We have been vacationing in Italy the last week. Spent 4 days in Rome and decided right away, I AM NOT DRIVING IN ROME!

We have been in Florence (Firenze) this week and rented a Ford Fiesta diesel with automatic stick (oxymoron). The shift is really nice, works almost exactly like a standard shift, just no clutch. You really have to row it to get the best performance.

Driving in Taiwan for 2 1/2 years and track days and slaloms truly prepared me for this experience (especially around traffic circles). There is NO intimidation of this Yankee! I have had no problem asserting myself in traffic and I have to say it was FUN!

Drove to Maranello today (just under 200 KM) to see the Galleria Ferrari (somewhat disappointing, will talk about that later). On the way there the Autostrada was in great shape and allowed for some good high speed cruising. Along the way the Italian road crews were working on the road and closed one of the lanes. There was ample warning and people were merging cleanly, EXCEPT....the moron in a last gen 3 series who decided he would not let me over. He was behind the car next to me and pulled right up (no kidding) within about 4 inches of the car in front's bumper. I was less than 6 inches off the right rear fender of the car in front of his. We are cruising along like this at around 80KM. I stayed righ on the fender of the car and he kept pace 4 inches back, occasionally blowing his horn and reving his engine.

I finally waived him back with my left hand, which did no good. I was not about to let him keep me from merging left and was running out of road fast. I was waiting for a little hesitation and zoom I would be in front of him. Just before running out of space (and time) I slammed my hand down on his hood (yep, we were running that close to each other). He hesitated, and I zoomed...right in front of him! Ahhhh the joys of drining! LOL

Off to Scotland next week. Let's see steering wheel on the right, drive on the left....just need to keep that straight or there will be some hairy bouts of Chicken to be played......

 

Cool story, can't wait to hear what's next...by the way, where in Taiwan were you for 2.5 years? I spent way too much time (about 12 weeks) in the Hyatt next to Taipei 101 in 2005/2006. Also drove the new tunnel from Taipei to Suao on the east coast a lot commuting from Taipei 101 to the navy's Eastern Operations Center.

 

I was stationed at Shu Lin Kou Air Station during the Jurasic Period (actually 1968-71). I was a "clerk typist" in a building with no windows and BIG antennas covering the 5 hole pitch\put golf course.

We lived in a community called Tien Mu. I have many stories about our stay there.

Drove the Suao\Hua Lien highway along the coast when it was 1 way....mountains to the right of me, ocean to the left and stuck in the middle with....

 

Interesting! Hah one-way, that is just plain scary. BTW, the Suao HWY is now a 4-laner for the most part (with a bit of 2-lane in between) but you still get the mountains to the right, oceans to the left. Oh yes - you also have the passenger train that follows the road. And one rest area/museum

 

How could you go to Italy and not invite all the forum members along? The nerve of some people!

 

HaHa......Italy is pretty fun to drive in.

It's all about never giving an inch to anyone!

 

Not even one inch? I thought Italy was about giving 6 inches or more...

 

Nope. They never give an inch. They have the metric system.

 

My wife and another couple vactioned in Italy last year for about two weeks. Part of the trip was spending four days in a Chianti villa. During that time our ride was a Opel wagon. 1.9 turbo diesel, 6 spd. Held four people and luggage very comforatbly. Drove all over Tuscany, visited Pisa, Maranello (I liked the Galleria Ferrari - curious to what SRT found disapointing ) and completed the road trip portion of our vacation in Venice. No issues with the autostrada, roads or any drivers. I really like the fact the the left lanes are for passing only. They way it is supposed to be here. You do have to stay aggressive which I have no problem with.

I did have one funny (frustrating at the time) drving problem. We had just picked up the car in Florence and driving towards Sienna. I made a wrong turn somewhere and had to turn around. We are on a straight country type two lane road and I figured I would just do a quick 3-point u-turn. I get to the reverse portion of the turn and I could not get the car in reverse. Everytime I think I am in reverse I am actually in first and the cars inches forward a little. Now in front of us is a little ditch followed by a mountain. My friends in the back seat starting to worry. I am pulling and pushing on the **** with no better results. Finally I notice a small button on the back of the shift lever and wa lah the car goes in reverse. So the obvious tip for you is any time you rent a manual trans car, figure out where reverse is before you leave the garage.

Our Opel is the one on the right

 

Drove all over Tuscany, visited Pisa, Maranello (I liked the Galleria Ferrari - curious to what SRT found disapointing )

I really thought it would be much bigger with more cars. Kinda jaded here in SoCal to see more Ferraris on the west side of LA then at the Galleria.

Also after driving from Florence all the way to Maranello, I guess I expected more. Very nice but relatively small.