Italy For Christmas

[44caliberkid]

My wife and I went to Germany, Austria and Italy for Christmas vacation.  We rented a car (Alpha Romeo Turbo sedan, 6 speed manual, weeee) in northern Italy and drove about an hour to Brescia. We found the Pietta factory. It had a very high, very secure fence and gate around it. I was playing around with the gate when the electric lock clicked and I pushed it open. We were greeted by a huge barking Rottweiler behind a short fence he could have easily jumped. We stood there looking around till a man came out of the building to talk to us. He was an exec, catching up on work. Everyone was off for two weeks holiday. He told us the police wouldn't let them let anyone in, but it was cool just to be there. He was very nice.
  Next we drove up the Gardone Valley and to the Beretta/ Uberti plant.  Their gate was open and two white collar types were standing in the driveway.  We talked to them. Same story, no one there and couldn't let us in, but he did give us some very nice Beretta calendars featuring hunting dogs and the months we're in Italian. He also told us the old factory was 2 kilometers up the road, so we went and looked at it. The area was very beautiful.  We also saw the Bugatti factory.  Even though we couldn't rangle a tour it was just neat to be there.
  And really fun to peg the boost gauge on that Alpha!

[pony express]

My first thought when I saw the thread title was a trip to Italy, then I thought "Na, probably got an Uberti something for Christmas". Glad to hear my first impression was right! I'd love to go back to Europe, haven't been there since Uncle Sam sent me on a 3 1/2 year paid vacation there.