Taking the long way...

For a variety of reasons (registration problems, mechanical work, garage 30 minutes away, etc.), I had not had my QV available to me on a regular basis since getting it a year ago, until last saturday. Then the weather turned here in SW france with forecasts of clear skies and no rain far ahead. So I brought my Dante home for a while. You know, just to have it...for transportation purposes you understand.

I had no real place I wanted or needed to go, but found myself looking for reasons. "Honey, do you need anything from the hardware store? Oh, some steel wool. I think I'll go to the one in Bergerac (35 miles away) rather than the one nearby. They have a bigger selection." Or, "We're going to need some milk in a couple days. I think I'll drive over to the dairy in the next village, and get some fresh eggs too."

And so it went all week. Getting ready with hat and driving gloves and sun glasses, turning the ignition switch and hearing the beautiful sound of that engine turn coming to life immediately (starting problems seem fixed...for the moment), and then pulling out onto the road and shifting up through the gears to speed. The feel of the road, the sounds, the connection to the car, the smile on my face, all part of the joy of owning a Mondi.

Inevitably, I would find my 2 Euro item, or drop off the mail in town, or whatever pretext got me out the door, and instead of the direct route home, would create a long way through the hills and valleys, and twists and turns of this part of France, for the pure joy of the drive. How glorious! And so it has been all week.

I get up in the morning and pull back the curtain in the bedroom and see Dante, waiting, available, out in front of the house. The grin begins, along with that day's "excuse" to take him out and lose myself in the long way home.

Sorry, I have to go now. We need some eggplant for Sunday dinner.

PS. Here's Dante, at the ready.
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Mondial ownership described and pictured perfectly!
Enchanting stuff...

 

just great! looks in good condition too. Enjoy the sun!

 

If I take my dull daily commuter car: it's for A to B transits. No more, no less.

If I take one of the classic cars/mopeds: it's for no reason, for cruising around, for fun. Any excuse is ok for taking them out, and if they come out: there is no direct route taken from A to B, it's passing by that road because of the beautiful scenery, or that direction for the fun, curvy and winding road. Or even that road for the perfect long and straight asphalt airstrip like road, with the tunnel in the middle for the pure sounds...

Going to the bakery on sunday morning is always an adventure, which is taking too much time according to my gf.

It's my method of destressing, and it works very well.

Keep the the juicy stories coming Journiacois, and spice them up with pics!

Bart

 

Pilots have the $100 dollar hamburger, Ferrari owners always seem to take the longest route to buy anthing! LoL
Life is Good in a Ferrari !

Cheers

 

"

Oh man, are you right or are you right. I have two cars in the lower carport that NEED to be driven. Including my wonderful 1965 Corvair Convertible. But to get to them I need to walk past Contessa Prugna Metalica.

The batteries in both of the other cars keep going dead. And thats not all. I can get my daily beer ration just a few miles away on a straight road. But to get to that store I need to drive by a very curvy road for another 20 miles round trip addition. I never can drive by that side road.

 

Excellent!

"Hungry Heart" song came to mind !

 

I love the south of France, wonderful roads, scenery, places, people.
Perfect car for the location.

 

Went to a local car show today. Nova's and Camaro's are cool but people love a Ferrari.Drove 30 miles for an ice cream cone. Low sixties so the top is still up but what a nice day!

 

I live in the N. Georgia mountains and everyone loves the Ferrari. Have not taken it to any of the many available car shows here abouts. I fear the crowds! On the other hand I suspect (only suspect) one or two locals over the last two years might have been aroused by 6,500 rpms to call the local constabulary!

Sometimes I find police cars parked or cruising in the oddest places. It would be hard to convince them my car has about the same power as a six cylindar Honda Accord. Full throttle in first and second sound like the Indy 500 while simply hitting the local 55mph back road speed limit!

 

Car shows to me tend to be a bit boring. I went to this one because it was local and saw a lot of folks I know. We went to a show in Georgetown Delaware last year called wings and wheels. It's called that because they have it at an airport and it was really cool. Lot's of neat cars. New planes, old planes even an F-16. There was always something to do besides look at cars.

 

God help us all from small block Chevy hot rods! Nothing wrong with them and plenty good about many of them. But very very many of them there be. On the otherhand, I have yet to visit a car show without at least one worthwhile vehicle. Perhaps an Avanti. Some BMW front door stuff. A 1955 Plymouth. I even encountered a quadruplet of ancient Rolls and Bentlys that make the circuit. Albiet with modern mechanicals.

And I am probably one of the few people on the planet to have actually witnessed a Tucker DRIVE into a show. Those were the rules at Rockville. I also witness the death of a participant at a show when the ancient Roller guy mistook his accelertor for the brake. For years I had complained the rolling terrain was a death trap. And so it became.

On a lighter note, I attended an obscure local weekend event with just a few dozen vehicles. However, one of them was a Model A Ford with the optional exhaust manifold cabin heater I had never seen before. At that same show I witmessed the single most remarkable paint job I have ever witnessed or hope to witness again.

It was one of the nice looking mid 60's GM products. Perhaps a 65 Malibu? Anyway, the car was shot continuously over a 24 hour period and resulted in a vehicle that did not even begin to seem made of metal at all. Looked like it was made out of well colored acrylic. Not acrylic paint. Acrylic plastic half an inch deep. Not my cup of tea but what a cup of tea it was! And it did not look like a fleck-specked bass boat either.

A photograph could not possibly have done it justice. Perhaps a 25,000 paint job?

 

Great post Gerald.

In the drivers seat is such a special place to be, especially with wonderful roads.

 

Gerald, My problem is that everything is close by even the second and the third place to be, but I found a way to just drive because simple the song of the CD has not come to and end yet and when it ends I just hit the button to repeat

Like Dutch always say "live like a God in France" similar to "Comme un coq en pâte!". Enjoy your drives!

 

I have two angels. On my left shoulder is the guy with pitch fork. Winged Victory on the other side. Have you ever read clasical philosopy? Zeno and Marcus Aurelius are on the left shoulder. Aurelius Meditations is easy, a bit repetitive but very well worth either the read or, in my case, audio book. On the other side are the Epicurians. But not in the modern term which has come down to us 'sybaritic' (Sybarus has been found but is under swamp land which is appropriate.) Epicureans actually preached moderation.

The Roman Lucretius is the Epicurian most famous to us. A recent book "The Swerve" is quite engrossing read (or listen) on the frantic search by Renaisance Humanists to recover ancient manuscripts. And it WAS one hell of a time. One or two Anti-Popes etc. John Huss burned at the stake. Serious stuff, actually.

The hero of the manustript recovery is the most senior of the Roman Pope's Curia at the time. Personal Secretary, I believe, and his guy lost and escaped France in the dead of night. The swerve author claims all modern life is the result of that manuscript recovery. That is only a minor exageration on my part. And it is not true. Further, the author does not mention a second manuscript was later found. Both are probably the product of Charlemagenes court efforts.

But all this is simply to promote history on my part. I love it all. And for extra credit I recommend Erasmus. One of the damndest dialogs between the Pope and St Peter at the gates of heaven I have ever heard. Some people tell us Erasmus laid the egg Luther hatched. Erasmus said he laid a hen and Luther hatch a fighting cock.

Esoteric stuff. But I do not believe anyone would not drop dead laughing at Pope arguing with St. Peter.

PS: Lucretius - 'De Rerum Natura'
Erasmus - 'The Praise of Folly'

 

I hear ya. How come it takes twice as long to get home from work in the Mondial as it does in the other car when driving the same speeds? Supertramp wrote a song about it, and Gerald obviously agrees. 'Take the long way home!"

Regards,
Brian

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKGOCOAI_2c

 

Great report, but why need an excuse to drive a Ferrari? As the French here in Louisiana would say, do it for the "joie de vivre"!

 

I love my autocross prepedded MAXX but have only been driving the Mondi as my main car these last two years. The battery on the MAXX died for the second time for lack of driving it. But yesterday had some new Continental DWS tires installed on the MAXX and would normally have taken it out for a tire break in today.

But I need to walk past the Mondi to get to the MAXX. Bright sunny 75F and mountain roads can not be avoided where I live. So I drive the Ferrari. Just can't help it.