Wednesday 16 April 2014

M is for Maranello


One of the most sensible pacts that my husband and I have made is the no gifting policy. Well, it was more for my comfort. I have always found it incredibly difficult to buy the man something he would appreciate and cherish. A typical gift buying conversation would go like this -
Me: “A wallet? A watch perhaps?”
He: ”Please don’t waste money, I already have one of each”.  
Me: “A pen?”
He: “I don’t write”
Me: “A gadget – phone, tab?”
He: “Hmmm... sounds interesting, but let’s wait for the next version to come out”

You get the drift right??

If you use the word ‘fast’ and ‘cars’ in the same sentence anywhere in the vicinity of my husband, you can be sure to see his eyes light up. It is a dream that he knows will never come true – being a race car driver.

So, during our trip to Italy, when I figured we would be crossing Maranello en route Pisa, we just had to make a pit stop (pun intended!) Maranello is best known for the Ferrari factory. Despite being a shoestring budget trip, I decided to splurge on this one occasion and gift him a 20 minute Ferrari drive! It would make up for all the lack of gifting for eternity.

The museum visit by itself had given him such an adrenalin rush, he could hardly make up his mind between a Lamborghini and a Ferrari California. After much thought and deliberation, he went with the latter. We had a person from the shop accompany us on the drive, explaining the controls et al.

Then we hit the highway. Boy! I had butterflies in my stomach, just being a silent co passenger. The revving engine, the wind in my hair, the speed, the roads… I have goosebumps even as I write this! I can imagine how exciting it must have been for him to actually get to drive it.  

22 comments:

  1. My husband and I also have a no gifting policy. For the most part it works very well, but he slips sometimes and splurges on a gift card (he knows I prefer shopping to flowers). I think our policy makes our relationship better because it eliminates unnecessary pressure.

    The Ferrari ride sounds fabulous, and it is something you both enjoyed, which is the best kind of gift. via A to Z Challenge

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    1. That's sweet. We enjoyed it thoroughly. It was a one of a kind experience!

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  2. I have visited Pisa but not Maranello. What a loving thoughtful gift... I have to be creative with my husband as well. You were more than creative a gift of a thrill, a memory, an adventure and an experience to last a lifetime! Lucky husband indeed . Thanks for dropping by #a2zchallenge ☮Peace ☮ ღ ONE ℒℴνℯ ღ ☼ Light ☼ visiting from http://4covert2overt.blogspot.com/

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    1. Oh, there's not much to do in Maranello if you are not a Ferrari fan. Thanks for the generous words Egan :)

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  3. Boy... you guys go all the way, don't you? :-) Super cool!

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    1. Yeah, I was pretty sure we wouldn't travel to Maranello again. So, decided to enjoy it while we were there!

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  4. I remember seeing a pic of him in the Lamborghini! :)

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    1. I think you are refering to his FB profile pic.. It is in a red Ferrari. :)

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  5. Now THAT sounds like a great gift. I have trouble locating exciting opportunities like this...I'm not a very creative gift giver!

    Stephanie
    http://stephie5741.blogspot.com

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    1. Oh no, I did not work too hard to make this happen. Maranello was anyway on our itinerary. I just made a spur-of-the-moment decision to gift him the drive :)

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  6. Experience, memories...the best gifts. What a great idea, Aarthi!

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    1. Very true Susan. Thanks for visiting my blog!

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  8. I love it! Nothing is a better gift than an experience. Things fade a break. Memories are forever.

    True Heroes from A to Z

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    1. Oh yes Crystal. Memories are what we take to our graves :) Welcome to The Magic Quill. Hope you liked looking around my blog.

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  9. How awesome - I bet the ride was a total rush! And I think that's how gift giving should be - getting something *whenever* just because you know that the person will love it, not just buying some ol' anything because the calendar says it's time.

    Hope you’re having fun with the A to Z challenge,
    Jocelyn

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    1. Well said Jocelyn, how true!!! Thanks for stopping by my blog :) Really appreciate you taking the time out to comment amidst the crazy blog hopping!

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  10. WOAH! He is one luck guy! :D That sounds so cool!

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    1. I am going to show him this comment and never let him hear the end of it :) Thanks Diptee, you made my day! :D

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  11. Fabulous. I'd love to do this for my husband.Sounds fantastic :)

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    1. Oh you should try it. There are loads of sites where you can book tickets for a drive in advance. It is completely worth it :)

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