La Dolce Vita

One of the few iconic tourist attractions we had not yet seen was the Trevi Fountain. This fountain has featured in so many equally iconic movies that we had very high expectations. It did not disappoint.

Photos were duly taken and coins duly tossed. 

The question then arose "What is left on the bucket list?". 

Liz chose shopping and Mary tagged along to provide fashion advice, so I left them to it and headed for the Spanish Steps, on the basis that it was another iconic location featured in many movies.

They were certainly steps, definitely went to a Spanish church, and without a shadow of doubt were busy with tourists.

Slightly uncertain if it was worth the effort, I rejoined the ladies and it became apparent that the shopping trip was not a success.

La Dolce Vita was starting to seem a little illusory... 

In the spirit of reviving La Dolce Vita, we thought a fancy lunch at a Michelin starred restaurant would be a luxurious indulgence, a one-off experience that we would remember fondly forever.

It started well with wonderful wine and very attentive staff. So far, so good. 

Then the staff brought out a 'gift from the kitchen' which we were advised would be best eaten in one bite. That advice seemed a bit superfluous given that each treat barely filled a teaspoon.

The 3 treats were duly popped into 3 expectant mouths to discover it was essentially a blob of butter covered in soft pastry ...

Not mentioning names, but: one of us found it unremarkable if a little buttery, so happily consumed the morsel; one felt the butter a bit overwhelming, but swallowed it dutifully, and promptly felt somewhat nauseous; and one simply could not get it down at all, and surreptitiously spat it into a paper tissue for later disposal, hoping that the staff would not see! Not an auspicious start. 

Still, this was a Michelin rated restaurant so the main pasta course would have to be great? 

Yes it was.

But... 

It may or may not be evident in the photo, so to give context - the 6 small ravioli could easily fit into one modest mouthful. And it was the most expensive of the three meals... 

To be fair to the restaurant, the ravioli was tasty, and the spaghetti and macaroni dishes ordered by the ladies were both tasty and of reasonable size. However for me, the only bulk to my lunch was eating the complementary bread rolls that preceded the main course. 

We declined the dessert options, and popped around the corner for a gelato to fill us up!

I guess it fair to say that we will remember this lunch for many years to come, and it certainly caused significant merriment, albeit for unexpected reasons. 

In summary, we concluded that La Dolce Vita is best obtained by one of two methods:

First option, by not trying to achieve it, instead simply going with the flow and enjoying every moment, every adventure as it unfolds. That certainly has worked well for us so far and will hopefully continue to do so as our tour proceeds; or

Second option, by having a full film crew with caterers, wardrobe, stylists, and personal assistants. That certainly worked for Marcello Mastroianni and Anita Ekberg....