When negotiating our travel route with Steve and Charmane one of the stipulations was that our gastronomic tour included a stop in Marnello. While Marnello is not known for edible delicacies, it is home to one of the world’s most delectable cars, the Ferrari.
After a superb lunch in Parma of parmesan reggiano chunks smothered in balsamic vinegar, gnocchi with pesto, pizza and lasagna, we headed straight to Marnello where we were hoping to see the new Ferrari making its first laps around the track.
A few kilometers south of Modena, we had originally planned for a short stop in Marnello to visit the Ferrari gallery and factory when Fletch and I realized that we left our backpack in the restaurant back in Parma. This wouldn’t have been a problem except that both of our cameras were in that backpack. Sick with concern that our cameras were lost forever, Fletch and I hopped in the car and headed back to Parma (an hour away). It had been more than three hours since we left the restaurant and another three would pass (they were closed for “siesta” when we arrived) before we would discover the integrity of the Italian people. Sure enough our backpack was there, untouched and waiting for its owner to claim it. Both Fletch and I hugged the owner more than once. He had no idea how he forever changed the perspective of two North Americans. |
