London is the metropolis of crucible, new trends and the jealous preservation of old pop traditions: from the Beatles to punk, from the Regency of Bridgerton to the juxtapositions of Alexander McQueen. The capital in which everything comes together to try to survive its continuous evolution has never ceased to attract tourists, even Italian ones, but is it possible to tell about this city to the Italians who chose it to live there?
Discover the city with a new perspective
Or he did this thanks to the invitation to participate in one of the events organized within the initiatives “Open Space of the Consulate General”.
Thus, on Friday June 21, the latest guide dedicated to London was presented to a room full of Italians living abroad, curious to understand what more could be added to years of experience on the banks of the Thames.
The answer actually lies in the assumptions that have driven the design of Dove guides for thirty years. “Travel time” (staged on June 19) is about discovering oneself, discovering others and then the world, so nothing prevents an adopted Londoner from putting on his shoes and venturing into his city to discover the emotions that inspire him. brought us the first time to meet a world of people who pour into the streets at different rhythms and live all the experiences that make this city the “Total City”, to use the words of Luigi Hippolyto, correspondent for Corriere della Sera who moderated the meeting at the headquarters of the consulate general, a stone's throw from Saint Paul's Cathedral.
A new story against clichés
It is true that in a 194-page story full of anecdotes, photos and practical suggestions, each of those present was able to be surprised by a previously unknown perspective or angle.
“Our newspaper today interprets the new travel trends” explained the director of Dove, Simona Tedesco. “For us, vacation is not a vacation, an emptiness, but a journey of knowledge, because traveling means knowing and for us today, where that is, is meeting people.” To create this volume, which does not neglect any of the aspects that have contributed to giving so much charm to London, trying to go beyond stereotypes, “we became reporters”, added Simona Tedesco. “We wanted to see the changes in this city and also dispel some of the clichés.” Since Brexit, in fact, we cannot say that the story linked to the English capital has not changed, and even a lot, increasingly sprinkled with negativity. “For these reasons,” said Simona Tedesco, “we asked the journalists who live here to tell us about it to bring a new narrative to Italy.”
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Of course, London has changed, we cannot fail to recognize this, and the audience present at the meeting confirmed this from his speech, but it has not lost the charm of its imperial history, and even less has- did she renounce her royal (and non-royal) history both folkloric, as well as her great ability to look to the future and create the conditions for this to come true.
London, despite the economic and political crisis it is going through, continues to be the city of major exhibitions and art workshops in old warehouses, free museums, club music under the stairs and live performances. West End theaters that sell out every night. Moreover, Dove confirms it and no one present could deny it: London is a city where you eat very well, in a culinary world tour without borders.
In short, as the owner of the house reminds us, Consul General of Italy Domenico Bellantone and as stated at the opening of one of the chapters devoted to the districts south of the Thames, Samuel Johnson said: “A man tired of London is tired of life”.
SEE ALSO: The DOVE guide to London
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