L'Italo-Americano

www.italoamericano.org 8 THURSDAY, JANUARY 13, 2022 L'Italo-Americano LIFESTYLE FASHION FOOD ARTS DESIGN A fter two years, t r a v e l i n g h a s b e e n h a p p e n - ing again. Our f i r s t , t i m i d a t t e m p t s a t n o r m a l i t y brought us weekend adven- t u r e s n o t f a r f r o m h o m e and, for those not far from a f o r e i g n c o u n t r y , p e r h a p s e v e n s o m e i n t e r n a t i o n a l fun. Of course, it isn't as sim- ple as I make it sound, espe- cially now, with this new variant doing the rounds and some people still unvac- cinated. But you know what, by 2023, we should be ok. W h y I m e n t i o n 2 0 2 3 ? B e c a u s e t h a t ' s w h e n t h e Orient Express La Dolce Vita takes inaugural jour- ney and, oh boy, wouldn't I like to be on board! In this new initiative, two icons of E u r o p e a n c o n t e m p o r a r y culture merge together: the Orient Express train and, of course our very own 1960s i d e a o f l a d o l c e v i t a . O r i g i n a l l y , t h e O r i e n t Express was a long-distance train service created by the B e l g i a n c o m p a n y Compagnie Internationale d e s W a g o n s - L i t s , w h i c h o p e r a t e d f r o m 1 8 8 3 t o 2009, albeit not always fol- l o w i n g t h e s a m e r o u t e . However the idea, which is m i r r o r e d i n i t s n a m e , r e m a i n e d t h e s a m e : c o n - necting Western Europe to its eastern-most part. But when we think of the Orient Express, our thought goes immediately to litera- ture and movies, to 1930s glam as described by Agatha C h r i s t i e , b u t a l s o g o t h i c m y s t e r y , l i k e i n B r a m Stoker's Dracula, or Cold War's espionage, as in Ian Fleming's From Russia with Love. About la dolce vita there isn't much we Italians don't know: it was glamourous, it was carefree, it was elegant. It was like being eternally 25, dressed in rays of light and eating only strawberries and chocolate. In Rome. Next year, Italian rail- ways company Trenitalia, and Arsenale s.p.a, spe- cialised in high-end hospi- tality, will debut a joint ven- ture that brings together traveling in luxury with sus- t a i n a b i l i t y : t h e O r i e n t Express La Dolce Vita train. The project features 6, 11 carriages trains, each of them with 12 deluxe cab- i n s , 1 8 s u i t e s , a n " h o n o r s u i t e " a n d , o f c o u r s e , a r e s t a u r a n t , s e r v i n g f i n e Italian wines and delicious food. A short test journey b e t w e e n R o m e a n d C i v i t a v e c c h i a t o o k p l a c e early in 2021, for a handful of lucky travelers, who also h a d t h e f o r t u n e t o h a v e C h e f C r a c c o c o o k i n g f o r them on board: I am fairly sure no one was disappoint- ed. The idea behind the pro- ject is simple: offering to people the opportunity to visit Italy – and other parts of Europe – in luxury and relax, with a nod towards old-fashioned, Grand Tour atmospheres and an eye to sustainability and the envi- ronment: "Train travel rep- resents the greener choice of transportation, enhanc- ing trips to great cities as well as small-medium sized l o c a t i o n s w i t h a p p e a l i n g cultural sites and scenery," T r e n i t a l i a ' s C E O a n d G e n e r a l M a n a g e r L u i g i Corradi declared. He con- tinued, explaining that the train will "Accelerate luxury rail tourism and will appeal t o m a n y p a s s e n g e r s a s a s a f e a n d e c o - s u s t a i n a b l e way of moving that protects the environment and allows them to rediscover the most f a s c i n a t i n g p l a c e s i n o u r r e g i o n s : " a w a y t o b r i n g together luxury and culture, all while reducing pollution and emissions dangerous for the planet. T h e O r i e n t E x p r e s s L a D o l c e V i t a w i l l e l e g a n t l y travel across 14 regions and 131 cities and towns in Italy. It will include trips between Venice and Trieste, and also through Tuscany and Sicily. The train will also connect Rome to Paris, Istanbul and Spl it. I ts r outes together cover a total of 16,000 km, or 10,000 miles. Travelers who decide to stop over in R o m e w i l l a l s o g e t t h e o p p o r t u n i t y t o s p e n d t h e n i g h t i n t h e f i r s t O r i e n t Express Hotel Minerva, in the very central, very beauti- f u l h o m o n y m o u s s q u a r e , Piazza della Minerva - just a handful of steps from the Pantheon - once it opens in 2024. But luxury design is to be expected on board, too, with d é c o r c r e a t e d b y Dimorestudio, that brings together traditional high- e n d I t a l i a n d e s i g n w i t h modernity. Think contem- porary art, colorful, plush carpets and, of course, enor- mous windows to enjoy the real protagonist: Italy. The O r i e n t E x p r e s s L a D o l c e V i t a ' s m a i n h u b w i l l b e R o m a T e r m i n i s t a t i o n , where travelers will be able t o e n j o y t h e i r v e r y o w n executive lounge. It all sounds decadently delightful, but let's come to the crunch, how much will a trip on Italy's new Orient Express set us back? Well, let's just say it isn't definite- ly for all, with prices averag- ing at 2,000 euro (or 2,255 USD) per person per night. But you never know, we may win the lotto one day. However, if this Orient Express is not your cup of tea, you can always opt for its older brother, the equally l u x u r i o u s – a n d p e r h a p s e v e n m o r e c h a r m i n g – Venice Simplon-Orient- Express, all made up of restored carriages from an o r i g i n a l 1 9 2 0 s O r i e n t Express train. The Venice S i m p l o n - O r i e n t - E x p r e s s has been traveling through Europe since 1982 and you c a n j u m p o n b o a r d f r o m March to November. Once a year, you can even travel all the way to Istanbul. If you h o p e t o s a v e s o m e c a s h , though, you're out of luck: here, too, a night on board will set you back more than 2,000 USD. But we can't put a price on magic, can we? Traveling on the Orient Express is a pleasure you can enjoy already on the Venice-Simplon Orient Express (pictured) and, from 2023, also on the Orient Express Dolce Vita (Photo: Özgür Güvenç/Dreamstime) La Dolce Vita travels on the Orient Express CHIARA D'ALESSIO

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