Living in a studio apartment during the quarantine was especially challenging. Bergamo was one of the worst hit cities in Italy and the rate at which coffins piled up was shocking.

Gualtiero Marchesi had the opportunity to witness the beginnings of "nouvelle cuisine" in France before it arrived in Italy. The Troisgros family, with whom he worked, were famed for their innovative cooking. Their restaurant was in an area with no gastronomic legacy, and they had to rely on their skill, rather than on characteristic local ingredients.