Atlanta FCA crew in Maranello....

So just a week ago my wife and I met up with Jeff Melcher and his wife Amy in Maranello for a Factory tour and some Italian wine and dining. This was my 3rd trip to Maranello and Jeff's first time. So it was great to be with folks during their first time at the Factory. If you have not been its totally worth the effort! while I don't recommend Maranello/ Modena in July - cause its HOT!!!!! its a great little town with lots to see ( mostly all car related).

We got there on a Tuesday evening after flying in from Bordeaux to Milan and driving down. Traffic in Milan is much like Atlanta... bumper to bumper. once out of the greater Milan - it was smooth sailing at about 145KPH down to Modena Nord exit and about 15 min to Maranello Palace hotel. The hotel was actually much nicer than I thought - A/C was ok... but not to my provincial American standards.... The hotel has a restaurant that is about 5-10 Min away and was great! we eat there several times. Our room looked out over the modern side of the Ferrari entrance - with the Ferrari sign all lit up at night. The next day we meandered over to Castelvetro for a private Balsamic Vinegar tour... at one of the oldest still family run farms. it was a great time learning about how its produced. while I'm a chef by training - there was a lot I learned that makes me have a new appreciation for Balsamic vinegar ... make sure you are buying DOP and not IGP... massive difference. My next stop was Pagani... cant do a tour unless you buy, but they have a nice little showroom in the front of the factory... so I did the gift shop tour and you could see some of the carbon laying process behind the main doors... its actually a much larger plant than expected.

Then it was time to go into Central Modena... mainly because we had to find a flat iron for my wife... who burned up her brand new one while at her Aunts house in Bordeaux. Driving was great - we had a Fiat Station wagon.... but all of a sudden you are now going from perfectly nice streets into alley ways that lead into Central Modena... OMG - pull in the mirrors... you could literally reach out and open the doors to peoples shops and houses from the car!!! after a brief yet persistent argument on directions we found Sephora .... which turns out not to have what she needed. some more questioning in my 1/2 Italian 1/2 French - and we found what she needed. but then, what did we do with the car? ... more arguing... found the car.

Then we head up to Enzo Ferrari museum in Modena.... for two reasons, one we needed to decompress... and get some coffee.... and its close to the train station where we were picking up our friends Amy & Jeff. so we finally get relaxed after the stationwagon tour of renaissance Modena city center.... We pick up our friends grab a snack and then do the Enzo Museum tour. I really love this museum - as its so un expected. the cars are cool, the documentation is great and you see the actual house where Enzo was a boy, and that he sold to fund his first race car ( first car period) ... After that we head back to Maranello and do a short city tour by car. by this time the girls are getting stircrazy. Jeff and me are loving every minute of Ferrari nirvana.

about 2 hours later at 9 PM after getting refreshed we are awaiting the shuttle to La Gazzella at the hotel, a bright red Jeep Cherokee pulls up. this is clearly the top of the line on with all the turbos etc. and its has a bright blue and white stripe painted down the front. I casually say - " Arrivebene drives one of those, they will show you where he parks when we do the F1 Factory tour" - the jeep pulls past us, stops and back into a place. its then that I realize its really Arrivebene him self!!!! when he gets out I say casually - contratulations on the British GP win! and ask if we can grab a photo. he looks at us and says sure... but when the girls ask - he break into a smile! grazie all around and we are squeeling like fan girls! ( that's just me and Jeff) .... then to dinner.

next day dawns - lunch at Cavallino and this time it was really very good. both food an service were perfect. Amy asks the waiter if we can see Enzo's private room - absoulemente - and then we are ushered into the inner sanctum... where Niki and Enzo negotiated, where Jody and Gilles sat and talked to the Commendetore... you could litrally feel the history! or was that the wine?

then we move onto the tour. This is where watching Jeff for the first time was really great. having been there before its a different experience but seeing it from a friends perspective - is worth its weight in gold! during the tour we saw a bunch of 488 Pista's - which in the flesh are nice but the front end will take a bit of getting used to... I can say that the sound is perfect! then we saw the V-12 line, and un knowingly we saw a fellow Atlanta Ferrari fanatic 's Yellow Super Fast being built! Lisa Martino's new "Superbeast" ... was getting its engine package married to the body. after the tour which is so amazing its hard to describe. we head to the Ferrari museum and then finally the store. by this time the girls are begging for rest.. I will say it was about 95F - 33C and humid, so in the factory they keep it between 24C - 28C and 50% humidity so it was "warm" to say the least. Jeff and me head back to the museum - which we find almost empty - and have about as good a time as you can have... then we do several other side trips - first to Maranello church where the belles are rung after victory... then to a model shop, then to Foriano track, and then the Giant Silver Horse in the round about next to the hotel. back to rest for about an hour, and then dinner at Montana.

Montana does not have a written menu. they make several things you can choose from and then some wine. as we are waiting for our food and just talking over the days events... incomes someone who looks familiar! in my loud voice I say "Charles Leclerc" and he looks over and smiles and says ciao... about 20 Min later he comes out and we ask for a photo.. and I ask him if he's going to drive for Ferrari next year his answer with a wink -"Lets hope so!"..... that pretty much sums up our Ferrari Maranello trip... we'll be talking about it for months!
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As always - Will & FOA were there making it happen for us!!! THANKS! Grazie Mille!