The Soul of the Journey: Reclaiming the Traveller’s Spirit in the Age of ‘Monochromatic’ Tourism
A recent, biting analysis by The New York Times (October 27, 2025), titled “The Spritzes and Carbonaras That Ate Italy” has sent ripples through our industry.
The article argues that Italy is being blanketed by a uniform, uninspiring food culture—a "monochromatic eating zone" where authentic local character is cannibalised by a sea of identical menus, frozen pizzas, and oversized spritzes.
At Villa Edera & La Torretta, where we have breathed life into the details of Ligurian hospitality since 1962, we believe this is a vital moment to distinguish between those who merely "consume" a place and those who truly inhabit it.
The Tourist: Captive of the Trend
The Tourist is often a prisoner of the ‘must-see’ list. They arrive in a destination like the Cinque Terre not out of a soul-deep desire to understand its rhythm, but because social media has dictated it as a "box to be ticked".
Their search is superficial and their pace is frantic, leading to the phenomenon of "hit-and-run" tourism.
The damage is visible: historic centres are transforming into "culinary theatres" where pasta is rolled in windows for the amusement of smartphone lenses rather than for the dinner table.
In these "cafeteria cities," essential local infrastructure—the cobbler, the hardware store—is replaced by generic street food like kebabs and faceless snacks that bear no connection to the territory.
Perhaps the most silent casualty is the host, who is forced to work exhausting hours for guests who demand instant service, leaving no time for a meal to be properly cooked or for a genuine smile to be shared.
The Traveller: Savouring the ‘Place’s Pace’
In contrast, the Traveller is an educated seeker who understands that time is the ultimate luxury. They do not come to Moneglia to follow a crowd; they come to find a "hidden gem".
A traveller moves at the "place’s pace," understanding that the true soul of Liguria cannot be found in a couple of hours between cruise ship whistles.
The traveller seeks absolute integrity. They understand that:
- Time is an Ingredient: Authentic Genoese Pesto cannot be rushed by a blender; it requires the patient, rhythmic friction of a marble mortar and wooden pestle.
- Provenance is Luxury: They value our 2,000 m² culinary park, knowing that the vegetables on their plate travelled "zero miles" from the garden to the table this morning.
- Connection is Key: They join our Heritage Family Dinner Table, where "no chefs and no menus" mean we share the quiet joy of real food as a family.
Resisting the ‘Disneyfication’ of Italy
The New York Times warned that Italy risks becoming a "theme park version of domesticity".
We resist this through resilience and commitment.
While others may choose the path of least resistance by serving pre-cooked "Italian-sounding" dishes to non-returning crowds, our kitchen at Orto Ritrovato remains a sanctuary for biodiversity.
We believe that a glass of our own Tenuta Sella wine or a Botanical Cocktail shaken by Francesco is more than a drink; it is a "longevity ritual" that helps preserve the very dry-stone walls and terraced vineyards that define our identity.
Settle In, Don’t Just Stay
Being a traveller is a way of being—it is the difference between "staying" and "settling in". We invite our "curious like-minded minds" to leave their phones in their rooms and sit under our grapevine archways.
True luxury is the ability to watch the sunset over the Baie del Levante without checking a watch, rediscovering the Hospitality with Soul that the hurried world has forgotten. The most beautiful memories are not those captured for a post, but those felt in the heart during a moment of stillness
20 June 2026