Slow Food and Fast Cars, Day 2

We hit some high notes for each of us today.

First of all, Casa Maria Luigia is really special. The beds are perfect, the linens are pressed crisp, the pillows are soft, the bathroom is grand. Secondly, all the common rooms are decorated exquisitely, and you are encouraged to hang in them. Have a drink, play a record, read a book, enjoy the original art…

Breakfast is elegant, decadent and convivial. You sit at communal tables, you mingle with guests, the staff keep bringing you gorgeous plates of delicacies and the room is filled with windows and light.

This breakfast is featured in the latest cookbook, and I’ve made most of it, but it was better here and I got some pointers. The cotechino with zabaglione and balsamico was a highlight.

We travelled to Maranello to see the Ferrari museum. It was a madhouse!

We had tickets, but still – it took an hour to get in, and you guessed it, parking was a chore.

However,

Most of the visitors were Italian, and they love their cars. I read a lot of history about the company, and I practiced reading in Italian.

Once we saw every single car in the museum and read about their horsepower, drivetrain and wheel base, we left for…

The Enzo Ferrari Museum in Modena.

This was a much saner experience and an elegantly laid out museum (and we got a parking spot!). Special cars displayed as works of art and a well done documentary on Enzo Ferrari.

Yes, I was tired of taking pictures of cars.

Back to the casa and a little rest and some music. I’m loving the turntable in the room and all the records.

We had an aperitivo with the lovely Valentina, chatted with a guest, and headed over to Al Gatto Verde for dinner.

Before I bore you with every course of dinner, the ladies room is in the Bottura’s gym and car collection:

The artwork everywhere is truly amazing. The whole complex is like your best dream.

Dinner was exceptional in every way. Food, service, ambiance, pacing – just perfection. Chef Jessica Rosval was in the kitchen tonight and we got to say hello. She’s been part of the team for years and is a real advocate for underprivileged women and trains them in food service jobs. And boy can she cook!

Oh, and a really good Sangiovese.

Slow food and fast cars. What a day.

We walked back through the manicured grounds — birds chirping, dogs in the distance, cool breeze and gravel crunching under our heels. We won’t forget this night.

Sogni d’oro.