DISCOVERIES ORIENT EXPRESS
Reliving the Golden Age Of Train Travel An epic, once-in-a-lifetime journey on the Venice Simplon Orient Express BY INK A PIEGSA
E
ven as I write these lines, I get a sparkle in my eyes. This comes in part from the fascinating endpoints of an epic train journey I took, Paris and Istanbul, and in part from the sheer glamour of it all. Ever since the Orient Express, now called the Venice Simplon Orient Express (Belmond) left Paris’ Gare de l’Est on October 3, 1883 on its circuitous route to the city on the Bosporus, the train has been synonymous with luxury and intrigue and the subject of many a novel and film. The train stopped serving Istanbul in 1977 to be replaced by other lines, but once a year in August, the legendary original journey is repeated. Reserve the date and reach deep into your pockets if you want to feel the nostalgia and elegance of times gone by.
TRAVELLIFE.CA SPRING 2022 | 42
