Moto and Modena

Paul here...I'll make a little break from the food posts to keep with our original theme....

I've wanted to post more about motorcycles here but the Parma motorcycle community is still a bit hidden to me, probably because of the weather. As it warms up I see more and more bikes on the street.

There's a really good Yamaha dealer close to us, I took a walk there and met with the manager. He speaks good english so we had a long conversation about the market situation here....unfortunately it's the same as in the US, which is terrible! Makes for a good buyer's market though, and I saw quite a few used bikes for sale in the shop...also it had by far the best selection of Dainese gear I've ever seen.

Prices are fairly high due to the dollar/euro exchange rate, and I'm still not sure what the rules are for foreigners buying and registering motorcycles here. So, I don't know what the chances are of picking something up to use while we're here....but I sure would like to try!

Public transportation is very good here, but so are the roads, and I'd love to ride them. We'll see.

Emily and I took a trip to Modena, too, which is the home of Ferrari and Maserati. Didn't make it to the factory in Maranello, but next time we go I will. Modena is beautiful and I love that they have the Ferrari flag in the town center next to the national flag:

OK, the food here is just too good and prevalent....I can't resist commenting on it a little bit more.
Of course we couldn't visit Modena without picking up a bottle of authentic Aceto, which is highly prized and like everything else here, not cheap. We've used a tiny bit already, it's much, much different and better than the "balsamic vinegar di Modena" that you commonly see in the states. Some of the oldest bottles in the shops were 400 euro, which is almost $600!!!

Also I got probably the best cannoli I've ever had (sorry Mom!), the owner of the cafe we went to handmakes them in the back. Yum! Although moustaches and powdered sugar are a difficult combo....