trinacriabob

Was too exhausted to post these upon returning. More sightings from the Adriatic coast: Here's yet another Opel Corsa Here's yet another Ford Ka ... it looks somewhat more normal these days, yet slightly odd when released slightly before 2000 Here's something that I think is considered equivalent to a motorcycle for driving or licensing purposes ... not sure ... And, finally, here's some graffiti on a wall wishing a happy birthday to a (girl)friend or relative named Melania ... or, it could have been put up one April day in reference to that well known individual who hails from a northeasterly direction across the Adriatic.

Happy Earth Day ...

Our Chrysler 300 as seen across the pond near a couple of train stations functioning as a nicer taxi or limo. They call it a Lancia Thema. I did speak to one of the drivers and I think he said it had a 3000 cc (3.0 liter) V6. Again, I don't know who would have supplied that engine, given that the entry-level engine here is the Pentastar 3.6 liter V6. Seen in one city: Seen in another city - namely the port city of Bari, a major hub for ferries to and from Adriatic Greece.

Learned something. The Cadillac sure looks like the CTS of the 2000s. If there are any shared underpinnings, this car looks a little bit nicer because of the curved up beltline while the rear taillamps are slightly obnoxious ... as in overbearing.

Yes, back in February ... self explanatory ... I'm thinking they're electric ...

Driving down a country road, minding my own business, and I see this, so I pulled over ...

Here are some cars seen in the EUR. The EUR (pronounced Eh-oor) is an edge city/business suburb for Rome. Sort of like Bellevue:Seattle, White Plains:NYC, Las Colinas/Irving:Dallas, etc. except that it's still within Rome proper, with a Rome address and zip code. But it would feel familiar to an American. It's a corporate place and all that, and there is some money floating around. With that, come the cars: Cadillac - a derivation of a model offered in America, but I believe the transmission was manual. Not what I'd want in a Cadillac I'd have as a daily driver. - this part looks very familiar and drew me toward the car - there is a change in the beltline toward the rear sail panel; it looks slightly different from whatever the American equivalent was - here you see both the beltline and rear taillamp differences - here it is in front of a massive modernist complex Popular econobox 3-door hatchbacks - the Opel Corsa (front) and Ford Ka (beyond) nameplates have been going strong over there for over 2 decades; I saw them everywhere Ford Mustang - our popular muscle car is pronounced "Moose tongue" over there, unless the subject is "sufficiently" Anglicized Ferrari - all these cars in this one parking lot, probably for a corporate or professional services building in the EUR I wish I had seen these during the day. And this is all within a few blocks after a much needed Big Mac and fries that evening at a nice multi-level McDonald's in the EUR.

What's interesting is that the powertrains in U.S. vehicles sold overseas are different. Sometimes, the engine doesn't even sound like a configuration (liters, etc.) that is made in North America. Maybe they source it over there somewhere, like Germany.

Cars spotted (yes, in February) driving past the Colosseum as I was standing on the street corner across the street: The painful but obligatory Subaru wagon (by the way, police departments like to use them) - it's not pronounced Soo-bah-roo, but Soob-bah-ruh, with the emphasis on the "ba." Smart cars have not diminished in popularity - not at all - especially in the big, crowded cities. The icing on the cake was this ancient Fiat 500 ... and the passenger waving at me as they rounded the corner. It's good fun to check out cars in foreign lands.

I can't believe I saw such a thing this morning. It was a Ford Tempo! I then pulled up next to the driver. It looked boxy, so I thought it was a sedan. It was a coupe. The driver, while adjacent to me, told me it was a 1994, all original, and had less than 60,000 miles on it. It was in excellent condition. Its color was charcoal metallic with a dark red interior. What a throwback. It was one of these (an example): I used to work with a guy in Atlanta who had one, and his joke was that his Tempo, which he didn't find to be good, was only "TEMPOrary."

Two random thoughts: First, there's real inflation and there's inflation that's about gouging If inflation is, overall, running at 7%, some prices have been raised way above that level, by restaurants, retail, etc., and I'm not sure all of it is warranted. At the beginning of the month, I had to renew my P.O. box. There had been an increase of about $10 the year before. This year, my SEMI-annual renewal went from $ 73 to $ 91. That's an increase of 24+ %. Some people in the USPS lobby were not happy about this, either. Maybe it's to make up for the USPS's faltering efficiency. Some restaurant dishes have gone from the usual $14 to $17, for example. A friend and I were discussing that, while there are supply bottlenecks and some inputs for products and services are higher, quite a few merchants are gouging for part of those increases. Second, isn't it great when you find a smaller auto repair shop that works well for you? I think so. However, there comes a time when such a repair shop does a half-arse repair, charges a little higher, and/or is talking smack to you. Typically, this is always in the area of electronics and computerized engine management. It is rarely in the area of mechanical issues, since those are much more obvious to someone who knows cars but not electronics. The stupid thing is that, where they could have kept a customer going forward for years and years, they lose the customer. Maybe they get new ones along the way and they don't care. However, I think it's bad business sense. Meh.

To those who celebrate it, Happy Easter ... and have a good weekend. @oldshurst442 Happy Easter to you for next Sunday ... I checked the calendar to see when it is celebrated.

Cute dog seen on a side street in a small town in Portugal. Not scared, but wary. I wonder if it had an owner, but it looks well fed.

I agree. I wouldn't want it on my vehicle. This takes me right back to having rented a Toyota Camry with a N.A. 2.5 4 cyl. and an 8 speed automatic transmission, and marveling at the MPG I got, in addition to it being a much improved driving experience over previous versions of Camry. Never thought I'd be praising a Toyota. Right. It would depend on the baseline we're talking about and, on a larger displacement engine, it would help about that much, in percentage points. I know that when the very last Monte Carlos and LaCrosses were offered in SS and Super form, respectively, those trim levels featured the GM 5.3 V8, and it had AFM. As for the 5.3 Chevy V8, I don't know if it's offered in purist form - simple N.A. breathing. It surprises me that this engine would have any issues whatsoever, as long as it has been around now. I wonder if this means these new 5.3 and 6.2 GM V8s are not as good as the conventional small block GM V8s of yesteryear. And, if not, that's disappointing because, for the money you spend, they should be.

Don't be surfing off the Central CA coast near Lompoc CA and Vandenberg. A lot of great whites seem to hang out there.

Happy Sunday ... ... and enjoy the great accents!

Henry Ford was controversial on quite a few levels. The one thing I read about him and filed away is that if he was taking someone out to lunch as part of an interview and was considering hiring them, he didn't make them an offer if they didn't salt their food. I found that ridiculous. What does it matter if you salt your food or not? (FTR, I don't add salt to my food when it gets to the table.)

I'm going to be retroactively dropping some sightings into this thread so they slot into the correct month. Bologna (IT) The agnostic/atheistic Subaru wagon (it appears to be that way in the U.S., where they seemed to have the most Darwin decals) in front of a church - I once saw a rosary on the rearview mirror of one and posted the photo here. There is always a vehicle on display in the Bologna airport because Modena, home to the high end and exotic Italian automakers, is nearby. This is a Lamborghini STO.

Good morning ...

Getting coffee and eating a donut before getting home, I hear this ... And I remember where I was the very first time I heard this.

That's torture!

What NOT to be on April Fools Day ... or any day: either her or Fred! Happy April Fools Day!

Random but recurring thought: A decade ago, and prior to that, I found it hard to decide WHICH vehicle I might want to buy from among the choices available to me. Currently, I find it hard to decide IF there is a vehicle I might want to buy from among the choices available to me.

The port wine is fine. It is sometimes given as a token of appreciation at the end of a meal. They make some nice pastries over there, as you say. Also consider what a beautiful coastline and interior this country has. I'm with you on where your soul is. I can relate.

Wow, I enshrine you on C&G all the way from Lisbon, Portugal and no thumbs up?!? LOL.