FFOS-FCHAT Drivers' tour Toscana 2005: Let's set a date

To all our friends - if you are interested in the FFO-FCHAT Toscana Tour 2005, please let me know your preferences regarding the week we could organise this. I will start calling hotels as soon as we agree on this.

My options are:

1) 1-7 May
2) 14-21 May
3) 9-16 July

The final plan would be as follows:

DAY 1: Travel to S. Margherita (on the sea of Liguria, 180Km south of Milan)
DAY 2: Stay in S. Margherita
DAY 3: Travel to Siena or S. Gimignano (Hotel with secure garage)
DAY 4: Travel to central Tuscany (I know a nice hotel in Montalcino, whose owner has a F355 and would be very happy to have us as guests; otherwise lots of possibilities)
DAY 5: Stay in Central Tuscany, drive around the Mille Miglia roads.
DAY 6: Travel the Futa pass (MM route) to Bologna / Modena
DAY 7: Travel to St. Moritz (Switzerland), or directly back home.

You are free to join this trip on the whole or in part, if you don't have enough spare time. Please note that if we do it in July it will be very hot, but also very beautiful (the hotel in central Tuscany will have a wonderful outdoor swimming pool with a beautiful view, and in S. Margherita it will be possible to go for a swim in the Mediterranean, in the little secluded beaches near Portofino).

Let's go for it! I look forward to organizing this.

 

I've been doing some research, and this thing is coming together:

- We could meet in Switzerland on a Sunday (same place as last year?)

- Go to S. Margherita and spend 2 or 3 nights there. Drive around the beautiful local roads, swim in the sea, shop, visit Portofino and the Cinque Terre, and experience some of the best food in Italy.

- Drive to Tuscany via the nicest, craziest B-roads. I have found a gorgeous 1700 villa near S. Gimignano with swimming pool and restaurant, only 85 Euros per room! We could stay there 2 or 3 nights (depending whether we stay 2 or 3 in S. Margherita). I have several ideas for tours around Tuscany (Siena, the MM route towards Radicofani, etc. etc.) but at least in the evening we always go back to the same place (no need to change hotel every night!).

- Drive across the famous Futa/Raticosa and stay in Modena (I can try to organize a Ferrari factory visit, if you like).

- Finally, either drive straight back home or have a final overnight stop in beautiful St. Moritz with a great drive on Alpine passes (Maloja).

The last day would be a sunday, leaving you plenty of time to go back to Germany.

Who else is for July, then?

 

The problem with June is work... I am usually very busy in June, and so is Rachel. In July we have some "relax time" we can use for Ferrari trips!

May is a possibility, as I said before, but we'd miss half the fun: no swimming pools, no enjoying the warm Mediterranean Sea. Remember last year? It was actually pretty darn cold in Tuscany! That's why I'd prefer July.

Besides, we'd go from July 9 to July 16; that leaves another 2-3 weeks to rest before Scotland. Come on guys... you know you can do it!

 

Wolfgang, for me the week 9-16 July is ideal, as it coincides with the beginning of my holidays. I would like in the next 4 weeks to have a complete list of participants, in order to start booking hotels and the villa in Tuscany before it disappears. Please add your final "yes" or "no" to this thread, and send me a PM.

Good news - I am negotiating to buy a 360 Modena!! The choice is between a red F.1 car with 30'000Kms or a yellow manual one with a completely new engine and clutch (only 200 Kms). Both cars come from an official dealer with 12-months warranty, and the yellow one is about 6'500 Euros cheaper.

I will go to test them both in february, but if they are both good which one should I go for? Advice is very welcome!

 

I thought the 9-16 July dates would not clash with Scotland - which is at least 3 weeks later anyway! In May it becomes very difficult to organize anything new because there are so many events already.

Perhaps one possibility to avoid a clash with Scotland would be the last week in June (26/6 - 3/7) but I am not sure it would fit with our work commitments, I'll have to see.

Anyway, would anybody be happy with June 26 - July 3?

Please everyone let me know ASAP - I need to have all the participants (max. 10 cars) listed and happy with a fixed date, whichever it is.

 

Hi Wolfgang, hi Cinque, nice to know that you guys are in! I think I can probably include Simon in the group, this already makes 4 cars.

Anyone else? Trevi? Anyone from the UK? Ton? Anyone else from Germany?

By the way, Eugenio will also be joining us directly in S. Margherita.