Time to commit to Tuscany 2007

Hey Przemek,

I will also be stopping to take a lot of photos and my wife and I would also like to experience the place from outside the cockpit. So I will leave the blasting to the big boys and catch up on my thrills on my planned weekend motorcycle trip to Berlin and back at the end of July

Cheers MARK

 

Wow, Kevan, that's a very beautiful Lambo roadster! Certainly a keeper.
I'd love to see it in tuscany. Why not for a last stint?

cinque

 

Hmmm! I will be challenged on both fronts. Let me see if there's anything on the Owners Site...

 

Lago Maggiore? Che bello!

My wife's family has a small place in Marina di Massa; My mother's from Montecatini and my father's from a small town near Piacenza....Vado in Italia ogni momento che e possibile...

Forza Ferrari e gli Azzurri!!!

 

yup, thats the one!!!!!

 

On monday I will officially "beg" with whatever Ferrari officials I meet at the Maserati dinner (hopefully PR directors with enough clout in the company) to get the "Fchat owners' group" into Fiorano on sunday 24th of June. I can't promise anything (especially since Maserati split from Ferrari) but I'll do my best to get us all in.

I really hope we all get in: it would be sad if Ton and a few others got in thanks to their "Club" connections, while us poor peasants were left outside the gates to look at the beautiful people inside...

 

Instead of getting bitter why not just join your local owners club on Monday and ask to be included on their list ?

You might even find you enjoy the experience....

 

The Swiss owners club is extremely exclusive - sure I could join, but my name would be way down the list for entry at Fiorano on June 24. Maybe if I ordered a 599GTB I'd stand a chance... Besides, the reason I never joined is that they don't do what I expect from a car club - that is, to organize pure, unadulterated fun driving events for real petrolheads. And that's not what the F-Club is really about, is it?

 

I am a 13-year member of the Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club and a 20-year member of the Alfa Romeo Club. That should give me a 0.0000000001% chance!

MARK

 

bump
2 and a half months to go...
Ciao
Eugenio

 

Dear all,
here is the second itinerary I was thinking about...

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=it&saddr=53037+San+Gimignano,+Italy&daddr=Poggibonsi+to:fioraie+to:radda+in+chianti+to:Montegrossi,+Gaiole+in+Chianti+Siena,+Toscana,+Italia+to:gaiole+in+chianti+to:San+Regolo,+Gaiole+in+Chianti+Siena,+Toscana,+Italia+to:castelnuovo+berardenga+to:arbia+to:asciano+to:buonconvento+to:Vescovado,+Murlo+Siena,+Toscana,+Italia+to:san+lorenzo+a+merse+toalazzetto,+Chiusdino+Siena,+Toscana,+Italia+to:castelnuovo+val+di+cecina+to:volterra+to:ulignano+to:53037+San+Gimignano,+Italy&mrcr=13&layer=&sll=43.456954,10.971618&sspn=0.111897,0.163422&ie=UTF8&om=1&z=11&ll=43.384092,11.100311&spn=0.285445,0.468292

If you make a crosscheck with the www.viamichelin.com site, same area, you will find that most of the paths are green, so great panorama and twisty roads.
As a matter of fact, it could be easier if anyone buys a Tuscany map to be a faithful companion during the trip..
Any suggestion is more than welcome.
Ciao
Eugenio

 

Hello...
When I am correct there is a streaming vid from an hour or so from your trip of last year. As we also go to Italy (1-4/6) with 5 cars I was wondering if it is possible to get a dvd-copy of that video to come in the right mood...

Thanks in advance... and apologies if I am mistaking..

 

bump.
65 days to go
Ciao
Eugenio

 

wow, can't wait, didn't really realise it was so soon, better start getting ready

 

Dear all,

just two lines to understand if we agree with what is being elaborated...
I have posted two proposed itineraries (here is the first, now slightly modified)
http://maps.google.it/maps?f=d&hl=it&saddr=53037+San+Gimignano&daddr=vescona+to:asciano+to:chiusure+to:san+giovanni+d%27asso+to:Torrenieri,+Montalcino+Siena,+Toscana,+Italia+to:radicofani+toiancastagnaio+to:tre+case+to:saragiolo+to:santa+fiora+to:arcidosso+to:cinigiano+to:roccastrada+to:monticiano+to:colle+di+val+d%27elsa+to:san+gimignano&layer=&sll=43.19992,11.58474&sspn=0.143155,0.234146&ie=UTF8&z=12&ll=42.969738,11.768761&spn=0.143694,0.234146&om=1
and the second is just few posts back.
Apart from a couple of suggestions from Ton and Andrea, both more than welcome, everyone else seems ok with this.
Is this the case or you are just getting shy ?
The all idea behind the tours I have sketched is:
- Between 5 and 6 hours Sunday driving (is the correct idea, thanks Kevan...);
- Secondary, quite twisty but likely empty roads;
- Great scenario;
- No speed traps (hopefully)
- Good restaurant for lunch (thanks Andrea for the Radicofani suggestion).

Please, additional ideas are more than welcome.
Ton and I were planning to prepare some sort of road book, so it is necessary to have your opinions in due time.

Just let me know.
Ciao
Eugenio

 

Don't quote me on the lack of speed traps... this year Italian police are out IN FORCE. New technologies have been introduced to catch speeders everywhere. We must stay away from main roads. For example, on the Siena-Firenze motorway (on which we blasted last year without a care) there are now at least 5 mobile speed traps active at any time, I saw it on a reputable Italian car magazine.

The only safe havens are the really, really secondary, twisty little roads favoured by Patrick and myself, and by Eugenio too!

Alcohol is also a problem: with the new limits anything beyond one (small) glass of wine is already illegal. And committing an accident with even a little more over the limit is a criminal offence, punished with jail and a 7000 Euro fine. I'm not joking! Beware, beer drinkers ...

 

Just a quick note from Miss Daisy to say I am very happy with what is being proposed

 

You are most welcome, see you in a couple of months time .
Ciao
Eugenio

 

This year I am going to enjoy the drive there and probably spend more time around the pool.
My tan is looking bad

 

As he will likely not be sleeping a lot, it will be hard to look fit anyway...
Ciao
Eugenio