Well, I’m sorry. I can’t help it. I like big, beautiful, door knockers.
Lucky for me, Italy is the place to be for some seriously big knocker spotting. It doesn’t take long to notice that many of the older buildings in Italy have huge doors. So, it only stands to reason, big doors need big knockers! Read more
The Tuscan countryside is speckled with villas and farms which are neatly surrounded by olive trees and vineyards. Without fail, they stir up the fantasy of one day calling it Home.
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Production of this tiny but practical car began it’s run in 1957 as the Nuova 500. The basic body design stayed relatively unchanged until it’s production end in September 1975. You might be thinking to yourself who would want a car that hardly changed for that many years? Lots of people that’s who. Here’s a number to chew on. Over it’s 18 year history, almost 4 million 500’s were built! Those are solid numbers especially when you consider that very little changed on the car from year to year. These cars where perfect because they were an affordable car for the average family of the time. However, to the casual observer, distinguishing between a 1957 Fiat 500 and the 1975 model is next to impossible.
The First thing to pack into your Fiat 500 identification toolkit will most likely be the easiest one for you to remember. Without a doubt this little tidbit will have people saying, “Wow… you’re a clever one aren’t you?!” Here it is, look close at the side doors of these two cars below for one moment… Notice any difference?
Fix your gaze at the placement of the door handles on these two little beauties. When the handles are located towards the back of the door, you can proclaim with confidence, ” That Fiat 500 was built between 1965 and 1975.” Now wait for the looks of astonishment you’ll get from your audience! Next, hit them with, “If the door handles are located towards the front of the door, (known as suicide doors) it was made between 1957 and 1965.” This should be when the Aaaahhhhs leave their lips!
Of course there are always exceptions to any rule. The 500 Giardiniera, a 3 door Estate version, kept the suicide doors into the 70’s.
You may have noticed an overlap in 1965. That’s because Fiat introduced the 500F model in the same year they were ending production of the 500D model. All you really need to know is, handle in the front, 1965 and older. Handle towards the back, 1965 and newer!
Now that I’ve awakened your inner Fiat 500 trivia nerd, click here to get a more comprehensive list of the differences between the model years. You’ll be the life of the party!
In fact, I challenge you not to say or think… “how cute!” when walking by one of these ultra small cars. We couldn’t resist doing a size comparison of our small 6 year old niece standing next to a Fiat. Now as it did then, we laugh at how it looks like she could have jumped in and pedaled the car away. It’s hard to imagine a family packing themselves into a Fiat 500 and then travelling to nonna’s house for Sunday dinner. But as a teen driver, how much fun would it have been to zip all about the town’s narrow lanes in one of these? Well, fun until mamma came out to twist your ear half off for driving too fast through the neighborhood!
The standard engines for these pint sized autos ranged from a 479cc-13hp up to a 594cc-21hp version found in the sport models. It’s really hard to wrap my head around a 13hp four seater car. Heck… my lawn tractor has 23 horsepower engine in it! We’ve driven enough roads in Italy to think it must be a challenge for a fully loaded 500 to climb those steep hills.
As luck would have it, there are companies offering self driving tours using the vintage Fiat 500. Sweeeet! The 500 Touring Club of Firenze being one of them, offers a number of different driving tours which are sure to peak your interest. They’ve put together picnic tours, wine tours and tours for those who just want to drive in style! Personally, I see an Italian picnic tour coming up for our 2019 trip through Tuscany.
There is an unwavering love the Italians have for these little cars. The proof of that is in the shear numbers of them still roaming about the Italian landscape. Who can blame them? The pride of ownership of a 500 is also apparent by how many windshields have some kind of Fiat 500 club decals stuck on them. If I called Italy home… I would soooooo be a member of that club!
The best thing about walking the streets in Italy is that you never know what’s waiting around the next corner. Case in point, this uniquely dressed up Fiat 500L parked on a street in Genova. It serves 2 purposes, it’s a fantastic photo op for tourists and it definitely makes people smile. Without a doubt it certainly does it’s job perfectly.
The Fiat 500 is a true success story in automotive history. It’s the little car that could… and did! If this little Italian car were to vanish from the streets of Italy tomorrow, Italia would loose a huge part of its charm.
Dreaming of white sandy beaches, rich blue skies and the warm Balearic sea. It’s all I can think about when I’m trudging knee deep in snow and fighting off freezing winter winds.
The Torre della Pelosa on the Island of Sardegna stands proudly on the islands north west point near Stintino.
Knowing that, it’s nice to see that locals can still find tranquillity in this tiny fishing village to share with friends and family. It was obvious this little guy was enjoying the afternoon picnic with his Grandpa.
Need proof of what I’m saying is true? Then visit the Lazio hilltown of Civita di Bagnoregio in the Province of Viterbo. This small village proudly shows off it’s beauty by using a mass of planters full of flowers and vines as accents.
Civita is a great village to explore and a nice place to stop for a lunch break. Treat yourself to a sit down meal at one of the few ristoranti within the walls of this picturesque town. Chances are, you’ll need the break after you’ve made the trek up the long steep bridge to the towns gates.
Civita di Bagnoregio is a must see hilltown in our opinion.
The thing about photography is that you really never know when something will inspire you to take the shot. Take this photo for example. It was taken as we crossed a busy Roman intersection near Rome’s Trastevere district. We loved the contrast of this bright red car against the muted colors of its surroundings.
However, it’s the timing of the shot that makes it a keeper. Not a single person or vehicle came into frame for the shot. As a result, the photo has a well staged car ad feel to it.
That my friends, is a case of being in the right place at the right time.
That being said, the level of sadness felt when leaving Italy can only be worsened by one thing. Going back to work the very next day!
Agriturismo (a-gree-two-reez-mo). What’s an agriturismo you ask? Google translate refers to it as a farmhouse or a farm holiday. We just call them Fantastic! In a nutshell, an agriturismo is a family run farm which opens their doors to guests. Doing this helps the family subsidize their income allowing them to keep their farming way of life alive and well. To qualify as an agriturismo the farm must produce 51% of its income from farming. The remaining 49% of income can be generated by hosting guests.
There are rewards for leaving the big cities of Italy to relax in one of these hillside country farms. “Tell me more Peter!”
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There is a sense of security that comes with travelling in the light of day. Sunlight has a way of easing our anxieties when we are out and about in strange lands. It gives us courage to wander down narrow cobblestone lanes in the hopes of finding some hidden secret nook. Read more
