, small inns and bed and breakfasts to avoid the

traffic.

Bill Valenti, president and chief executive officer of

Florida Gulf Bank, Fort Myers: Italy. It began as a search for my roots. The

more I studied the culture and the language, the more I wanted to visit.

In June, my son and I went to Cinque Terre, which is south

of Genoa and on the Italian Riviera. It is totally inaccessible, with narrow

little roads. The best way to get in is by train. It’s the stereotypical

Italian portrait, with beautiful crystal-clear bays washing up onto beaches and

steep mountains. During the day, we hiked around mountains; for lunch, we would

eat a piece of cheese and dried sausage. In the evening, we went out for dinner

and the passeggiata (an after-dinner stroll that’s part of Italian culture). We

just chilled and relaxed.

Two years ago, my wife and I went to Florence to study

Italian at a language school, and we spent a week in Santa Margarita Ligure,

just south of Portofino, lying on the beach, enjoying the good life. The year

before that, my wife, two daughters and I toured Italy.

Getting that far away in a completely different culture

helps me unwind a bit more quickly. Because of the time difference, I know I

can’t be on the phone all morning. My business benefits because every time I

come back, I’m charged up and ready to go. I return refreshed and with a couple

of new ideas.

Fred Pezeshkan, president and chief executive officer of

Kraft Construction, Naples: I love

to travel and learn about new cultures, and to remember how fortunate we are.

Last March, I traveled to Eastern Europe. I also like challenges. I recently

ran with the bulls in Pamplona.

I have an apartment in London, and visit there a lot. I play

tennis, and I attend Wimbledon every year and bring friends from Naples. I

enjoy the ambience of Wimbledon and London’s theater scene and restaurants.

I typically work 10 to 12 weeks, and take a week off, but

every four to six weeks, I take a long weekend and go to places like New York

or the Bahamas. I strongly believe in working hard but at the same time playing

hard. You have to have a balance in life—time for work, family and self.