The Big Birthday!

80 years young, and what a ride it is, even now!

Dale’s big birthday came, as did our visit to the Ferrari Factory. We were led in a small group thru the processes that the cars go, from frame to finish. Most everything is electronically controlled, with timelines for the workers. The frames of the cars ride on an overhead conveyer belt and the remainder of the parts ride on a track so that everything stays together.

Most of the work is done in the factory with a few processes done in partnership with other local companies. Recycling is done whenever possible. There are green spaces throughout the factory and a finished product is on display so that employees can see the outcome of their efforts.

Our car was built way before the factory was mechanized, but it was still so amazing to see the process. And it was so amazing to just be where our car was built.

Unfortunately, we could not take photos so everything is in our head! Alas.

We’d promised some of the grandkids and a son that we’d pick up a few things, so we made another visit to the Ferrari store. The café was a good place to pick up some lunch with a little wine too.

Dale wanted a little ‘hole in the wall’ type restaurant for his birthday dinner, so we went walking around the town. We wanted to walk anyway. We found our little place, outdoor seating, and mostly Italians eating there. Dale was happy as there was a gelato shop next door to the restaurant so he got his birthday dessert.

The following day we needed to go to Modena to pick up more Balsamic Vinegar. This and a stop at the Maserati store to pick up a water bottle for a grandson who’d lost his thru no fault of his own. I explained to the saleslady at the Maserati store that we’d been there the year before and that we needed to replace his water bottle. The lady at the Maserati store felt sorry for our grandson and packed up a bag of goodies that we will deliver when we get to California. He doesn’t know about the goodie bag yet.