National Holidays

With the ongoing global recession, resurfacing worries over swine flu, and the gloom of a post–Michael Jackson era, we all deserve a break—even those of us responsible for running a nation. This summer, ditching the media and the bodyguards for some private leisure time, presidents, prime ministers, and even the pope are traveling to their favorite spots. Some world leaders choose to spend time with their families, others with teenage models (you know who you are, Signor Cavaliere). And, while most try to keep their summer escapades low-key, the Russian prime minister hires an official photographer to capture his adventures, which include bare-chested horseback riding. Curious where Carla Bruni will be sunbathing or which leader owns the remote-control waterfall? Read on.

Honcho: Prime Minister Vladimir Putin
His spot: Siberia
Last August, Russian guns stormed Georgia. This summer, the gun show is in Siberia. We're talking about Vladimir Putin's action-man muscles, which he prominently exposed during his trip to the remote region of Tuva in Siberia. Official photos released last week show the shirtless prime minister riding a horse, swimming an impressive butterfly stroke, and breaking firewood over his knee. With his daring outdoor activities, the 56-year-old Putin hopes to portray himself as a symbol of strength and stability.

In the past, Putin has publicized this macho image by performing in an instructional judo video (in which he's seen viciously throwing opponents down to the mat), copiloting a fighter jet, and shooting a Siberian tiger. But beneath the rugged figure there is also intellect and generosity, the new images seem to say. In one, he is resting pensively in a tree, and in another he is offering his watch to a local boy.

This isn't Putin's first vacation photo shoot. In August 2007, when pictures of him fishing topless with Prince Albert II of Monaco were released, comparisons with Brokeback Mountain were made and he was embraced as an icon among Russia's gay community.

Honcho: President Barack Obama
His spot: Martha's Vineyard
Looks as if Putin isn't the only one who's been working out. Our very own President Obama unwittingly displayed his abs to the nation in December 2008, when a photographer captured him hitting the beaches in Hawaii. But shooting those swimsuit photos may be more difficult this summer. The Martha's Vineyard farmhouse that the Obamas are renting for the end of August has private beach access, not to mention an apple orchard and flower gardens. The president can get plenty of exercise during his trip, since the 28-acre farm comes with a basketball court, a practice golf tee, and a swimming pool. The weekly rental of the $20 million estate costs between $30,000 and $50,000.

The Obamas will not be alone on the popular East Coast island. Chelsea Clinton is reportedly getting married there, which means a former first family will be in attendance. And if Obama just wants to kick back with a beer, he's got his old pal Henry Louis Gates Jr., who also spends his summer at the Vineyard.

Honcho: President Abdullah Gül
His spot: Central Anatolia, the Mediterranean
While Obama geared up for Martha's Vineyard, the Turkish president spent quality time last month with his parents at their vineyard in the central Anatolian town of Kayseri. During the four days he was there, the president relaxed with relatives and old friends. He also spent some time in the garden, picking apricots for his mother's marmalade and climbing a wall, under the watchful eyes of his bodyguards, to reach an almond tree. Accompanied by his wife, he hiked up a local mountain and rode a horse. Unlike the Russian prime minister, he was fully clothed.