It’s just shy of five minutes into the 2022 World Cup semi-finals, France versus Morocco. Château Yquem is being generously poured in crystal glasses. A handsome Italian man in a tuxedo plays Duke Ellington on the piano. And we are cruising about 74 mph on Belmond’s iconic Venice Simplon-Orient-Express en route to the French Alps. Allez!
Most journeys aboard this iconic train (not to be confused with the Orient Express, owned by the French railways in partnership with Accor) do not include such sporty entertainment, let alone televisions. After all, the idea is to travel back in time or to lose track of it entirely. Musicians play Jazz Age tunes while guests board the 12-car, 35-cabin train that dates as far back as 1926, and all are encouraged to wear formal attire to dinner. But this was a special occasion and, as we all well know from Agatha Christie, anything can happen aboard the OE.