Italy - 5
In-suite supplies on Dolce Vita Orient Express include three screw-top jars of snacks, water, a breakfast room service menu. and the daily programme for the entire stay, so you know what's happening the whole time. In fact there was only time to make use of room service mid-afternoon, for a caffeine boot. Although breakfast in bed had initially sounded enticing, a night’s debris would not go well with full breakfast set up – and anyway the meal looked too appetising in the restaurant car, Girlahead was surely not the only guest entranced by the perfectly-rolled starched napkins rolled in silver, tan leather-covered Giobagnara rings, with breads and croissants presented in linen-lined metal platters. China was white Ginori, with a delicate blue DV logo, and glassware was Riedel.
On this journey, we had, there were two meals on board, lunch the first day and dinner the second day. Lunch on day one was the big surprise as Girlahead and her travelling buddies had no idea the two main meals aboard would be so elaborate, or magnificently composed. Both were set meals, Not surprisingly, it's Italian, although they can do most cuisines, including kosher, if alerted ahead.
Lunch opened with three amuse (separate dishes each item, per guest, equalling, for our table of three, nine dishes to be carried out and later washed in that liliputian kitchen).
Marinated buffalo with smoked ricotta, tomato gel and herb maltodextrin; cuttlefish with Mediterranean flavours; semolina gnocchetto with parmesan cream and jus gel. Next, thinly sliced seabass with cucumber soup and marinated peaches. Next, mezze maniche (small green tubes) with pesto. Next, braised turbot with vegetable caponata. Next, and finally, tiramisu with coffee ice cream. As if an afterthought, along came petit fours…. And as an always-thought, the sommelier was speedily bringing yet more wines to try, with each course.
After that, some thought it was time for a nap. And it was, shortly, essential to get togged up for our first stop, Venice, where the train conveniently stopped, 14 steps down and a hop, skip and a jump to the water’s edge and our already-waiting water taxis....
