Another relatively early wake up today, don't these tour companies know we are on vacation? We meet Stefano at 8 am for the nearly two hour drive to Maranello, home of the prancing horse (Ferrari). But Stefano is typically Italian and loves to talk so we are not bored in the least. There are only four of us today, compared to 44 yesterday to Siena so only a small van with Stefano doing double duty as driver and guide. A very nice Australian couple is with us, Michael and Keira, and we make friends quickly.
First stop, the home of Ferrari, Maranello, and it truly is Ferrari country. We saw innumerable mainly red Ferrari's of many vintages, including prototypes being tested, unpainted and still partly covered in plastic. We arrived at the museum and were suitably impressed by the history of Ferrari and the variety of priceless cars. One funny thing, the security at the museum was even greater than what we've seen at any of the museums of priceless art we visited, absolutely NO touching of the cars, I assume on pain of death, at least from the attitudes of the employees. We were given a chance to test drive a Ferrari afterward, but the price dissuaded both Michael and me.
After Maranello we visited Modena for a lesson on true balsamic vinegar, very impressive and tasty, and we purchased a bottle for anyone who wants to taste the difference between the stuff they feed us in the U.S. and actual balsamic vinegar. Afterward we had a delicious traditional lunch on top of a mountain in the Parma region with my new favorite wine, Lambrusco, then visited a Parmesan cheese producer and saw more cheese than I've ever seen in one place. Then the long ride home, quieter, arriving back in Florence around 6 pm.
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