When you hear the term La Dolce Vita, what immediately springs to mind? Frederico Fellini’s lauded Italian 1960’s Dramedy fronted by Anita Ekberg (Sylvia) and Marcello Mastroianni might be an obvious answer, with its unique, sophisticated and timeless narrative whose vibrancy lives beyond the 60’s and transcends into modern day living. You might even clock that La Dolce Vita translates as the ‘sweet life’ in Italian and is a mantra that akin to ‘carpe diem’ is about seizing the day and living your life exactly how you want it to be lived… without time for regrets. And while La Dolce Vita is both a catchphrase and a cult classic film, it is also a way of life, alluding to a luxury lifestyle that focuses on immersing ourselves in luxury, nature, culture and truly reveling and appreciating the life that we have before us. Of course we know that the term “La Dolce Vita” is popular because of the highly acclaimed movie of the same name. However there is more than just the movie that makes up the La Dolce Vita life. As explained earlier“La Dolce Vita” means “the sweet life” in Italian and became the advertising slogan for the 1961 film, but became used in ‘English’ as an expression that referred to living our lives to the fullest as well as fulfilling our hearts desires. Whether that involves eating your favourite foods or seeing your favourite movies La Dolce Vita is undoubtedly a cultural movement that is just as much embedded in materialism, gluttony and forbidden pleasures as it is in self-expression, freedom and love.
In the “Your Holiday & Tours Collection” magazine, “La Dolce Vita”takes on a new meaning, buying into the notion that it refers to an aspirational lifestyle as it is marked as being an opportunity to “Experience a taste of La Dolce Vita in some of the most celebrated reaches of the sun-kissed, flower-strewn Mediterranean shores”. But if La Dolce Vita is more than just a film, cultural phenomenon, catchphrase and way of life, then what exactly does it mean to describe La Dolce Vita as a taste of the Mediterranean? Well put quite simply the magazine feature shows us that the taste is actually the Italian Riviera, with Monte Carlo & the Cinque Terre being defined as regions that most exemplify the ‘La Dolce Vita’ experience. In other words the term has been used as an ‘advertising slogan’ to promote tourist regions in Italy and Monaco, that the tourist board and media believe are most deserving of the ‘sweet life’ title. This is because the Italian Rivera is incredibly popular with tourists and locals alike, has freshly cooked and prepared food and drink, as well as being naturally beautifully, blessed by sun soaked shores. So without further ado welcome to the highlights of the ‘taste’ that reinterprets the true meaning of La Dolce Vita and modernizes it to include cultural regions in Italy and Monaco that will blow your mind from the get go. I would also define Tuscany as being an example of a La Dolce Vita experience and highly reccomend visiting. From immersing ourselves in the glamour of Monte Carlo known for its luxury casinos, to a week in Cinque Terre, welcome to the La Dolce Vita experience.
The Highlights of the Taste
Those who love to travel, will delight in the glorious shores of the twinkling blue Mediterranean. There you will be able to enjoy relaxing days at comfortable hotels and you can even soak up the sun on the beach, the choice is yours. Whether you are a mermaid, sun worshiper or a hiker,the La Dolce Vita experience sounds pretty sweet to me. If you are not a fan of sunbathing, you can stroll down the sea-front promenade, where shops and pretty squares are available.Travelers can discover the elegant Santa Margherita Ligure’s stunning bay and pay a visit to the chic Portofino, which is one of the Mediterranean’s most exclusive locales. There are also organized excursions to the beautiful Ligurian coast, where visitors can see some of Italy’s most famous resorts.
Besides this, those who want to see the most popular casino place in Europe can travel to Monte Carlo which is not too far away and well worth the trip. After a trip into one of the world’s most dazzling casino resorts, second only to Las Vegas, you will learn that Casino de Monte-Carlo, was established in 1863 and after so many decades, is still a casino that has a popular reputation worldwide. After 150 years, Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer Group, which is the main operator of the casino, has created the legend of Monte-Carlo that truly taps into that ‘sweet life’ mantra that the La Dolce Vita experience curated. In addition, one of the last excursions made heads back to the Ligurian coast to the stunning stretch between the resort-town of Levanto and the port-city of La Spezia, which is simply breathtaking. So while Monte Carlo’s version of ‘sweet living’ is tied into luxury destinations and casino’s it also has many hidden naturally beautiful gems like the aforementioned resort town of Levanto.
Monte-Carlo
The legend consists in being synonymous with glamour, sophisticated chic and creation, and a reference for luxury. The casino is known for hosting and delighting its guests, whether they are trendsetters, leisure or business tourists. Those who want to enjoy a game, can also enjoy a number of table games and roulette.Today, the casino, where even James Bond would feel right at home, is the crown jewel of the Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer. The company, besides the famous casino, also owns Casino Cafe de Paris, Sun Casino and four hotels, the Hotel de Paris Monte-Carlo, Hotel Hermitage Monte-Carlo, Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort and Monte-Carlo Beach. In addition, there is also the Thermes Marins Monte-Carlo and two spans, 30 restaurants and bars, four of which are Michelin starred. Tourists can also go to Le Louis XV-Alain Ducasse à l’Hôtel de Paris, ELSA, Blue Bay and Le Vistamar. Those who enjoy partying after dark will also be able to enjoy the exclusive after-dark hangouts at La Rascasse and Jimmy’z Monte-Carlo Nightclub. But who was the advocate and curator of Monte Carlo’s passion for the ‘sweet life experience’ I hear you ask?
In a bit of history about Monte-Carlo, we learn that the casino was founded by Prince Charles III of Monaco. His prophetic vision was that he saw a great city centered upon the casino. Before the casino, the land was filled with olive, citrus, orange trees and the prince saw a gaming prosperity. He used to say that “Around the casino, beautiful hotels will be built, that will have nothing to fear from comparisons with those in Paris, London and New York”. And boy was he right, while Las Vegas is a notable ‘casino spot’ what Monte Carlo does so effortlessly is that it combines its naturally beautiful vistas with a luxury lifestyle which makes it a prime and unique destination to have an integral casino hotspot.
Cinque Terre
Returning back to our “Dolce Vita” lifestyle, Monte-Carlo isn’t the only place that should be experienced. Besides the Mediterranean, tourists can also explore the beautiful villages and coves of the exquisite Cinque Terre, which translates in English as the “five lands”. Cinque Terre is breathtaking and charming where you will see five villages cling to cliffs, that are surrounded by glorious vineyards that produce some of Liguria’s most celebrated wines. Bordered by the Piedmont wine region to the North, the Alps and French Wine region of Provence to the West, Liguria is an ideal destination to get the full La Dolce Vita experience, where you can sip on wine and watch the world go by, slowly at your pace. Italian’s truly cherish the meaning of embracing life and believe that there should be a fine balance between work and play, so while they work hard, they play harder, seeking to enjoy life’s most carefree luxuries. In the Cinque Terre DOC, light white wines are made from grape varieties such as Bosco, Albarola and Vermentino. In the West is the red wine producing region of Dolceacqua, producing wine from the indigenous Rossese grape.
If you would rather go exploring then you will be pleased to know that the coastline, the five villages and the surrounding hillsides are all part of the Cinque Terre National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. From Riomaggiore one of the first coastal villages you come across when travelling North from La Spezia which dates back to the Thirteenth Century to Manarola a small town that became the inspiration for the Dorado map in the video game ‘Overwatch’, Cinque Terre clearly capitalizes on the La Dolce Vita experience without even needing to try. Naturally primed with the assets that define a sweet life ‘ good food, good drink, beautiful vistas and a cohesive community’ it is easy to see why “Your Holiday & Tours Collection” magazine featured Cinque Terre as being representative of a region that embraces living life to the fullest.
You’ll need more than one day in order to enjoy Cinque Terre. The place is a destination with timeless appeal and it’s really the kind of place that needs to be taken at a slow pace.When you slow down in Cinque Terre you can enjoy a waterfront table in Vernazza with a glass of wine in hand, or listen to the birdsong, whilst resting your feet at an ancient sanctuary on a clifftop. Or perhaps you would prefer to explore the fishing harbors, to see how the locales live. The best views of the harbor is from a shore-side cafe, where guests will see the tiny craft of a colorful sight on the dark blue waters, a mesmerizing experience to say the least. Whether you choose to join the fast pace of ‘sweet living’ in Monte Carlo or prefer the slower lifestyle in Cinque Terre surrounded by natural beauty the choice is up to you.
Have You Ever Heard Of The La Dolce Vita Experience?
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