This particular weekend of September was a little different from the rest.
This was the weekend that the Italian Grand Prix came to Monza!
I can't lie, I was secretly excited, because even
though I have absoloutely zero interest in the sport (who wants to watch cars
whizzing round the same track for 2 hours?) it was still pretty cool to think
that it would be so close to me.
Ok...so mainly I was just excited about the fact the
Lewis Hamilton would be there and had (slightly overly optimistic) dreams of
bumping into him in the street. Of course, no such thing happened. I was
gutted.
I did however get to hear the cars whizzing around the
track, as conviniently I live right next to the park, the end which has the
Autodromo (it's actually closer to Biassono than Monza but never mind).
Being right next to the action was tantalising because
unfortunately I didn't have a ticket. Sadly I don't really have 100 euros to
throw away on watching some cars racing round a track, no matter how cool it
might be.
Although, I'm pretty sure I couldv'e seen it in real
life If I had tried. I went on a run at the weekend and managed to get all the
way up to the entrance, I just didn't want to go my usual route down the path
that runs alongside the track because it was crowded with people and I was all
sweaty and yucky in my running stuff. Half wished I'd just gone anyway.
Or I guess I could've tried what I saw people doing
late on saturday night. As we were driving home after going out for a drink
(4am- a crazy night with my Italian friends) we passed along the road that runs
parallell to the park and saw sinister, black hooded figures scaling the wall.
They would be watching the Grand Prix for free on
Sunday.
Now this wall isn't small, you can't just hop over it,
in fact it looked pretty dangerous. Mustv'e been some desperate fans.
But it's just as well I didn't try any of these things
(or by a ticket) because after half an hour of watching it on T.V I got bored!
It was a cool moment though, seeing it on T.V and hearing it outside at the
same time.
Despite not actually going, I still got to sample the
atmosphere of the Grand Prix and it was AMAAAZING.
It started mid week when I past some signs on my cycle
to work. Ooo I thought!
Then I spotted some people in Mercedes shirts at the restaurant
during lunch. Ooo I thought again! (I was rather hoping Hamilton would pop in
for a pizza too).
Then I started to notice the people.
OMG there are actually people in Biassono! And they're
not even Italian! (when you live abroad anyone you hear speaking English immediately
gets you excited for some reason).
And just like that the town came alive, buzzing with
fans sporting Ferrari caps and blabbering away excitedly in languages I didn't recognize.
At the weekend, the narrow, windy streets in my town
were jam packed with people, making their way down to the park to watch the
race (it's quite a trek for those parking outside the park) or going to explore
the events and stalls that had been set up in the square.
I joined them in the latter activity, determined to
make the most of the whole thing, because without sounding dramatic or
anything, this was a once in a lifetime thing! (unless I come back to live here
which is highly unlikely).
It was crazy- there were so many people everywhere!
and so much life! (If you ever visit Biassono you'll realize why this was such
a big thing).
Restaurants had put tables outside for some al fresco
dining, there were bars set up with beer on tap and of course some F1 cars.
 |
| admittedly I had to google who this was. |
Randomly there was also this Bus, that said Bristol on it!!! (I go to Uni near there). I think it was a
cocktail bar...
But it was playing really loud music and there was a
crazy woman waving maraca thingys out the front so I was too scared to go and
see what it was all about.
 |
| Said woman had probably taken this advice too far |
And of course I had to sample the food while I was at
it. This is a local delicacy known as a Fritella. A kind of donughty fried
thing with nutella in the middle (nutella was optional but there was no way I
was passing on that).
Totally unhealthy, but you know it's part of immersing
myself in the culture right? I ended up with half a bag of
sugar in my lap.
And then suddenly it was all over.
The race was won
(by Hamilton himself, woo!).
(by Hamilton himself, woo!).
The people left.
And the stands were all packed up.
Till next year eh?
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