Tuscany in our DB9 Volante
Discussion
David W. said:
Apologies for our absence of late. We have been beetling back homewards from Turin.
This pic is prior to our stuffing the car with artworks given to us by the staff of the Uffizi in Florence, who, as usual, ritually sacrificed three chickens and a sewer rat in honour of our visit.Hubby asked that a virgin be included, but they replied that they couldn't find one after his his last visit.
We've made good going. Six hours from Turin to Dijon. We would have done it faster had we not stopped in Chambery for a light lunch of hand picked Ortolans, washed down by a delightful Sauterne from the proprietors own cellar. The proprietor gave us a case of fine wine since Hubby correctly guessed how long he had steeped his buntings in Armagnac. Of course, we would have had to remove a Michelango sculpture in order to fit the case in the Aston, so Hubby, with his usual generosity, told Pascal to distribute the wine to the poor of Chambery,
and please don't name a street in Chambery after us like they did on a previous visit.
Of course, being stopped at the Frejus checkpoint for twenty minutes didn't help. Hubby could find neither his passport not driving licence. In the end he discovered them in his
wash-bag( thank Christ he hadn't put them in his laundry bag ; we'd have been refused entry had the documents been tainted by any of his three week unwashed skivvies ). In the end, though, it was almost as bad, since the top was loose on his bottle of Trumpers " Eucris " and his passport had been liberally splashed with what appears to the uninitiated as something between green slime and dog snot.
But, the whole incident was greatly lightened by a female French border guard clad in parachute boots and body armour ( just how Hubby likes 'em ) who chortled " His name is Bond, James Bond " or " Mr. Bond, I presume ? ".
This pic is prior to our stuffing the car with artworks given to us by the staff of the Uffizi in Florence, who, as usual, ritually sacrificed three chickens and a sewer rat in honour of our visit.Hubby asked that a virgin be included, but they replied that they couldn't find one after his his last visit.
We've made good going. Six hours from Turin to Dijon. We would have done it faster had we not stopped in Chambery for a light lunch of hand picked Ortolans, washed down by a delightful Sauterne from the proprietors own cellar. The proprietor gave us a case of fine wine since Hubby correctly guessed how long he had steeped his buntings in Armagnac. Of course, we would have had to remove a Michelango sculpture in order to fit the case in the Aston, so Hubby, with his usual generosity, told Pascal to distribute the wine to the poor of Chambery,
and please don't name a street in Chambery after us like they did on a previous visit.
Of course, being stopped at the Frejus checkpoint for twenty minutes didn't help. Hubby could find neither his passport not driving licence. In the end he discovered them in his
wash-bag( thank Christ he hadn't put them in his laundry bag ; we'd have been refused entry had the documents been tainted by any of his three week unwashed skivvies ). In the end, though, it was almost as bad, since the top was loose on his bottle of Trumpers " Eucris " and his passport had been liberally splashed with what appears to the uninitiated as something between green slime and dog snot.
But, the whole incident was greatly lightened by a female French border guard clad in parachute boots and body armour ( just how Hubby likes 'em ) who chortled " His name is Bond, James Bond " or " Mr. Bond, I presume ? ".
Incidentally, my criticism of Italian motorways is not entirely founded. The A43 road from Turin to Frejus is spectacular. The mountains on either side are utterly stunning and we only saw four cars throughout that whole trip. There were, of course, some heavy lorries, but their discipline was excellent, so we only had to use our multiple air horns and orange strobe lights fitted behind the grille about three times.
One of the few cars we saw was a brand new Matt grey Vantage. It was barely visible at the speed it passed us. At the next Peage we approached the occupants, but they appeared to be Saudi teenagers and not very sociable.
The Vantage had an orange interior trimmed with grey. Striking ? Yes. Tasteful ? Maybe.
When we got to our hotel ( pics below ) I trapped a Fiat 500 in a corner of the courtyard. Venting my spleen upon it for all the irritations they caused me in Italy ( pic. enclosed ), I thrashed it to death with Hubbie's sjambok. He was not best pleased, since it is now covered in red paint.
One of the few cars we saw was a brand new Matt grey Vantage. It was barely visible at the speed it passed us. At the next Peage we approached the occupants, but they appeared to be Saudi teenagers and not very sociable.
The Vantage had an orange interior trimmed with grey. Striking ? Yes. Tasteful ? Maybe.
When we got to our hotel ( pics below ) I trapped a Fiat 500 in a corner of the courtyard. Venting my spleen upon it for all the irritations they caused me in Italy ( pic. enclosed ), I thrashed it to death with Hubbie's sjambok. He was not best pleased, since it is now covered in red paint.
ruhall said:
Each to their own; does the stripe carry on over the soft top? Serious question.
Good Lord, no! That would be vulgar.Talking of vulgarity. Hubby has been complaining throughout the holiday that one of the several parking valets must have nicked his Bottega Veneta driving gloves. Good luck to that valet, since unless he has only three fingers on his left hand, they'll be no bloody use to him; Hubby lost those fingers when trying to change the red hot barrel of his M60 machine gun without using an asbestos glove, and the Bottega gloves were tailor made for him.
BUT, the under gardener has just reported that he found a dead rat amongst Hubbie's laundry
( which, with the rat ,had to be burned, since a three week tour of the Continent renders them fit for little else ) . Raking through the ashes, I found a fragment of his gloves. So, the old scrote has once more been up to his old tricks, i.e. stuffing his gloves down the front of his underpants to impress hotel chambermaids.
For three weeks we've just driven through France and Italy at speeds rarely less than
100 MPH and frequently much greater. We've just gotten home to find a speeding ticket from
Essex Police for doing 58 MPH in a 50 MPH stretch of the A282 Trunk Road Dartford - Thurrock crossing approach to the Dartford Crossing bridge. They must be raking it in.
Welcome home to dear Old England !
What's my chances of getting a Speed Awareness Course or WTF they call it nowadays?
100 MPH and frequently much greater. We've just gotten home to find a speeding ticket from
Essex Police for doing 58 MPH in a 50 MPH stretch of the A282 Trunk Road Dartford - Thurrock crossing approach to the Dartford Crossing bridge. They must be raking it in.
Welcome home to dear Old England !
What's my chances of getting a Speed Awareness Course or WTF they call it nowadays?
Here's a pic of the Aston the Chateau Gilly near Dijon. We parked in their car park until the owner of the hotel asked us to park the Aston by the main entrance
As you may imagine the bar here was magnificent, although a large Cardhu single malt cost over sixty quid. I'll send a few more pics of the hotel etc.
As you may imagine the bar here was magnificent, although a large Cardhu single malt cost over sixty quid. I'll send a few more pics of the hotel etc.
Rosanne said:
For three weeks we've just driven through France and Italy at speeds rarely less than
100 MPH and frequently much greater. We've just gotten home to find a speeding ticket from
Essex Police for doing 58 MPH in a 50 MPH stretch of the A282 Trunk Road Dartford - Thurrock crossing approach to the Dartford Crossing bridge. They must be raking it in.
Welcome home to dear Old England !
What's my chances of getting a Speed Awareness Course or WTF they call it nowadays?
Generally at that speed if you haven't done a course in the last 3 years you would normally be offered the chance of a course rather than the points.100 MPH and frequently much greater. We've just gotten home to find a speeding ticket from
Essex Police for doing 58 MPH in a 50 MPH stretch of the A282 Trunk Road Dartford - Thurrock crossing approach to the Dartford Crossing bridge. They must be raking it in.
Welcome home to dear Old England !
What's my chances of getting a Speed Awareness Course or WTF they call it nowadays?
Crikey Roseanne,
I do love your commentaries so.
Compulsive “start the day” reading for me now.
As soon as Thought For The Day finishes, I grab my iPad to get my Daily Roseanne Fix.
Pls tell me Hubby & you are AMOC Members and are coming Nawff to Concours next weekend ?
My, how we’d love to share a table with you at the International Dinner! (Tucking into the Sir Loin)
I do love your commentaries so.
Compulsive “start the day” reading for me now.
As soon as Thought For The Day finishes, I grab my iPad to get my Daily Roseanne Fix.
Pls tell me Hubby & you are AMOC Members and are coming Nawff to Concours next weekend ?
My, how we’d love to share a table with you at the International Dinner! (Tucking into the Sir Loin)
Gassing Station | Aston Martin | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff