"Opening Repertoire"


Now in it's third year, the Concorso di Italiano Esotici drew its inspiration from the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance held on the grounds of the Pebble Beach Golf Links every summer. While January temperatures were mild in Sicily, winter was not popular "golfing weather" and the club started the Concorso as an attempt to gain business. The first year proved popular enough to bring it back and after the second year, the Il Picciolo Golf Club on the eastern side of the island suggested the two team up and promote a driving event, which this year would be known as the Tour della Esotici. Fortunately, the clear and sunny weather that blessed the previous two events returned for the third.

The Tour followed the A20 Autostrada along the northern coastline of Sicily to the commune of Falcone. There, the drivers exited the Autostrada and joined State Highways 113 and then 185. SS185 meandered along the spine of hills along a river valley until it intersects with SP7-I through the commune of Catiglione di Sicilia to SS120, which is where the Il Picciolo Golf Club nestled up against the slopes of Mount Etna. That evening a huge dinner party would be thrown for the attendees mirroring the one being held for those who chose to stay at Le Madonie. Then everyone would make their way back to Le Madonie via the A20 in the morning for the major awards, including Best in Show.

While the Concorso was open to the public for viewing, showing a car or participating in the Tour della Esotici required an invitation from the organizers. Michele chose—at Kara's urging—to bring his Enzo to the event. The organizers had him park it with other recent Ferrari supercars, including the F50, F40 and 288GTO, all of them arranged before a Ferrari FXX which held court from a raised wooden dais.

"Now that is just automotive pornography," Michele stated, pointing to a voluptuous coupe in deep metallic red paint and an even more stunning spider in pearlescent white. Female Alfa Romeo press people dressed in red tank tops and knee-length skirts with the three colors of the Italian flag down each side matched to red knee-height boots surrounded the cars, handing out bound color brochures.

"This is the 8C Competizione coupe and spider," an attractive brunette whose nametag read 'Alessia' informed Michele and Kara as she handed them a booklet. "We're considering putting it into limited production and you can leave your contact information at the table if you would like more information."

Michele thanked her and spent a few moments admiring the cars and then they continued on.

"You going to buy one?" Kara asked once they were out of earshot and amongst the display vehicles.

"That spider is heart-stopping beautiful, but I already have the Gallardo," Michele noted.

"It's probably for the better. Jeremy Clarkson says Alfa Romeos ruin your life," Kara noted.

"That they do. But when he also notes you cannot be a true petrol-head until you own an Alfa, he is speaking Gospel truth."

"So will you buy me an Alfa?" Kara asked.

"Don't be silly," Michele said. "I like you too much to do something so awful."

Kara cocked her head askance, now totally confused.

"An Alfa is a penance you take on of your own free will, not one imposed on you by another," Michele said.

"So true," a female voice said with a laugh beside them. Kara turned to see a tall and very attractive blonde standing next to an immaculate red Alfa Romeo convertible, a soft cleaning rag in her hand.

"Sorry, but I couldn't help but overhear you," the woman said with a smile. She wore a black wool cardigan over a white cotton shirt, grey jeans that accented her legs and hips and black leather riding boots.

"You sound like a former Alfa owner," she added.

Holding Michele's hand, Kara felt his pulse rate quicken and his body temperature rise slightly as he looked at the woman. Michele nodded his head. "I have indeed experienced the highs and lows of Alfa ownership."

"I'm Caterina," the woman greeted, putting out her hand.

"Michele," he said as he took it. "This is my daughter Kara," he quickly added before she could introduce herself as his girlfriend, as was her habit as of late.

"Japanese?" Caterina guessed as she looked at Kara. "Your wife must be very beautiful to produce such a lovely young woman."

"Actually Kara is adopted," Michele replied. "I'm unmarried," he quickly added and Kara didn't miss the subtle change in Caterina's expression and body language.

Michele nodded to the car she was standing next to. "Yours?"

"She's a 1960 Giulietta Spider Veloce. I purchased her when I started University and she's been a relatively faithful companion," Caterina stated, the pride evident in her voice.

Michele came forward and admired the black leather with red piping seating, black and red leather door panels, and black leather dash top. The chrome gleaned and the lacquer on the wooden steering wheel shined.

"My first car was a 1977 Alfasud Sprint coupe that caused me much heartbreak," he noted. "The 1.2 liter engine pulled like a lame tortoise and the clutch was rubbish, but when it worked, which I admit wasn't often, it was magic, as all Alfas are."

Caterina nodded her head in agreement. "How long did you have it?"

"Six months," Michele said with a sheepish grin. "I should have learned my lesson, but I was able to get a good deal on an early model GTV6 and at that point I was hooked."

Caterina laughed, and Michele found it a wonderful sound. "Are you still an Alfa owner?" she asked.

"No," Michele admitted. "I had a good year in 1999 and purchased a Ferrari 456 and I've been a Ferrari man ever since."

"Except for the Gallardo Spyder," Kara noted.

"A Ferrari and a Lamborghini? Are you Swiss?" Caterina joked, playing on their famous neutrality. In Italy, Ferrari vs. Lamborghini passions ran deep.

"It's more that Lamborghini's current design appeals to me more than Ferrari's," Michele noted.

Caterina nodded again in agreement. "I'm sure you don't miss owning an Alfa, but do you miss driving one?"

"At times, yes. That 8C they have back there might just bring me back into the fold."

"That convertible is to die for," Caterina admitted. "I prefer the vehicles from the 1950s and 1960s, but that…that's so beautiful it borders on obscenity. Like something you'd see in the centerfold of a magazine."

"Indeed. My friend and I drove a 1949 Alfa 6C 2500 Super Sport cabriolet he owns in the Mille Miglia last year and he was gracious enough to let me borrow it so I could take Kara with me this year."

"Ah, last year was my first Miglia with the Giulietta. My late partner and I drove it, but he didn't find it as interesting." Caterina pulled open the driver's door and invited Michele to have a seat.

"It's a magnificent machine," Michele stated. "And the condition is immaculate. Are you submitting her for judging?" he asked, noting the three awards from other shows displayed on the passenger seat.

"Yes," Caterina replied. "The competition here is far too tough to hope for one of the top awards, but I'd be pleased with one of the lower categories."

"I wouldn't sell your chances short," Michele noted as he stepped out.

"Thank you. Do you have anything submitted?"

"I have a yellow Enzo, but she's a track car so she's not really in 'concours condition'," Michele admitted. "We brought her along for the Tour."

"An Enzo? 1999 must not have been the only good year you've had," Caterina noted with a smile.

"I own a technology consulting firm in Milan and I do okay for myself. As you can see, my daughter doesn't want for clothing."

Kara, wearing a €1200 dress over a €300 sweater, clipped Michele in the shin with her €1000 leather boots. Caterina tried and failed to stifle a chuckle.

"Sorry," Michele said to Kara, who merely scowled at him.

They could see the judges slowly making their way down the line of cars towards them, and Michele offered he and Kara's assistance to complete the final primping, which she accepted. They then respectfully stepped away as the judges went over the car, asking questions of Caterina as to the location of certain items and the provenance of certain pieces. Within 20 minutes they'd completed and thanked her, moving on to the next vehicle, a beautiful silver 1968 Alfa 1750 Spider Veloce "roundtail" with red leather.

"That will turn a girl's blonde hair white," Caterina noted about the judging process, though she wore a smile. "But now I get a chance to actually walk the grounds."

"We were doing the same. Forgive my forwardness, but would you like to join us?" Michele offered.

As a fellow woman, Caterina could sense Kara didn't want her to accept. However, she could also sense Michele did and she could also sense in him someone who appreciated cars the way she did.

Sorry, Kara, she thought.

"I'd love too," she said aloud.


The three of them walked around for the next two hours, admiring all of the post-War vehicles, Kara commenting that Michele should buy one of the soon-to-be-released Zonda C12 F roadsters since the company, Pagani Automobili, shared his last name. Michele declined the suggestion, mentioning the difficulties Richard Hammond encountered driving his Zonda C12 S when the Top Gear boys went to the Millau Viaduct.

Their route eventually looped them back to the Alfa Romeo section and Caterina's Giulietta.

"Are you taking part in the Tour?" Michele asked.

"The weather is too nice not to," Caterina noted. "Perfect for a convertible."

"Yes, I should have brought the Gallardo," Michele said, a bit wistfully.


Michele took the wheel (to Kara's mild consternation) and they set out. As the FXX's racing slicks were not street-legal, it did not partake in the Tour. Therefore, Michele's Enzo lined up third behind the black 1971 Ferrari 365 GTS/4 and a white 1966 Ferrari 500 Superfast.

State Highway 185 was a narrow, two-lane road and the cars formed a long train as they followed the winding turns and switchbacks through forest and farmland. As they passed through the commune of Novara di Sicilia, the train became a bit disconnected as civilian traffic merged in and out, though local police helped maintain the traffic flow.

"Bored?" Michele asked Kara as they negotiated a 120° sweeper followed almost immediately by a 180° hairpin that opened out onto a long straight.

"Huh? Of course not," she said, though her voice betrayed her frustration at the languid pace the two vehicles ahead of her were maintaining. He could see her right leg bouncing back and he knew that if she'd been behind the wheel, she'd have passed them dozens of kilometers back and would be attacking this road at triple digit speeds.

"Maybe instead of taking the A20 back with the others tomorrow, you should consider trying this road. Hopefully it will be light on a Sunday," Michele offered.

"Yeah," Kara agreed, a dreamy smile breaking out on her face.


By the time they reached the SP7-I interchange at Francavilla di Sicilia, Michele's arms were aching something fierce. Even though the Enzo's steering was power-assisted, it had a heavy weight and all the corners and switchbacks and hairpins were taking their toll. The cars stopped at a large industrial park to let everyone catch up and Michele handed over the driving duties to Kara under her strict assurance that she wouldn't ride the bumper of the 500 Superfast in an attempt to get it to go faster.

The SP7-I was just a shorter version of SS-185, with plenty of sweepers and switchbacks and hairpins. True to her word, she maintained a safe and polite distance from the Superfast, though when it and the 365 GTS/4 reached the SS120 interchange, they both motioned her to pass them. Kara did so and as soon as she made the turn, she floored the throttle, the Enzo laying down two long, dark streaks of rubber as the car shimmied under acceleration. She stabbed the brakes as she entered the 90° constant radius left-hander and planted her boot in the carpet on exit until she reached the entrance to the Il Picciolo Golf Club, where she stood on the brakes, turning into the club to the claps and whistles of the public lining the approach.


Concorso staffers directed Kara to the 1st green, assigning her the spot closest to the club house, a restored and converted farmhouse. The 365 GTS/4 and 500 Superfast came next, slowly followed by the other cars over the next hour. Guests and fans came up to the Enzo to admire it and Kara basked in the spotlight. Michele, meanwhile, walked down the line of cars until Caterina's pulled in to her spot.

"That was a glorious drive," she exclaimed. She'd placed a scarf over her head and if anything, Michele thought it made her even more attractive. She'd replaced the cardigan with a red leather jacket for the drive and she unzipped it to show a white cotton shirt.

"Indeed. The slow pace frustrated Kara, so I promised her she could drive that route back in the morning."

"Good for you. Fathers should indulge their daughters every now and then," Caterina replied, echoing a sentiment Michele himself firmly believed in.

The two of them walked back to the Enzo to collect Kara and then the three of them went towards the clubhouse area. Mount Etna loomed on the horizon, the snow cap a mix of purples and pinks in the gathering dusk. Long banquet tables had been laid out and candles, hurricane lamps and torches provided plenty of natural light to complement the artificial electric light of the building. Waiters walked the crowd with champagne and fine local wines as well as antipasto as the outside dining area was prepared on the 18th green.


After dinner people split up into couples or small groups, some dancing, some walking the grounds, others enjoying caffè and digestivo or lighting cigars and pipes.

"Are you staying at the course?" Caterina asked as she and Michele stood near a fire pit.

"No, we're at the San Domenico Palace in Taormina," Michele replied.

"Snazzy. I'm at the Monte Tauro."

"You're like across the valley from us. We can probably wave at each other from our respective pools," Michele noted.

"That would be amusing. Uhm, would you be interested in having breakfast together?" Caterina asked. "Say 9:00 at your hotel?"

"I'd like that," Michele replied.

"Wonderful. I believe I've monopolized enough of your time this evening, so I'm going to take my leave of you so you can spend some time with your daughter."

Michele took her hand in his and kissed the top of it, then walked her to her Giulietta.

"I'll see you in the morning," Michele said as Caterina started the car.

"It's a date," she replied, putting the car into gear and motoring off.


"You two seem to have gotten along well," Kara commented as she pulled out of the golf course on to east SS120 towards Taormina.

"Yes, she's an intriguing woman," Michele replied, his thoughts still focused on Caterina so he missed the hint of distress mixed with sadness in Kara's tone.

"She's going to have breakfast with us tomorrow morning. Her hotel is just across the way from ours."

"Lovely," Kara said, though her tone implied otherwise. She rounded the curve past the SP7-I intersection and pressed down hard on the throttle along the straight. The sat-nav showed a 180° turn composed of two 90° left-handers and she waited till 100m before stamping on the brakes for the first one. She carried her speed through the second and floored the throttle on the exit, again standing on the brakes for the 130° right-hander and then applied full throttle on the next straight. She braked hard for the next right-hander and powered through the next series of corners and back out on the straight, and entered the outskirts of the commune of Linguaglossa at over 200 km/h.

"Kara! We're in a residential district!" Michele admonished, shouting to be heard over the wail of the V12. Kara lifted off, blipping the throttle as she downshifted, the V12 barking as it dropped in revs, the loud report echoing off the walls of the houses like a gunshot.

"Use your head, girl! Do you want to get us arrested for disturbing the peace?" Michele growled in annoyance.

"Sorry," Kara replied, though her tone carried no hint of contriteness. She slowed to the posted limit, which she maintained for the rest of the trip to the SS114 interchange and the drive up that to their hotel.


Converted in 1896 from the 15th Century monastery of the same name, the San Domenico Palace Hotel sat on the end of a cliff overlooking the Ionian Sea. Michele and Kara were escorted to a deluxe suite with a view of the sea and Michele nodded approvingly at the high ceilings, polished old tile floors, antique furniture and prints and large marble bathroom. Kara, on the other hand, sighed quietly at the two double beds.

She sat down on the loveseat just inside the terrace and pulled off her boots followed by her socks. She then walked out onto the large balcony and went up to the railing, looking out at the lights of Taormina and the boats out on the sea.

"Sorry I ignored you this evening," Michele said as he came up next to her. He put his arm around her shoulders and she leaned up against him.

"It's okay," she replied. "Caterina is very pretty and she's much closer in age to you then I am so I'm not surprised you're attracted to her."

"But this was supposed to be a father-daughter getaway and in the end the father got away from his daughter," Michele said.

"I'm going to take a shower and head to bed," Kara said and headed for the bathroom.


"So how long have you and Kara been together?" Caterina asked as she and Michele ate breakfast on the patio of the hotel restaurant. Kara still slept in the room.

"About two years now," Michele replied.

"She really is beautiful. You must need to beat her suitors off with a stick."

Michele smiled, more so at the thought of such action being kinder than what Kara herself could do to them.

"Being a father, and a father of a teenage girl, has been a bit difficult at times, but overall, she's been a blessing," Michele noted.

"If you don't mind me asking, what brought you together?"

"It's your standard fairy tale – starts with tragedy and ends with happiness. She was on vacation with her parents and they were involved in a traffic accident. Her parents didn't make it and she had no family back home. I did volunteer work at the hospital and we formed a bond during her recuperation. When it came time for her release, I asked if she wished to become my adopted daughter and she agreed."

"Fairy tale indeed," Caterina noted.


After breakfast, Michele called the room to see if Kara had awoken yet, but received no answer. He tried her cellphone, with the same effect.

"I suppose I should go upstairs and kick her out," Michele muttered.

"Let her sleep. She's young and they need it."

"Well I don't want to wait too long. We still need to get back to Le Madonie. Though with her lead foot…"

"You let her drive such a powerful car?" Caterina asked, surprised.

"She's better than I am," Michele admitted, earning him a smile and laugh from Caterina. "She's logged scores of hours at the Vallelunga circuit outside Rome and she's also a fairly decent cart driver."

"Kara races carts? So did I as a young girl. I drove at the Pista di Artena or the Circuito Internazionale di Viterbo."

"Kara uses both facilities," Michele noted.

"Small world. Since Kara can drive, if you'd like, you're welcome to come back with me now and Kara can follow along when she's ready," Caterina offered.

"I would indeed like that," Michele replied. He dialed Kara's cellphone again and left her a message stating he and Caterina had gone ahead and she should follow at her leisure.


The drive along the coast in the open-top Giulietta invigorated the spirits of both Caterina and Michele. As they passed Messina, Caterina looked out at the test pier she and Franco had tried to drop months prior.

That's in the past, now, she told herself.

They were approaching the commune of Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto when a yellow Ferrari Enzo blitzed past them.

"That must be Kara," Caterina remarked. Sure enough, the brake lights glowed and the car slowed down until it came up beside them. Caterina smiled while Michele tossed her a little wave. Kara responded with a jaunty salute and then hammered the throttle, the Enzo rapidly receding into the horizon.

While she couldn't match the speed of the Enzo, Caterina pressed down on the throttle and the Giulietta accelerated to 160km/h, racing down the long straight between the Barcellona and Falcone off-ramps. Just beyond Falcone, they pulled into the "Tindari" service area for fuel and refreshments. As they arrived at the parking area, they saw the Enzo, Kara sitting against the back, surrounded by a number of young men.

Caterina stopped just past the parking spot and Kara headed for their vehicle, the young men disbursing.

"Thanks for waiting," she said, her voice dripping in sarcasm, as Michele exited.

"Would you have preferred I threw you out of bed and carried you into the shower?" Michele shot back.

"You could have chosen a less…drastic…method to wake me up," Kara noted.

"We're on vacation, so I decided to let you sleep in. Did you take care of the room and our luggage?" Michele asked and Kara nodded her head.

"I'm going to re-fuel and head out, so I'll meet you two at the course," Caterina noted. She put the car in gear and motored off towards the fueling area.

"Did you eat before you left?" Michele asked and again Kara indicated she had.

"Okay. I'm going to get some water so fire up the Enzo and we'll head off."

"Should I wait for Caterina?" Kara asked.

"I'll give her a call once we near Sant'Agata di Militello," Michele noted.