A Pilgrimage

Larry's always wanted to visit the Ducati Museum, but just never found the time when passing Bologna on the autostrada. When "Il Ducatista" decided to come over and visit, the decision to go up to Borgo Panigale became a no-brainer. So after a few enjoyable days in Sicily, we boarded a flight to Rome, grabbed a rental car and headed north. The weather became worse as we got closer to our goal, stopping for the night in rainy Orvieto and making the rest of the trip the next morning, leaving time for a stop at Maranello and the Galleria Ferrari. We took a taxi into Bologna that evening for dinner, enjoying the best tortellini in brodo (no surprise, as this is the home of the dish) along with other specialties of the region.

The following morning was our scheduled time for a factory tour. To Larry, once you've seen an assembly plant you've sort of seen them all, but for "Il Ducatista" this was like visiting the birthplace of a child - his Ducati 999. From there it was on to the beautiful museum where we ran into the curator and expressed our admiration for the job he's done here. Way too much to cover here so just a shot of the first Ducati, the engine for a bicycle (perhaps why these are so revered by cyclists like Larry?) a shot of the outsides of the factory grounds where these huge posters cover the crumbling walls of the old factory and a shot of the championship-winning Superbikes from the past few racing seasons. Here's a link to a video you might enjoy.

Next stop- Tuscany and a visit to Tommasini.