When traveling abroad, there’s a lot you can learn through simple observation. One thing I pay attention to are the cars that ordinary people drive. It’s refreshing to see a road filled with Renaults and Volkswagens, instead of the ubiquitous Toyota Vios.

As a kid, my knowledge about automobiles was mostly limited to video games, especially Gran Turismo 4. So traveling was a great learning opportunity. More than just seeing different vehicles, my trips abroad allow me to get up and close personal with some of my dream cars. For this article, I’ll be talking about the first time I went to Europe—in 2013, to be exact.

Back in May 2013, I went on a Mediterranean cruise aboard the Carnival Sunshine. It lasted for almost two weeks, starting in Venice, Italy. After arriving at the endpoint in Barcelona, Spain, my mom and I flew all the way back to Bologna, Italy.

Bologna is the capital of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. Tourists usually flock to Bologna for either of these two interests: gastronomy or automotive. I wasn’t there for wine, pork, and cheese, but rather for Ferrari, Lamborghini and Pagani.

Since we were already in Europe, it would be a waste not to visit these legendary car brands. Ferrari and Lamborghini were easily accessible because they had their own museums. Meanwhile, an appointment was needed for a shop visit to Pagani, which was actually in the middle of transferring when I visited.

By May 2013, the Lamborghini Aventador and the Pagani Huayra had already succeeded the Murcielago and the Zonda, respectively. On the other hand, the LaFerrari was in the middle of production (and it would eventually serve as a rival to the McLaren P1 and the Porsche 918).

The Lamborghini museum felt the most plain (but far from boring as it was filled with cars on display). Meanwhile, the Ferrari museum had a more diverse exhibit, including a special hall for its Formula 1 cars, explanations for the tech and material science, and even a replica of Enzo Ferrari‘s office.

The experience at Pagani was much more intimate because of the small group. I remember the tour guide showing the ovens where the carbon fiber was cured, and they even made me carry two bricks (one metal and the other carbon-fiber) to demonstrate the difference.

Another hobby I picked up before this trip was collecting scale models. I managed to score a Maisto 1:18 BMW V12 LMR while in Naples.

Sixteen-year-old me thought getting a Ferrari model in Maranello would be too cliché. So, I got a Sun Star 1:18 Subaru Impreza WRC instead at a store near the museum.

As for Pagani, there wasn’t much of a choice. AutoArt was too expensive, so I had to settle for a Mondo Motors 1:18 Pagani Zonda Cinque as memorabilia.

As a teenager who just wanted to stay in his room, watch anime, and play video games, my first time in Europe was quite the culture shock. It was the first of many things for me, and I’m glad that I went on such a trip.

Not only did it deepen my appreciation for cars, but it also made me more open to travel and photography. This would set the stage for more trips abroad.