This is probably the commonest Italian phrase you must have come across after of course 'Ciao'. Well I had heard it innumerable times and my favourite travel cum cookery show is also called Dolce Vita. Its run by the famous David Rocco who happens to be my favourite chef (Vikas Khanna too :D) The show had few seasons shot in India too which was named Dolce India. David Rocco's love for India and his impeccable way of relating both the nations made me madly fall in love with Italian culture. Italy had always been on my bucket list; but watching so much of Italian shows made me rush to explore it!
Dolce means sweet and vita means life. So Dolce Vita means the sweet life or the Good life. Its just like the analogue of La vie est belle (you know what I mean!) Anyways apart from mind boggling history and scenic beauty, what Italy is endowed with is sumptuous food! When we were planning our trip, as much as I was excited for Tuscany and Venice, I was dying to taste Italian food! Pizza, pasta and gelato to name the main three. Our first stop was Rome so that was where I realised why people all over the world are crazy about Italian food!
Our first day in Rome was a waste. You must have read here. Sleeping till late night only to survive on maggi. I however tasted my first gelato during our night tour of Rome.
The second day I wasnted to dine at a fine place. After walking all over the historical city, we got the time to lunch at Al vantaggio. It was better than the rest as all the fancy places had closed past lunchtime. However the food was so mouth watering that it made me forget that it was not as fancy as I would have liked it to be.
When I saw the menu, I was baffled. There were myriads of types of pizza and pasta. The rest of the things I did not even care. I really did not know what to order. Since pizza originated in Naples, hubs suggested me to go for pizza Napoli. It had anchovies with pomodoro sauce and loads of mozzarella. I ordered a funghi pizza (mushroom) for my vegetarian husband.
Pizza Napoli |
The pizza and pasta were the most delicious fare of my life till date. Little I knew that it was just the beginning of our Dolce Vita. After the most delicious meal, we walked on the famous shopping promenade. I shopped heartily from H n M in the posh Galleria Alberto Sordi before calling it a day.
Dress: Zara