When you get invited to spend the day in a magnificent location enjoying La Dolce Vita… you say YES! I had the extreme pleasure to test the Ferrari Roma and to get a private golf lesson at the prestigious Golf Club de Bonmont.
As I walked up the stone path to meet my hosts for the day, my eyes were immediately drawn to the exquisite cherry red super car a few meters in front of me. It truly was breathtaking. I would not say that I am a car expert, but I know style when I see it, and the Roma has it in spades. The dazzling modern design pays homage to the effortless elegance and style of 1950’s Rome.
Before I got behind the wheel, I sipped a delicious cappuccino on the beautiful terrace of the Château de Bonmont. To my surprise I was given a choice of driving routes. I couldn’t believe my ears. Honestly would have been happy if only I could have taken the Roma for a spin around the parking lot! However, I was going to take the car out on the road so that I could truly experience it. Naturally, I choose the longest route… up a long and windy road to the picturesque mountain village of Saint-Cergue.
I was handed the key, which is essentially the Ferrari logo that has a specially designed place in the middle console. I opened the door and gingerly lowered myself into the driver’s seat. Even though I know it was not, it felt as if the seat was made just for me. It fit like a glove. The interior was elegant: cream leather with red stitching and black accents. Italian styling through and through. However, the center of the action was the steering wheel. Everything you needed was designed to be right at your fingertips, so you never had to take your hand off of the wheel. Which is a good thing for a car with a V8 engine that can go from 0-62 mph in 3.4 seconds and hits 0-124 mph in 9.3 seconds.
When I hit the start button, the steering wheel lowered as the engine roared to life and then I was on my way. I followed the photographer slowly down the club’s tree lined driveway and until we were hitting the road. Driving the Roma was an experience I will never forget. It drove like a dream. I quickly changed from comfort to sport mode. The car is so intuitive, it changes the gears automatically and it handled each and every curve beautifully. Thankfully there were not only curves… there were some gorgeous stretches of straight road, and I took the opportunity to put the pedal to the metal… it was glorious.
At the designated hour we returned to the club, and I quickly changed for my golf lesson. I reemerged invigorated from the drive and ready to conquer the golf course. My lovely instructor pulled up in a golf cart and off we went. I was given a brief tutorial about all the different clubs and their uses and then it was my turn to hit. Hilarity ensued. Golf is much harder than it looks. The instructor told me I had a great swing, which was a good start for sure. However, managing to somehow coordinate the timing and height of my swing while never taking my eye off the ball proved to be a challenge. Luckily, I was up for it. After more mishits than I can count, I finally managed to connect with the ball. It was supremely satisfying to hear the sound of a well-hit ball, as you look at it fly off into the distance.
Once the instructor was confident, I would not be a complete disaster we hopped back into the golf cart and set out for the green. I was excited to try out my newly acquired skills. I didn’t make a hole-in-one, but I did great for my first time. At the end of our time, the instructor encouraged me to continue. I enjoyed playing golf much more than I thought I would. I will definitely do it again.
How do you end a splendid day like this? With lunch of course. After my golf initiation, I was joined by the others once again on the terrace of the Château de Bonmont. In keeping with the theme of the day… La dolce vita I ordered a glass of prosecco and a Caesar salad with a side of frites. The views, service and the food were exceptional. It was all quite magical… I truly felt like a princepessa!
