Germany
Oh to be back in the West. I don't know what part of me was happier. The brain, which could finally function in a language it partially understood or my stomach, which was glad to be surrounded by familiar flavors and food again. In either case, being thrown around the front seat of a taxi (Mercedes E-class wagon) was a welcome relief.

Northern Germany in March is like being in the South in February. Some days it's nice. Other days its freezing, with wind and rain thrown in for good measure. Anyway, I was here to work and not play tourist. However, one evening, I was able to sneak away from the office and check out the local Ferrari scene.

Meeting up with fellow automotive author Ruediger Kaufmann in Hanover, we were able to visit the local Ferrari dealer and grab a bite of Italian food (with German beer, of course). The dealership, Dipl. Ing. Lutz Krüger (http://www.ferrari-krueger.de) had a well laid out and clean display area and a sales floor replete with all of the latest Ferrari and Maserati accessories. There were two 550 Barchettas on display along with a pair of F40's and the new mix of 360's and 355's. The oldest car in the shop was a 512 BB. One thing that Herr Krüger told us about the F40 in for service is that the gas tanks are only good for 10 years. Looks like all of them will be back in the shop sooner or later. Could be useful information for those are negotiating the purchase of one now.

Part of the sales floor was dedicated to the new Maseratis and there were a couple of coupes and spiders on display. This was my first real close look at these cars and they seem to be much better build than some of the crap that has come out of the factory in the past. I still think that coupe has better lines than the spider (its square taillights take away from the design). There were two older 425's in the shop (there's a surprise). They seemed to be in good running order and just in for minor service. The Maserati licensed accessories seem to be even higher quality (for less money) than some of the authorized Ferrari kits. Not as obnoxious in blue unlike the "look at me red" of the Ferrari line.

Speaking of accessories, I was also able to see the new line of Fila kit in the flesh. Scratch that. In the cloth is more accurate. Looks to be much higher quality than the generally available Tommy Hilfiger stuff. Reasonably priced too. The running shoes will probably be the hot item this year at the FCA National meet. At around $150, they aren't cheap, but they look better than some of the Air Jordan's that Nike has been peddling. No, I didn't get a pair. Polo shirt, yes. Shoes, no.

There seems to be a healthy distribution of Ferraris in this small country. After numerous discussions, so long as you can afford to put gas in them (it's around $4.30 a gallon, stop bitching southern California), they aren't that far out of reach. With the inspection rules the way they are, any example needs to be in good shape to be road worthy. Each little town seemed to have one or two hibernating for the winter.

The roads here are good for exercising exotics. The speed limit on the Autobahn in this part of Germany is 120 kph, which is fast enough given the traffic. The cops leave you alone so long as you keep it under 150. With just 6 or so hours playing with cars here, it was time for the last part of my trip. Rome, Italy.

Italy
Land of good food, stunning cars, and goofy looking tourists. Well, at least in Rome, that is. I managed to lay out my schedule so that I could have the weekend to roam around Rome. I'd been here before, so on this trip I wanted to catch the places I've missed.

Rome really is a tourist town. Most of the people you run into aren't from here, but misplaced Italians, Europeans, and the all too common American on a budget. Even if you think that you can speak Italian, it's almost better not to try. You're going to pay the out of town prices at all of the cafés. Only by laughing when the owner said "thank you for coming, come back any time" in English, followed by "don't ever come back" in Italian, did I manage to get the different menu on my next visit.

The good thing about it being a tourist town is that there are a lot of things to see. On a limited schedule, you should at least take in the following. The Pantheon is the oldest best preserved building in Rome. That's the one with the hole in the roof for those of you who got C-'s for sleeping through history. You can't miss it. It's right across the plaza from the Starbucks. Free admission.

The Forum is the ancient Home Depot of Rome. Most of the buildings here were salvaged for parts long ago, but it is still the center of the old part of the city. The crowds aren't too bad. Also free.

The Coliseum is the ancient forerunner to the stadiums of today, only the design is a little run down. Reminds me of parts of New Jersey. They charge a couple of Euros to get in, but its one of those must see places. Can't miss it. Look for all of the people from northern Africa selling replica purses. Then hang a right.

The Circus Maximus is now just a field to walk your dogs. No marble, no stones. To imagine that there was once 40 miles of marble seats on this spot is really amazing. Not much to see, hence no admission fee. Watch for the dog poop.

If you only have 5 hours for what ever reason, go to the Vatican. If you think that your local preacher gives you a guilt trip every Sunday to fill up the collection plate, see what you can build with the proceeds when you beg, borrow and steal from more than one continent. Be forewarned, no shorts or skimpy skirt will allow you to get in and travel light, you will get searched. Admission to the church itself is free. The Cupola tour is four Euros if you climb, five if you take the elevator (you'll still have to climb; a lot). The view from the top is worth it. Not for the claustrophobic or those that don't like heights. Souvenirs are cheaper in the Vatican gift shops, not the places down the street.

As for the cars, why can't Alfa import into the USA any more? The new sedans and station wagons are some of the best looking cars on the road. The Lancias (Fiat's Lexus division) makes some sharp cars too. Only saw two Ferraris in Rome. One blue 456 GT parked on the street (looked like it hadn't been washed in a month). The other was a 360 Modena zipping through a square. Not much room to flex them in town, but the Autostradas are made for it. It's every Italian's god given right to drive where they want so long as they use their turn indicator. Curbs, sidewalks, wrong way down a one way, etc… The interesting part was the line up at the red lights where the other side of the road was fair game for the sprint when the light turned green. Once you got the hang of it, it wasn't bad. One more thing to consider before you rent a car here. Even though the main Autostradas have a limit of 120 kph, you can drive as fast as you want if you have the room for it.

The trip seemed to take forever, but I managed to stay busy and never get bored. It did feel good to get on the flight in Rome on Delta and hear a southern drawl again. Only 12 hours till I was home again.