Have you seen the movie Cars?
We went to Los Angeles for our annual Stadium Tour this year, and spent some time at DisneyLand. Some time is an understatement – we were there on the day that the park was open for 24 hours, and we were there for most of that day… and then another day too. What can I say? It is the happiest place on earth.
Anyway…
Hubby loved Cars Land (especially Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree) so it was only a matter of time before the movie quotes made their way into our every day conversations. After we found out we were moving to Italy, this particular scene became even more popular.
You see, Correggio is only about 25 miles away from Maranello, the home of Ferrari. Hubby is not exactly a car guy, but he did work for a car company for a little while. However, we have a friend at home named Mario, a second-generation Italian-American who speaks Italian fluently and even attended culinary school in Florence. And because of this, and because he is an actual car guy, Mario is obsessed with Ferrari. When we told Mario we’d be living here, he was excited about the possibility of visiting Ferrari, so Hubby looked at tour options and came across PushStart. Not only could we see Ferraris, but we could drive Ferraris.
Sold.
Even though Mario wasn’t able to visit, Hubby decided he really wanted to drive a Ferrari. So on a beautiful and sunny Sunday afternoon, we drove to Maranello so Hubby could take the Ferrari California out for a test drive.
Hubby didn’t just go for a test drive around a track – he drove through the town, on the highway, and through the mountains. He drove, he accelerated, and he turned with precision, all while taking in the beautiful Italian countryside. I was able to ride along in the back seat with an instructor in the passenger seat, and even as a passenger, it was quite the rush. As someone who is definitely not a car person, even I enjoyed the experience. I told Hubby I felt like Cameron in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and I get it – a car like that is beautiful to look at, but it is definitely meant to be driven. Driving the Ferrari has undoubtedly been one of the highlights of Hubby’s time here.
And next time we go to DisneyLand, we can tell Luigi, “We know many Ferraris.”
