“I hated what they called ‘pizza’.” So, more or less, said a review on a travel advice site I read recently.
The person writing it was from America. The “they” in the review were the chefs and customers of an Italian restaurant. In Italy.
I share this story because it reminds me of one of the truisms of travel: authentic experiences often disappoint tourists.
Of course, when it comes to pizza, we all have our own favourites. And I’m all for having a little bit of what you fancy.
But to criticise something that is actually the real thing because it’s not what you expected — or, to be more precise, not what you get at home — is sheer madness.
Nobody’s forcing you to like pizza from an eatery in Naples, but to question its authenticity is ridiculous.
When you travel, you go with the flow. And sure, you can even find Domino’s in Italy now — and perhaps that’s a nice change of pace for Italians who want some American food, or expats who are longing for a taste of home. But why would a tourist go there when there’s a perfectly good family-owned ristorante down the road?
Disclosure: I do like Domino’s pizza, but there’s a time and place for everything.
