An American Family in Italy: Goodbye Venice, hello Maranello

Today was the day we were leaving Venice and we wanted to take the Vapporetto (water bus) down the grand canal to the train station. We went to Saint Mark's Square to get on and do the whole canal. We had thought that the boat we got on would take us to less stops. But we were wrong. We soon found out though that this was good and we would get more time to see the grand canal. It was a beautiful ride, even though our buts were wet on the seats. After about forty-five minutes we got off at the train station. When we got there we bought our tickets and got onto the train to the mainland. The train ride was uneventful, but there was a really nice view of the lagoon from the bridge. When we arrived on the mainland at the Mestre station. We then walked the distance from the station to the parking garage where we had parked our rental car. We went to our floor, got our car, and headed out. We then began the drive back home. We had been driving for a while when we started seeing signs for Modena and Maranello. I was kind of excited because Maranello is the home town of Ferrari. We kept heading towards Maranello and I had my hopes up. We just kept going towards the town and then followed signs to the Museo Ferrari. I was so excited. It turned out that, unbeknownst to me, we were going to the Museo and on a factory tour. We barely made it in time for the factory tour. We were told to wait outside for a bus that would take us from the museum to the factory. We got on the bus and were first driven down to Ferrari's test track: Fiorano. We were told that at no point during the tour would we be getting off the bus. We got to drive around part of the racetrack, but we were told that the bus could not drive on the racing line because it would ruin the asphalt. We drove around the track and were told about how the certain corners were based on famous grand prix corners from around the world. I thought it was awesome. Just outside the track, we were shown some buildings where Ferrari's formula one drivers have apartments to live in. We were then taken to the factory grounds where they told us about the buildings and what is done in them. Many of them had really cool design. We also got to see the building where all the formula one racing work goes on. The campus is huge. There are nine streets in it, most named after famous Ferrari F1 drivers. We saw the paint shop, engine building, etc. WE were then taken out of the factory and back to the Museo Ferrari. We then went into the Museo and were welcomed to a large room full of F1 racing cars on one side and Le Mans cars on the other. On the F1 side there was a pit box where you could watch the F1 race that was actually happening in Bahrain that day. (sadly, the Ferrari team had a pretty bad race) And before we left the room, we also saw a glass box with every one of Ferrari's F1 cars, from 1950 to 2010 (it was a big box). We then went up some stairs to a landing which had a cool Le Mans car on it, then arrived on the second floor. The first thing you see on the second floor is a wax figure of Enzo Ferrari in a reproduction of his first office in Modena, Italy. We saw in that room the first official Ferrari car and a reproduction of the very first car to be branded with the famous prancing horse logo. We saw on a little TV, a number of exerts from movies with Ferraris in them (all the movie clips were in italian of course). We then walked forward into the hall of the victories, with a showing of Ferrari F1 cars from 1999 to 2008, a period when the team was particularly strong, winning both the driver's and constructor's title in 2000, 2001,2002, 2003, 2004,and 2007. And the 1999 and 2008 constructor's but not drivers. On the other wall is a selection of 110 grand prix trophies. (they have many more, though). Near the trophies you can see the helmets of all of Ferrari's F1 champions, Alberto Ascari, Juan Manuel Fangio, Mike Hawthorn, Phil Hill, John Surtees, Niki Lauda, Jody Scheckter, Michael Schumacher, and Kimi Raikkonnen. We left this room and went further upstairs where we saw many more cars with writing explaining how technology from an F1 car goes into Ferrari cars. We saw some famous models like the Enzo and 360 Modena. We then moved into the final room where we saw the different stages of production shown on Ferrari's latest model, the La Ferrari. It was really cool to see the stages of developing the different designs. We then went back downstairs and into the Ferrari store. I just had to get a Ferrari F1 team hat (even though it was 36 euros). We left the Museo Ferrari and as soon as we walked outside, people continually tried to get Dad to pay 70 euros to drive a Ferrari for ten minutes. We got back into our car and drove out of Maranello, to get an early dinner in Parma, home of Parmasean Cheese and Parma ham. When we got there though, we were surprised to find a nice town with nothing going on and I saw no Parma ham or cheese anywhere! So we left Parma. But on our way back to the highway, we saw a Roadhouse Grill, and just had to go and have burgers. We ate our massive burgers, and it was awesome!!!!! It was really good and they had some cow sculptures outside, it felt very american. After the burgers, we headed back onto the highway, and drove the rest of the distance home to Torino. When we got there though, Dad had much difficulty finding a parking spot near our house and so he drove down to the train station, where he had to pay some guys to help him park in the only available spot. We did it though, and walked the two blocks or so home, and I slept like a rock. I'll post again soon, enjoy the pictures.