My trip to Monte Carlo to the Louis Vuitton Classic Serenissima Run was in a way a time travel in two directions. On the one hand the beautiful oldtimer cars that took part in this prestige race from Monaco to Venice transported me back into the past when car design was not a slave to aerodynamics and efficiency. On the other hand the drivers of the cars, mostly mature gentlemen and their wives, gave me a vision of a future – an age where priorities shift from coolness and sex appeal to elegance and class. But my visit to the French Riviera had more in store for me than that. Read more about an amazing experience after the jump.
As some of you might remember we collaborated with Louis Vuitton last year and created two city guide tours through the Berlin districts Mitte and Friedrichshain for their iPhone App Amble with Louis Vuitton. As a thank you for our work they invited me to the Serenissima Run, a prestige car race with the most beautiful oldtimer cars from Europe and US from Monte Carlo to Venice. I was more than thrilled to accept the invite, because I’ve never been to the French Riviera and I really love the aesthetics of old timer cars, a preference I discovered on my trip to Buenos Aires where you will actually see a lot of vintage cars in the streets.
I was invited along with the bloggers from Materialiste, Luxery Design and Horstson whom I spent a great time with in Monaco. It’s always great for me to connect with other bloggers, especially from other cities, because there is always an almost endless amount of mutual interests and topics to discuss.
On our first evening we were guests at the gala dinner and award ceremony of the Louis Vuitton Classic Award in the impressive Hotel de Paris. This place is like a royal palace. I’ve always dreamed of having a chance to dine in an environment like this. Of course the menu and the drinks were exceptionally delicious. On our way to the dinner we passed by all the oldtimer cars that would take part in the race on the next morning. I’m sure my eyes must have sparkled like diamonds when they got sight of these amazing cars. Such a shame our modern vehicles don’t look like this anymore.
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On the next morning, after a wonderful night in the Novotel de Monaco, we joined the start of the race in front of the Casino de Monte Carlo. It was a really touching moment to see these pieces of history and their proud owners in their vintage car racing outfits drive through the big Serenissma Run gate and off on their way to Venice. I will surely not forget this experience and I’m glad it showed me the brand Louis Vuitton from a side that I haven’t seen before.
After all the cars had driven off to the race we had a bit of time to explore Monte Carlo for a few hours. We had exceptional weather and I couldn’t wait to wander through the serpentines of the city and discover the beautiful architecture and breathtaking views of the sea. I was sad to say goodbye to my fellow bloggers and this lovely place at the Mediterranean Sea. But at least I have the Serenissima Run board game and the vintage travel postcard set from Louis Vuitton as a souvenir to remember this very special trip. A big thank you to Louis Vuitton for inviting me on this great trip and especially to Clemence for taking good care of us. See some of my impressions of Monte Carlo and more cars on page 2.
More photos on page 2!