Time to commit to Tuscany 2007

Mark, thank you for your commitment but I must say I'm a bit worried about this development. We won't have secure parking (and for my insurance that's tantamount to setting fire to the car myself) and you can be sure that the area is going to be SWARMING with professional car thieves from all over Europe during the 60th celebrations weekend.

Also, we still don't know what our role is going to be in the whole thing... Fiorano is a fairly boring place, and if we don't have an active role we'll just be fighting in the sweaty crowds to get a glimpse of cars that we could comfortably see and touch at Goodwood.

If it turns out that a) we don't have any security for our cars and b) we don't have anything exciting to do on the celebrations I'd rather skip this stage (I'll refund your 65 Euros, of course).

Andrea

 

OK, this is the link to the first tour (Radicofani). I was not able to have the same thing done in English. If someone can do it, please teach me how.
http://maps.google.it/maps?f=d&hl=it&saddr=53037+San+Gimignano&daddr=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&sll=43.321181,11.154556&sspn=0.224296,0.462799&ie=UTF8&z=11&ll=43.2942,11.191635&spn=0.224396,0.462799&om=1
Every suggestion is more than welcome!
I am working on the other ones.
Ciao
Eugenio

 

Andrea

It's not unusual to suggest a guard I think, the Hotels words are below

"The hotel has both a carpark and an underground garage, niether of which are controlled. Considering the period you will be staying in the hotel it would be advisable to consider hiring a sercurity guard. The whole aera will be taken over by Ferrari fans and their cars, which, while a feast for anyone eyes, will also incur the risk of some unwanted attention."


On all our UK to Europe tours (except Tuscany last year) we have had them and even sometimes in the UK. I'm hoping that we will have the garage space and then with a guard as well I'm sure we'll be fine.

I'll also make sure I'll block your car in with mine, it would be a good deal for me if mine was stolen as I have full retail replacement value when new !!! so I can use the money to buy a 599

accept what you say about the event but if we waited until we found out there would be nowhere to stay within 100Kms of the place, we'll have to wait and see what is announced.

 

Thanks for confirming the hotel Mark!

Personally I don't really care if we are a part of the crowd. I know that I will enjoy the company of you guys very much, and also the atmosphere of the Ferrari Mekka! It is just fun to be there on this special occassion.

The reason that we have included the roads in southern Tuscany is because we do believe that you are right. And we also think that we can do this on a whole day drive. Everybody is free to do what he wants, so if you want to drive around this area with a hardcore group that is absolutely fine!

I have been low profile the last three months because I had to do "different" things. But now I am back again and the trip has my full attention. Everybody will receive a confirmation email later this week in which I will ask you to transfer the deposit.
Mark, do you want us to refund the deposit that you have paid for the hotel in Maranello?

Ton

 

Ton

No it's not a problem, I think they are going to cancel the deposit transaction when we arrive and then each can pay for their own rooms



I am going to do a Road Book for the UK guys for the run down to Maranello and wherever we stay on the Friday Night,.......... shall I carry on and plot the course through the Hills to San Gim for the Saturday morning?

 

Sounds like a solid plan!
Are you guys including me in the plan from the UK to Maranello? Or are you taking a different route this year?

 

This all sounds great to me. Personally I am looking forward to the crowd so I can slip away from all of you guys and actually have some fun

Thanks for sorting this Mark

 

Simon, shall we drink a beer?

 

Ton

You think we have a plan

I'm working on it, will advise shortly

 

Mark, take note....this really does sound like a plan

 

Looks like its definately all coming together and I for one can't wait

Thanks to everyone involved in the planning - if anyone needs any help sorting anything out please let me know.

Out of interest has anyone heard from M & M - not seen them around on this thread or emails for a while now.

 

Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeer.......yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

OK The Hotel has confirmed we have 10 spaces in the garage and it's free!, this is good news!, they do still suggest a guard and the cost is €30 per hour plus tax so if went for 10 hours, 10pm untill 8am it would cost €30 plus tax per car, not too bad I think for that comfort feeling. If anybody is short of cash and wants to vounteer as a guard we could pay a suitable rate

Let me know your thoughts on the above


They are reserving a table in their restaurant for dinner for 19 people (obviously we can add depending on small ones) and sending some menu ideas, I will forward on once received

Once I have sent them a room allocation I will let you know and if you need any additional facilities such as cots perhaps you would let them know directly


Kevan

MarcH is coming with his good lady Zoe, Mike is due to be in Tuscany at hte same time as us but not as part of the group, hopefully we will be able to meet up for a Beer or three at least!

I suspect MarcH is stuck in his TR unable to get out of the door in his garage

 

Surely you mean sunday morning? I thought that's when we are supposed to drive from Maranello to San Gim.

There are only two good ways to get there:

1) Maranello-Serramazzoni (the OLD road - much better than the new one) - Abetone, and then down the mountain to Pistoia. At Pistoia we can either take the highway or carry on through the Tuscan hills.

2) Maranello - Bologna - Sasso Marconi (via motorway); at Sasso Marconi we take the Statale della Futa, and do the Futa + Raticosa passes all the way to Barberino del Mugello, where we re-join the motorway.

Personally I think the Serramazzoni-Abetone will be sweeter and quicker. That's the one I'm going to drive!

 

Don't scare us! BTW, I know many ways to immobilize your 550.

cinque

 

As long as the car is in a garage the insurance is happy (i.e. they will have to buy me another one if mine gets stolen). I don't need a security guard unless the car is outdoors. Still, we can jam the cars so that the cheapest ones are on the outside...

 

Also we can decide a 'ranking' among these options. Because some little roads might be surprisingly under construction - what we don't know today. So we can go via nice fallback routes if necessary.

cinque

(always in the 'drivers group')

 

oops Yes Sunday morning! Option 1 was the route I was thinking of too

 

Out for dinner and... so many new posts. Fine for me the guard, just I suggest to leave Maranello sunday afternoon. Please, me want to see Ferraris
Ciao
Eugenio

 

Just one thing. MarcH is in annual leave (or so says his automatic answer to e-mails), the lucky ba****rd
Ciao
Eugenio

 

Sorry again I'll get it right when we leave Maranello on Sunday (original plan to leave around Lunchtime) but final time to be agreed

 

Just confirming we're on board for the Saturday night hotel and any road trips during the week especially if they involve getting out of the cars once in a while rather than just blasting through the Tuscan countryside else my wife will not be too pleased.

An interesting place to stop would be on one of the sides of Monte Amiata there are some hot springs where you can have a dip and swim. Did that once but would have no clue how to find the place again. Also not too sure about secure parking there. A couple of vineyards around Montalcino would also make great stops. Banfi is the obvious one - has a nice museum and exhibition but might be a bit too commercial for some tastes. Been to other, smaller ones but their names now elude me.

I'm fine to tag along with the guard on Saturday if that's what the majority decides but plain underground is secure enough for me. I'm on Polish plates, all the criminals will think it's already been nicked once anyway ;-).

 

Przemek,

No worries!
Andrea and Patrick are the real "racer" boys. They are very fast and it is very difficult to stick to them anyway. They will mostly go their own way to enjoy the drive to their max.
Another group likes to drive fast, but also has an eye for other things. Everybody is free to follow the group that he/she prefers.

 

Ton

Did you get my mail re routes?

 

I had a quick glance at it yesterday. You guys have a good point in driving directly through France. It would not be wise to drive through Belgium I think.
We will discuss where we will meet at a later point I guess.

 

oups, notorious reputation?
Anyway, Ton, you're unbeatable on the autostrada.
Usually we stop & wait after each stint/junction to keep the group together.
(always an eye for the rear-view mirror)

BTW: The hotel dropped some warnings today:
"Dear Mr. ****
with regards your reservation I would like to inform you that the hotel car parking is unattended.
If you have a ferrari car would be advisable to consider hiring a security guard."

cheers,

cinque