Page 30 - The Book For Men Spring/Summer 2023

SAHAR NOORAEI / EDITORIAL AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Take It Slow
IALWAYS PREFER A WINDOW SEAT WHILE TRAVELING. PEERING OUT and taking in the aerial views of each passing city, province, and country has proven to be one of the more enjoyable parts of flying — and rather calming. It invites and encourages one to slow down.
When it comes to recent travel experiences, there’s no trip that comes close to the luxury and fantasy of riding the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express. This past December, I was invited to celebrate the iconic train’s inaugural trip from Paris to Courchevel — one of four new routes from the City of Lights to the French Alps.
Much like a highly covetable Birkin or Kelly, the VSOE has a long waitlist — three years on average to be exact. And while the first feeling you get when you set eyes on the legendary carriage is nostalgia, it’s evident
that the VSOE is ushering in a new era, and one that resonates with growing consumer demand for slow and sustainable travel.
Before embarking on the epic journey, all guests received a detailed itin- erary, one which included a dress code for the trip’s evening celebrations. This would be a sweatpant-free zone, and I was quite pleased with the instructions to arrive in black tie. Opting for a tailored skirt suit, I arrived at the train station channeling the Golden Age version of myself.
Shortly after settling into one of the historic cabins, the evening kicked off with cocktail hour, followed by a decadent dinner prepared by Chef Jean Imbert, whom we profile in this issue, in the L’Oriental Restaurant — one of three restaurant cars transformed by the culinary star since his appointment with VSOE last year.
Boarding the luxury train, it felt as though I was leaving reality behind for a short period of time. I was happy to do so. And even though it very well might have been a once-in-a-lifetime experience, it further ignited my love of travel, compelling me to seek out the extraordinary in favour of what’s merely convenient.
30 BFM / SS23 LETTER
PHOTOGRAPHY BY TED BELTON.