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Times
29-04-2025
- Times
The Orient Express brings glamour to the Italian countryside
In the Orient Express lounge at Ostiense station in Rome, my train leaves in an hour but the high living is already under way. There are glasses of iced Veuve Clicquot and Italian mid-morning snacks, alongside gorgeous marble bathrooms that invite one to linger over the artisan soaps, the soft towels, the fresh flowers. A trio of piano, saxophone and double bass serenades passengers with a medley of cool jazz standards, among which I recognise a Duke Ellington classic, Take the 'A' Train. What I'm about to take is an A train in another sense altogether. Unveiled with great ceremony, La Dolce Vita is a new iteration of the Orient Express marque, raising the bar for rail travel to heights rarely scaled even in the splendiferous 140-year history of the brand. In the humdrum surroundings of this suburban-line station, the newly refurbished carriages, gleaming in their smart blue-and-brown livery, give off alpha waves of sophistication. At 12.07pm precisely the train pulls out of Ostiense to embark on a 24-hour round-trip journey entitled Tastes of Tuscan Vineyards — one of eight La Dolce Vita routes (all within Italy) that will be available by the end of this year. We cross the Tiber, slinking through Trastevere station where a group of locals gawp open-mouthed as the train glides by. I settle into my suite, a substantial cabin incorporating a double bed with crisp cotton sheets, a small sofa, a lacquered table and leather-upholstered swivel chairs, a miniature bar and a bathroom with a power shower. The train's interior, designed by the Milan-based masters Dimorestudio, avoids the chintzy maximalism of the brand's fin-de-siècle origins in favour of a sleek, chic evocation of mid-20th-century Italian style, the curvy retro shapes and glossy surfaces channelling designers such as Gio Ponti and Gae Aulenti. The references are telling: in the low-lit corridor outside my cabin, black-and-white photographs by the society snapper Marcello Geppetti (the original paparazzo) reflect the gilded 1960s world of Federico Fellini and Marcello Mastroianni, of Gina Lollobrigida, Sophia Loren and Claudia Cardinale. Lunch, served in the all-white dining car, is a multicourse affair created by the chef Heinz Beck, whose restaurant, La Pergola, holds Rome's only trio of Michelin stars. Banish all thought of regular rail food: this is by some way the most lavish, but also the most delicious, collation I've eaten on board a train, nimbly served by uniformed waiters (no overspilling soup bowls here) and accompanied by fine Italian wines. Beyond the window, postwar housing blocks gradually give way to a landscape of open fields, stone farmhouses, vineyards and umbrella pines. The original Orient Express made its maiden voyage in 1883, linking European cities from Paris to Istanbul in a service that, especially after being immortalised as a crime scene by Agatha Christie, became a byword for glamour and intrigue. This route ran until 1977, then the service petered out in 2009, having become a series of shorter routes operated by Belmond under the name Venice Simplon-Orient-Express. Somewhat confusingly, the French hotel giant Accor has reactivated the Orient Express brand per se, using it as an umbrella for high-end hospitality projects that include the Italy-based La Dolce Vita train and the historic La Minerva hotel in Rome, which has recently been given a stunning new lease of life. (Slated for later this year are a Venice hotel, the 15th-century Palazzo Dona Giovannelli, and a sailing yacht, the Corinthian, said to be the largest in the world.) • The makeover of the Orient Express and its glorious new suites Halfway through the afternoon we pull into a country station serving the hill town of Montalcino, where the programme features a visit to the aristocratic wine estate at Argiano. (La Dolce Vita journeys are the closest thing on land to a kind of hyper-exclusive cruise, with bespoke gastronomic and cultural visits instead of harbour stops.) The visit begins with a private tour of the Renaissance art collection amassed by Argiano's owner, the Brazilian magnate André Santos Esteves, followed by a tasting in the estate's 16th-century cellars and a magnificent dinner in the grand hall. Probably a higher degree of railway luxe exists somewhere in the world, but it's hard to imagine where or how. A detail that impresses me are La Dolce Vita's next-level guest amenities: the bathroom soap from heritage soap makers Eredi Zucca in Milan comes neatly wrapped in tissue paper and tucked inside a cobalt-blue box; a leatherbound notebook from the Florentine stationers Pineider is monogrammed in gold with my initials. A highlight of this Tuscan trip is returning from a night-time negroni in the bar to discover a pair of pointy-toed velvet Friulane slippers (made in Venice) waiting for me on the down-turned bed, along with a saffron-scented macaron, should I feel peckish before snuggling down into those cool cotton sheets. • Aboard the Royal Scotsman — Belmond's epicurean journey Life aboard the Orient Express is a heady experience of contemporary travel at a level of opulence that feels almost surreal. But for me the best thing about La Dolce Vita is the dolce far niente — the sweetness of doing nothing. Simply to lounge on the big white bed in a post-breakfast glow, idly watching the spring-green Tuscan countryside slide by, soothed by the motion of the train as it rolls back to Rome and reality, is genuinely as good as it gets. This article contains affiliate links that can earn us revenue The two-day, one-night Tastes of Tuscan Vineyards journey by Orient Express costs €4,160pp,
Time Out
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
How to spend the day in Millburn, New Jersey when you have a show at the Paper Mill Playhouse
When Disney's The Little Mermaid begins performances at the Tony Award-winning Paper Mill Playhouse on May 29, New York theaterphiles will start making their way west to catch the show. The venue in Millburn, New Jersey, has been a fundamental pre-Broadway step for new productions and a hub for world-class theatrical revivals. Most recently, it's been the site of the world premieres of The Wanderer (2022), Hercules (2023), The Great Gatsby (2023) and Take The Lead (2025). So it's become a regular trek for those of us who love quality live theater and want to get a sneak peek of what may be headed for Broadway. As a theater journalist who sees a lot of Broadway shows, it's so refreshing when I can walk to the theater in my own backyard. So, here are my recommendations on how to make the most of your day when you're catching a show at the Paper Mill Playhouse. Head to Penn Station and take NJ Transit's Morris and Essex Line to Millburn. It depends on the train, and if it's express during rush hour on a weekday, but the direct ride is about 40-45 minutes. As you step off the train, the Paper Mill Playhouse is a short, seven-minute scenic walk through a park and past the town's recreational fields. With warmer weather on the way, have lunch or dinner outside at La Pergola. The Italian restaurant has one of the best outdoor dining gardens in the area with plenty of umbrellas and trees for shade. It's BYOB but don't worry, there's a liquor store a block away. The chicken parm, dressed in a sweet marinara sauce, comes on a cutting board-sided plate that's big enough to share. View this post on Instagram A post shared by La Pergola Restaurant (@lapergolanj) Other popular BYOB Italian restaurants that I often eat at before shows are Cara Mia and Basilico. They know how to get you in and out on time for the curtain. For Mediterranean food, there's Evoo and Lemon, which is also BYOB. I love the seafood couscous entree. Head to The Millburn Standard for a more casual gastropub with great cocktails and desserts. Its burgers and tempura chicken tenders are amazing. The good news is that all of these restaurants are all in proximity to each other, a five-minute walk to the theater and have outdoor seating. You'll likely be sitting next to a table also going to the show. Make sure to make a reservation at least two hours before curtain. Heading to a matinee? Book a reservation well in advance for the newly opened Whisk & Willow. The breakfast, brunch and lunch spot has been an instant hit in the neighborhood. I usually order the So-Cal Breakfast bowl and my son loves the Mini Brioche French Toast bites. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Willow & Whisk (@ If you're spending most of the day in town, there are plenty of other activities, too. Take a stroll along the paved loop at Taylor Park and enjoy scenic views of the lake. There are also basketball and tennis courts as well as a playground for kids. Cycle Bar and Pure Barre offer fitness classes downtown. There are so many stores to visit. It's a few minutes walk up Essex Street, and you'll find a quaint The Book House offering $2 coffee. Next door is the home goods shop, Paper, Ribbon & Wrap. Closer to the restaurants and downtown are numerous nail and hair salons plus other small business clothing stores like Bungalo Boutique, Jia and Shala's. View this post on Instagram A post shared by PAPER RIBBON & WRAP (@paperribbon) For a quick bite, Liv Breads is one of the best bakeries in the state to stop in for a nosh. Only on Fridays, they bake flaky, moist challah—but they often sell out by the late afternoon. Its $25 babka is buttery, chocolate layers that melt in your mouth. It also sells what I think are the best chocolate chip cookies around and the croissants are to die-for. Pizza is relatively new on the menu, but it's worth ordering for the crust alone. Across from the playground is Splurge Bakery, which often sells great Jewish Holiday-themed baked goods. Plus, they have cupcakes! If you're going to an evening show, it closes between 4:30 and 5pm. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Liv Breads Artisan Bakery and Coffee Bar (@livbreads) Van Leeuwen Ice Cream is opening soon in addition to the current Häagen-Dazs storefront. For lunch, the Millburn Deli is also a staple in town. At peak times, there are often long lines, but the salads and sandwiches with names like 'The Godfadda' are worth it … and it also has outdoor seating. In the summer, the town closes one of its streets to traffic for pedestrians only. There's music, chairs, lawn games, food trucks and more activities for the whole family. On weeknights, the last direct train back to Penn Station is 10:15pm. If you take the 10:24pm and 11:13pm train, you'll have to transfer. On weekends, they run every hour with the 11:50pm as the last one back for the night. It's a day well-spent in the small town Millburn and it's only a 45-minute train ride away.
