Ferraris and Fiats

Ferrari.

The very mention of this word conjures up an immediate image of Italian luxury. Speed. Power. Prestige. Beauty. The world's finest automobile (or is that Lamborghini?).

Most people will only ever admire il Cavallino (the horse) from afar. And with a price tag of $250,000 it's highly unlikely that my humble husband will ever own one. Which is the exact reason I decided he HAD to drive one on his 30th birthday!

For Chief's birthday weekend, I planned a trip up to Bologna with an excursion to Ferrari Headquarters in Maranello. I thought I was being sly about him test driving one on his big day, but by the time we'd ventured into the Ferrari Museum the day before his birthday, he pretty much knew what was in store for him the next day. Oh well!

The smile that overtook his face as he pulled into the parking lot after driving the beast of a car was well worth it!

I loved that every car had a built in camera over the back seat, so that you could then purchase (of course!) a video of the drive. I edited the 20 minutes of driving into a short little snippet for your viewing pleasure. And no, the police officers do not ticket the Ferrari drivers in this little town!

Since we rode on the high-speed train to Bologna we had to get a rental car upon our arrival. Being the somewhat frugal girl that I am, I opted for the cheapest car available (2 door, manual). I was beyond delighted that Europcar set us up with a cute little Fiat 500. Chief, on the other hand, was not initially pleased with the "wind up car". Once he saw that we all fit in the car (comfortably I might add), as well as our luggage he became a little more open to the miniature vehicle. 

These little cars are perfect for zipping around a big city, and a part of me can't imagine anyone would need anything much bigger. No wonder these little Fiats are so popular in our crazy Napoli traffic. Also, after driving 200 kilometers over the weekend our micro gas tank was still half full. With gas close to $7 a gallon, that was the clincher for Chief deciding that he did appreciate the "wind up car". 

For good measure I am throwing in a picture of this cute face! She was so heartbroken when her Daddy pulled out of the Ferrari parking lot without her. For some reason she thought she'd be going with him in the "fast red car". Oooppps!