Mille MigliaRoad trip
Discussion
Looking forward to our trip this year, I was just having a quick read of an article I did for a Lotus website and thought I'd share it with you chaps. I love nothing more than a good read of someone elses road trip 
Hope the pictures come out!
As with all our trips over recent years, planning needs to start early! In January a small group of us polished off a rather nice roast at Irish’s place and set about the route. Cris already had the route details from a trip he made in 2008 with his son. This year however we intended to head off a week earlier, mainly to avoid the mass exodus of Lotus to Stelvio, ensure the weather was good and importantly in a smaller group of cars to stay off the rozzers radar!
I’d mentioned the Mille Miglia route to Cris 2 years ago and the fact that he’d already done it was a major bonus. He also knew all the decent hotels to stay in too, which made things much easier from a planning perspective. With the group sorted, dates confirmed, route planned and hotels booked, we all found ourselves wishing away most of the summer!
With the alarm clock bleeping at 04.30am I’m straight out of bed and into the shower and ready to set off in a matter of minutes. The co-pilot isn’t quite as eager but nevertheless ensures she’s ready for the 5am off. Colin’s stayed over the night as opposed to driving from Bristol first thing and I becoming concerned about the length of time he’s spending in the shower, although I’m assured that nothings been wiped on the shower curtain.
We rendezvous with Paul & Frida and head straight to the tunnel where upon we meet the rest of the gang and get on the tunnel. We’ve got 560 miles to cover in the first day, with the last 100 or so being twisties, leading us to Grenoble and our hotel. The usual sedate autoroute cruise lasts for a couple of hours, longer than I’d expected, when Dave (Davey S2) nails it past in the “support vehicle” (Cayman) with the obligatory rear spoiler rising as he does so. The miles seem to drag and owing to the early start radio banter is virtually non-existent for the first 250 miles. Indicators blink eagerly, as we turn off the main roads and onto some intoxicating French D roads.
Sunday mornings here and so is The Nivolet! Now I’d been banging on about the Col De Nivolet ever since we last made the assault in 2008. A truly fantastic stretch of road where the final scenes of The Italian Job were filmed. The biggest problem with the pass is that it’s a dead-end and you have to drive approx 50 miles along a valley floor to get to the foot of it! Imagine our delight, when we round a corner in anticipation of nailing it, when the military police have shut it! The poor co-pilot was subjected to a torrent of abuse, not directed at her I might add, but to our Italian cousins for closing the pass. After much faffing, we managed to confirm that the pass was closed every Sunday throughout August, to allow for walkers…..it would reopen at 5pm.
What followed was a less than ideal ascent, necessitating us catching a bus, which was climbing the whole pass, stopping for 5 minutes and then charging off again. Some of our colleagues focused their frustration on perfecting the best tail slide round a hairpin. Nikos, well known for his tail out antics, decided to execute a beautiful slide on the apex of a corner, only to be confronted by a local coming the other way. No glass fibre was damaged in the making of the slide, but it was mighty close!
The second night was spent in an utterly beautiful hotel, once we’d managed to find the entrance to that is! Picture it, a romantic Italian courtyard setting, you’re tucking into some Latin delights with your adoring partner, when 12 loud Loti turn up. One of them being an extremely fruity Sport 160 chucking out plenty of Shells finest. It was a great evening with superb food and wine consumed by all. We’d just wished we’d turned up earlier to enjoy the outside pool and chill out a bit more.
Another early start meant that our fellow guests were woken by the sound of throbbing exhausts and the smell of V-Power wafting up into the cool air of the morning. Day 3 provided us with the first non-Alp Italian driving. In honesty I was somewhat apprehensive about these roads and whether they would be any good. Boy was I wrong! Following the rump of Dave’s Cayman, I had one of the best 30-40 miles of driving I’ve ever experienced. The roads flowed freely and with hardly any traffic. One minute you’d be charging through the gears, mouth slightly dry after a glance at the speedo, and the next minute you’d be furiously heel and toeing in preparation of a sharp bend. Time and time again, I’d watch the wide arse of the porker squat and fire off, and then I’d be off in hot pursuit. I’ve got to say, that the Cayman appeared to cope very well with the quick pace and seemed relative poised in the corners.
Catching up with one of the groups in front, we can not only see, but hear Nikos sticking the 111s sideways at every given opportunity. Yannis, his passenger, whooping with delight and giving us a running commentary on their every move. They became known as “The Crazy Greeks”.
Lunch stops had become quiet an occasion, especially in Italy. We stopped off at a really nice place in the hills, with a great view. With the cars parked up and ticking gently as they cooled, we tucked into a local pasta Bolognese made from wild boar. All washed down with copious amounts of Coke and if I recall correctly desert was ordered by some.
One of the most pleasing parts of the trip, were the locals. Driving through quiet villages, the locals would stop and wave at the long line of cars passing through. The older people seemed to remember the days of the Mille Miglia and the spectacle of race cars thundering past the small houses. One such local spoke to one of the group and regaled tales of how he’d done the very same route in a Ferrari Dino when he was younger.
On the way to our overnight stay, just outside Florence, Henry’s car began making some very loud noises, which sounded like a driveshaft. We pulled in besides a petrol station and, set about trying to determine the problem. It became apparent that Henry had lunched 3rd gear and he decided to limp the car to the next hotel, which was about 30 miles drive away.
With everyone at the hotel, we checked in and had a well earned beer on the roof terrace, overlooking a wonderful vista of a church spire and the rolling hills. Cris ordered a starter for everyone to try, which was deep fried courgette flowers. Lovely!
Whilst we were in the middle of a very small town and a dog barking most of the night, I found it very difficult to sleep and in my wisdom decided to get up at 5am and go for a walk around the village. I sat overlooking the square and watched the sun rise over another beautiful Italian morning. The car also required some fettling, so I sorted that out whilst waiting for everyone to get up and have breakfast.
Rome was our target today, so once Henry’s car had been recovered, he became Dave’s co-pilot in the porker and spent the rest of the holiday being subjected to Guns & Roses or hardcore dance music. Our first stop was high above Florence and gave us an incredible view of the city and the Duomo. Coaches were stopping and tourists flocked round the cars to have their pictures taken.
The roads were just as epic as the previous day, and seeing as we were now in Tuscany, the weather didn’t disappoint either! The temperature was well into the 30’s as we tried to seek shelter whenever we stopped. Lunch was nearly always on our minds and it had now become tradition to enjoy a full fat starter, pasta course, main course and desert in some cases. We’d all ordered a sirloin steak and when they arrived, some of us were trying to swap with one another due to the immense size of the cuts. Poor Lisa had a steak that was an inch thick!
Arriving at the hotel in Rome earlier than usual, a few of us go for a swim and then get ourselves ready for the early evening tour of Rome. With the Tom Tom route loaded, we set off in one group, but quickly get separated into smaller groups. I’m following Cris and Steve in his Exige Club Racer. What initially appeared quite a daunting prospect, turned into great fun, with all three of us booting it in the tunnels around Rome and enjoying the manic nature of driving in the city.
We drove all over the place, down narrow cobbled streets with people eating at tables, up towards the coliseum and waved at the Carabinieri as we blasted by. Attractive Italian ladies caught the eye of Steve’s Dad, who obtained some truly excellent shots. The highlight for me was rounding a slippery corner…slightly sideways, with Steve next to me and blasting up towards the Vatican City. Only in Italy could you get away with it!
When we got back Jon was fiddling with his Audi powered Elise and cursing his newly fitted items. Listening intently to the ins and outs of Audi ownership and how the car would be completely stripped in the winter months, thoughts of a nice cold one started to affect people’s interest and one by one, we slopped off. Sorry Jon.
The next leg of the trip took us from Rome, all the way up to San Marino, via more Mille Miglia roads, fascinated locals and disinterested Carabinieri. Henry was beginning to settle into his new role as co-pilot and Dave was happy to watch Henry grab onto various parts of the sumptuous leather to keep him from sliding about. For reasons I won’t go into, we were now joined by a rather large Audi A5 estate, which was used to ferry 9, yes 9 people from our hotel, to a specially organised dinner in the historical part San Marino. Lisa decided to take the helm and ferry people up in the only way she knows, flat out! With 5 people on the backseat and 2 in the boot, the Audi could be seen exiting corners with less poise than normal, as it made its way up the tight, climbing duel carriage way.
Day 6 saw us all heading towards Sant’ Argata and the home of Lamborghini. We elected to get there before lunch, so we could then spend the afternoon on the twisties. With Italy’s fine autostrada’s stretching out before us we made our way west, towards the home of the bull. It must be said that we enjoyed the odd tunnel along the way, moved over to the right to let many a crazy turbo diesel through and salivated at the thought of lunch!
When we got to the Lambo factory, Paul and Frida were already holed up at a local taverna, well if you could call it that! The factory was closed for lunch, so yet again we indulged in a pasta course, today’s being spaghetti carbonara, washed down by a coke, before heading to the factory gates.
The reception staff came out to greet all of us and told us that we should have told them that we were coming, as they would have laid on special parking for us. Some of the group parked up out front, whilst a select few were told to park around the back…..with various Murcielago's under cover. The kitty paid for our entrance fee and we all wondered around the small museum. Some members wanted to leave with more than just a T-shirt!
Back on the road, we made our way to Lake Iseo, and enjoyed some more motorway tunnels! As we arrived early, we had plenty of time for a swim and a beer. The swimming pool looked very, very enticing, that was until you dipped your toe in. My god it was cold! I bravely elected to allow others to enter the icy depths first and rescue anyone who couldn’t handle the cold. The pool overlooked the lake and after a few had sampled the cold, people started hopping over the fence and into the lake itself, which turned out to be significantly warmer! Dinner turned out to be excellent, although not everyone enjoyed the shredded horse meat.
Friday saw us doing a repeat of 2009, with an overnight stay in the Dolomites. For us this was our Stelvio day, and we decided to get to the foot of the pass for around 12. I’d been texting my friend Alex most of the morning with updates, so he knew what time we’d be at the top. With Colin in front and video rolling, we started our annual assault on the pass. Although it’s far from being the best pass, I really enjoyed our run up it this year.
The bark of Colin’s exhaust meant that we were starting to press on, only being held up by a red golf on the bottom section. The very tight tunnels were pretty clear of traffic, but then all of a sudden we came upon a set of headlights and an abrupt stop. Colin carefully edges his car past the local and I quickly follow, out into the blazing sunshine and again hitting my stride in 3rd gear. We’ve got a really good flow going now, with the familiar yo-yo effect of Colin blasting away from the hairpin, me in hot pursuit and then catching as he brakes for the next one, only for him to pull out a gap once more as he accelerates away.
On the second section we encounter only a small amount of traffic, but it took us a minute or so to get past two massive camper vans that wouldn’t let us past. Nearing the top, and with a long straight ahead, I take in some of my surroundings in more detail. Marvelling at the scenery, the fact that on any other Friday I’d be at work, the noise of the induction sucking in enough air to keep engine singing at such high rpm and the fact that life doesn’t get much better for a petrol head.
At the top we meet up with Alex, his other half and his brother to enjoy lunch in the pizzeria at the top. Some of the group wonder around the top, taking in the view, smell of German sausage being grilled by a street vendor and the array of winter hats, stickers and tourist items. With our visit over, its back down the mountain we go with Alex and his brother following and with bellies full of pizza.
The “run to Covora” and our hotel in the Dolomites that night, proves to be just as much fun as 2009. Cris is leading with Steve, Ben and Dave following, with me as tail end Charlie. It’s rare to find me at the back, not because I want to lead, but after five cars have invariably cained it past a local, the last car tends to get all the grief!
Having spent a lot of the day in low lying valleys, we start to climb and find ourselves negotiating some particularly tight switchbacks. One of which seems to catch the Cayman’s electronic gadgetry out and prevents Dave from existing the hairpin, even with full throttle. I get waved through as Dave presses a number of buttons, in an attempt to override the various gizmo’s and allow him on his away again. I personally thought it could be down to the fact that all 3.6 litres of Stuttgart’s finest couldn’t cope with the weight of two plump, pasta indulging middle aged gentlemen. Although I never did get round to explaining my theory to Dave.
With the sun gradually setting and the air becoming cold and moist we continue our climb towards the hotel. It’s getting a bit late now and the co-pilot mentions that she’d like to have a swim before dinner, so we press on with Ben up ahead. Ben’s Kuhmo’s seem to be taking the brunt of punishment when it comes to unleashing everything the Exige has to offer on the various hairpins.
Arriving at the hotel, I head straight into the underground garage and am followed by the others who wish to park their steeds under cover for the night. As has become customary on these trips, Ben selects one of his less mutated plastic carry bags, stuffs some items of clothing in it and then heads up to reception. We’ve all become used to it now, but some of the looks he gets, when blipping the alarm fob on a bright red Exige and then turning to walk towards a nice hotel are priceless. Although the swimming pool and sauna are shut, we manage to sneak in and have a quick swim before heading back down for beers, some long tales of driving and some food.
Saturday beckons and the cold reality that this is our last day in Italy and also in the mountains, dawns. Heading off quite early we stumble across a time trial and a variety of classic cars, with the odd Lamborghini and a Ferrari 458. We scythe our way through the classics on our way up a truly fantastic pass, which just so happens to be the one where Lisa blew her radiator last year. The climb is one of the highlights of the trip, as various exotica wave us through and give us the thumbs up. We stop at the top and head in for a quick coffee to warm the cockles as it’s rather cold and Cris needs another hit of espresso.
A lighter lunch than normal is consumed in restaurant on the Italian/Austrian border. Henry tries to converse in their native Italian, but the waiter appears more used to the Austrian language. As you’ve probably guessed by now, we devour yet more lovely pasta and again wash this down with yet more coke. Coke is definitely off limits when I get back!
After lunch, Tom Tom takes us down some extremely narrow roads and we often have to stop and reverse to get to the point whereby two cars can safely pass. We’re on our way to The Rombo, which is the mother and father of all passes, with sheer 1000ft drops which require total concentration. I’ve already agreed that I’ll follow Ben and film his passage up the pass, while he films from the rear. Ben’s absolutely gunning the Exige for all its worth and lighting up those tyres for the sake of the camera. Ben provides us with some first gear entertainment and the rear tyres shriek in protest as he fires round the corner and up towards the next hairpin.
Reaching the top we pull over, where a small crowd of people are peering over the edge, having listened and watched our antics. With the cars still running, we get out to look over the edge, take a couple of pictures and let the adrenalin rush subside slightly. All belted in we make our way through the tunnel and out the other side and into Austria.
The last night is spent in an old Stelvio favourite, Oburgurgl. Dinner is a 5 course affair and proves to be the best way to finish off a truly epic trip. Steve’s been busy writing a speech for the best part of an hour at the bar, and chooses his moment before putting knife to glass and calling for silence. With various tales from the trip being recounted by Steve, we all reflect on the fun we’ve had and agree that we’ll all be back for 2011.
Hope the pictures come out!
As with all our trips over recent years, planning needs to start early! In January a small group of us polished off a rather nice roast at Irish’s place and set about the route. Cris already had the route details from a trip he made in 2008 with his son. This year however we intended to head off a week earlier, mainly to avoid the mass exodus of Lotus to Stelvio, ensure the weather was good and importantly in a smaller group of cars to stay off the rozzers radar!
I’d mentioned the Mille Miglia route to Cris 2 years ago and the fact that he’d already done it was a major bonus. He also knew all the decent hotels to stay in too, which made things much easier from a planning perspective. With the group sorted, dates confirmed, route planned and hotels booked, we all found ourselves wishing away most of the summer!
With the alarm clock bleeping at 04.30am I’m straight out of bed and into the shower and ready to set off in a matter of minutes. The co-pilot isn’t quite as eager but nevertheless ensures she’s ready for the 5am off. Colin’s stayed over the night as opposed to driving from Bristol first thing and I becoming concerned about the length of time he’s spending in the shower, although I’m assured that nothings been wiped on the shower curtain.
We rendezvous with Paul & Frida and head straight to the tunnel where upon we meet the rest of the gang and get on the tunnel. We’ve got 560 miles to cover in the first day, with the last 100 or so being twisties, leading us to Grenoble and our hotel. The usual sedate autoroute cruise lasts for a couple of hours, longer than I’d expected, when Dave (Davey S2) nails it past in the “support vehicle” (Cayman) with the obligatory rear spoiler rising as he does so. The miles seem to drag and owing to the early start radio banter is virtually non-existent for the first 250 miles. Indicators blink eagerly, as we turn off the main roads and onto some intoxicating French D roads.
Sunday mornings here and so is The Nivolet! Now I’d been banging on about the Col De Nivolet ever since we last made the assault in 2008. A truly fantastic stretch of road where the final scenes of The Italian Job were filmed. The biggest problem with the pass is that it’s a dead-end and you have to drive approx 50 miles along a valley floor to get to the foot of it! Imagine our delight, when we round a corner in anticipation of nailing it, when the military police have shut it! The poor co-pilot was subjected to a torrent of abuse, not directed at her I might add, but to our Italian cousins for closing the pass. After much faffing, we managed to confirm that the pass was closed every Sunday throughout August, to allow for walkers…..it would reopen at 5pm.
What followed was a less than ideal ascent, necessitating us catching a bus, which was climbing the whole pass, stopping for 5 minutes and then charging off again. Some of our colleagues focused their frustration on perfecting the best tail slide round a hairpin. Nikos, well known for his tail out antics, decided to execute a beautiful slide on the apex of a corner, only to be confronted by a local coming the other way. No glass fibre was damaged in the making of the slide, but it was mighty close!
The second night was spent in an utterly beautiful hotel, once we’d managed to find the entrance to that is! Picture it, a romantic Italian courtyard setting, you’re tucking into some Latin delights with your adoring partner, when 12 loud Loti turn up. One of them being an extremely fruity Sport 160 chucking out plenty of Shells finest. It was a great evening with superb food and wine consumed by all. We’d just wished we’d turned up earlier to enjoy the outside pool and chill out a bit more.
Another early start meant that our fellow guests were woken by the sound of throbbing exhausts and the smell of V-Power wafting up into the cool air of the morning. Day 3 provided us with the first non-Alp Italian driving. In honesty I was somewhat apprehensive about these roads and whether they would be any good. Boy was I wrong! Following the rump of Dave’s Cayman, I had one of the best 30-40 miles of driving I’ve ever experienced. The roads flowed freely and with hardly any traffic. One minute you’d be charging through the gears, mouth slightly dry after a glance at the speedo, and the next minute you’d be furiously heel and toeing in preparation of a sharp bend. Time and time again, I’d watch the wide arse of the porker squat and fire off, and then I’d be off in hot pursuit. I’ve got to say, that the Cayman appeared to cope very well with the quick pace and seemed relative poised in the corners.
Catching up with one of the groups in front, we can not only see, but hear Nikos sticking the 111s sideways at every given opportunity. Yannis, his passenger, whooping with delight and giving us a running commentary on their every move. They became known as “The Crazy Greeks”.
Lunch stops had become quiet an occasion, especially in Italy. We stopped off at a really nice place in the hills, with a great view. With the cars parked up and ticking gently as they cooled, we tucked into a local pasta Bolognese made from wild boar. All washed down with copious amounts of Coke and if I recall correctly desert was ordered by some.
One of the most pleasing parts of the trip, were the locals. Driving through quiet villages, the locals would stop and wave at the long line of cars passing through. The older people seemed to remember the days of the Mille Miglia and the spectacle of race cars thundering past the small houses. One such local spoke to one of the group and regaled tales of how he’d done the very same route in a Ferrari Dino when he was younger.
On the way to our overnight stay, just outside Florence, Henry’s car began making some very loud noises, which sounded like a driveshaft. We pulled in besides a petrol station and, set about trying to determine the problem. It became apparent that Henry had lunched 3rd gear and he decided to limp the car to the next hotel, which was about 30 miles drive away.
With everyone at the hotel, we checked in and had a well earned beer on the roof terrace, overlooking a wonderful vista of a church spire and the rolling hills. Cris ordered a starter for everyone to try, which was deep fried courgette flowers. Lovely!
Whilst we were in the middle of a very small town and a dog barking most of the night, I found it very difficult to sleep and in my wisdom decided to get up at 5am and go for a walk around the village. I sat overlooking the square and watched the sun rise over another beautiful Italian morning. The car also required some fettling, so I sorted that out whilst waiting for everyone to get up and have breakfast.
Rome was our target today, so once Henry’s car had been recovered, he became Dave’s co-pilot in the porker and spent the rest of the holiday being subjected to Guns & Roses or hardcore dance music. Our first stop was high above Florence and gave us an incredible view of the city and the Duomo. Coaches were stopping and tourists flocked round the cars to have their pictures taken.
The roads were just as epic as the previous day, and seeing as we were now in Tuscany, the weather didn’t disappoint either! The temperature was well into the 30’s as we tried to seek shelter whenever we stopped. Lunch was nearly always on our minds and it had now become tradition to enjoy a full fat starter, pasta course, main course and desert in some cases. We’d all ordered a sirloin steak and when they arrived, some of us were trying to swap with one another due to the immense size of the cuts. Poor Lisa had a steak that was an inch thick!
Arriving at the hotel in Rome earlier than usual, a few of us go for a swim and then get ourselves ready for the early evening tour of Rome. With the Tom Tom route loaded, we set off in one group, but quickly get separated into smaller groups. I’m following Cris and Steve in his Exige Club Racer. What initially appeared quite a daunting prospect, turned into great fun, with all three of us booting it in the tunnels around Rome and enjoying the manic nature of driving in the city.
We drove all over the place, down narrow cobbled streets with people eating at tables, up towards the coliseum and waved at the Carabinieri as we blasted by. Attractive Italian ladies caught the eye of Steve’s Dad, who obtained some truly excellent shots. The highlight for me was rounding a slippery corner…slightly sideways, with Steve next to me and blasting up towards the Vatican City. Only in Italy could you get away with it!
When we got back Jon was fiddling with his Audi powered Elise and cursing his newly fitted items. Listening intently to the ins and outs of Audi ownership and how the car would be completely stripped in the winter months, thoughts of a nice cold one started to affect people’s interest and one by one, we slopped off. Sorry Jon.
The next leg of the trip took us from Rome, all the way up to San Marino, via more Mille Miglia roads, fascinated locals and disinterested Carabinieri. Henry was beginning to settle into his new role as co-pilot and Dave was happy to watch Henry grab onto various parts of the sumptuous leather to keep him from sliding about. For reasons I won’t go into, we were now joined by a rather large Audi A5 estate, which was used to ferry 9, yes 9 people from our hotel, to a specially organised dinner in the historical part San Marino. Lisa decided to take the helm and ferry people up in the only way she knows, flat out! With 5 people on the backseat and 2 in the boot, the Audi could be seen exiting corners with less poise than normal, as it made its way up the tight, climbing duel carriage way.
Day 6 saw us all heading towards Sant’ Argata and the home of Lamborghini. We elected to get there before lunch, so we could then spend the afternoon on the twisties. With Italy’s fine autostrada’s stretching out before us we made our way west, towards the home of the bull. It must be said that we enjoyed the odd tunnel along the way, moved over to the right to let many a crazy turbo diesel through and salivated at the thought of lunch!
When we got to the Lambo factory, Paul and Frida were already holed up at a local taverna, well if you could call it that! The factory was closed for lunch, so yet again we indulged in a pasta course, today’s being spaghetti carbonara, washed down by a coke, before heading to the factory gates.
The reception staff came out to greet all of us and told us that we should have told them that we were coming, as they would have laid on special parking for us. Some of the group parked up out front, whilst a select few were told to park around the back…..with various Murcielago's under cover. The kitty paid for our entrance fee and we all wondered around the small museum. Some members wanted to leave with more than just a T-shirt!
Back on the road, we made our way to Lake Iseo, and enjoyed some more motorway tunnels! As we arrived early, we had plenty of time for a swim and a beer. The swimming pool looked very, very enticing, that was until you dipped your toe in. My god it was cold! I bravely elected to allow others to enter the icy depths first and rescue anyone who couldn’t handle the cold. The pool overlooked the lake and after a few had sampled the cold, people started hopping over the fence and into the lake itself, which turned out to be significantly warmer! Dinner turned out to be excellent, although not everyone enjoyed the shredded horse meat.
Friday saw us doing a repeat of 2009, with an overnight stay in the Dolomites. For us this was our Stelvio day, and we decided to get to the foot of the pass for around 12. I’d been texting my friend Alex most of the morning with updates, so he knew what time we’d be at the top. With Colin in front and video rolling, we started our annual assault on the pass. Although it’s far from being the best pass, I really enjoyed our run up it this year.
The bark of Colin’s exhaust meant that we were starting to press on, only being held up by a red golf on the bottom section. The very tight tunnels were pretty clear of traffic, but then all of a sudden we came upon a set of headlights and an abrupt stop. Colin carefully edges his car past the local and I quickly follow, out into the blazing sunshine and again hitting my stride in 3rd gear. We’ve got a really good flow going now, with the familiar yo-yo effect of Colin blasting away from the hairpin, me in hot pursuit and then catching as he brakes for the next one, only for him to pull out a gap once more as he accelerates away.
On the second section we encounter only a small amount of traffic, but it took us a minute or so to get past two massive camper vans that wouldn’t let us past. Nearing the top, and with a long straight ahead, I take in some of my surroundings in more detail. Marvelling at the scenery, the fact that on any other Friday I’d be at work, the noise of the induction sucking in enough air to keep engine singing at such high rpm and the fact that life doesn’t get much better for a petrol head.
At the top we meet up with Alex, his other half and his brother to enjoy lunch in the pizzeria at the top. Some of the group wonder around the top, taking in the view, smell of German sausage being grilled by a street vendor and the array of winter hats, stickers and tourist items. With our visit over, its back down the mountain we go with Alex and his brother following and with bellies full of pizza.
The “run to Covora” and our hotel in the Dolomites that night, proves to be just as much fun as 2009. Cris is leading with Steve, Ben and Dave following, with me as tail end Charlie. It’s rare to find me at the back, not because I want to lead, but after five cars have invariably cained it past a local, the last car tends to get all the grief!
Having spent a lot of the day in low lying valleys, we start to climb and find ourselves negotiating some particularly tight switchbacks. One of which seems to catch the Cayman’s electronic gadgetry out and prevents Dave from existing the hairpin, even with full throttle. I get waved through as Dave presses a number of buttons, in an attempt to override the various gizmo’s and allow him on his away again. I personally thought it could be down to the fact that all 3.6 litres of Stuttgart’s finest couldn’t cope with the weight of two plump, pasta indulging middle aged gentlemen. Although I never did get round to explaining my theory to Dave.
With the sun gradually setting and the air becoming cold and moist we continue our climb towards the hotel. It’s getting a bit late now and the co-pilot mentions that she’d like to have a swim before dinner, so we press on with Ben up ahead. Ben’s Kuhmo’s seem to be taking the brunt of punishment when it comes to unleashing everything the Exige has to offer on the various hairpins.
Arriving at the hotel, I head straight into the underground garage and am followed by the others who wish to park their steeds under cover for the night. As has become customary on these trips, Ben selects one of his less mutated plastic carry bags, stuffs some items of clothing in it and then heads up to reception. We’ve all become used to it now, but some of the looks he gets, when blipping the alarm fob on a bright red Exige and then turning to walk towards a nice hotel are priceless. Although the swimming pool and sauna are shut, we manage to sneak in and have a quick swim before heading back down for beers, some long tales of driving and some food.
Saturday beckons and the cold reality that this is our last day in Italy and also in the mountains, dawns. Heading off quite early we stumble across a time trial and a variety of classic cars, with the odd Lamborghini and a Ferrari 458. We scythe our way through the classics on our way up a truly fantastic pass, which just so happens to be the one where Lisa blew her radiator last year. The climb is one of the highlights of the trip, as various exotica wave us through and give us the thumbs up. We stop at the top and head in for a quick coffee to warm the cockles as it’s rather cold and Cris needs another hit of espresso.
A lighter lunch than normal is consumed in restaurant on the Italian/Austrian border. Henry tries to converse in their native Italian, but the waiter appears more used to the Austrian language. As you’ve probably guessed by now, we devour yet more lovely pasta and again wash this down with yet more coke. Coke is definitely off limits when I get back!
After lunch, Tom Tom takes us down some extremely narrow roads and we often have to stop and reverse to get to the point whereby two cars can safely pass. We’re on our way to The Rombo, which is the mother and father of all passes, with sheer 1000ft drops which require total concentration. I’ve already agreed that I’ll follow Ben and film his passage up the pass, while he films from the rear. Ben’s absolutely gunning the Exige for all its worth and lighting up those tyres for the sake of the camera. Ben provides us with some first gear entertainment and the rear tyres shriek in protest as he fires round the corner and up towards the next hairpin.
Reaching the top we pull over, where a small crowd of people are peering over the edge, having listened and watched our antics. With the cars still running, we get out to look over the edge, take a couple of pictures and let the adrenalin rush subside slightly. All belted in we make our way through the tunnel and out the other side and into Austria.
The last night is spent in an old Stelvio favourite, Oburgurgl. Dinner is a 5 course affair and proves to be the best way to finish off a truly epic trip. Steve’s been busy writing a speech for the best part of an hour at the bar, and chooses his moment before putting knife to glass and calling for silence. With various tales from the trip being recounted by Steve, we all reflect on the fun we’ve had and agree that we’ll all be back for 2011.
Edited by 4pot on Wednesday 17th August 15:15
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