just got back yesterday
firstly massive thank you to Matt, Robert and Drew for arranging the trip, had a fantastic time and great to meet so many great people both long standing and new members including all your better halves and friends who came on the trip with us...
too many to list but just a few highlights for me:
- to Robert for his magical mystery tour
- to all in the main group for the view of maserati after maserati in convey along some great roads, won't see that again any time soon
- a truck in front was doing ~20mph in a contraflow, didn't see David in front of him - then on the radio a voice - I'm giving it all she's got - just about to reply with a star trek comment when Benny continued the banter on the 3200s
- following Benny and Newton (and Robert I think) on the back roads just left me for dust, they can drive very well
- GTS and GS had a trip to the Maserati dealer who took 15mins to get us a coffee then to kick us out of the place as its lunch time... everything just got closed and locked up. after about 2hrs the GTS issue was fixed, mine needed replacement front skyhook, suggested both sides at €1,000 a side... safe to drive if easy - so left it till I get home. The trip to the next stop was great, Franks GTS sound, the high mountain passes was awesome, we had a little stop by the police in the middle of nowhere - think it was the sound of the GTS
- the evening meals all great
enjoyed the chinese were the waiter was handing out plates that should have come with a heat warning
Newton ordered the biggest pizza I've seen, I will post a pic of this in the other thread
the last evening meal was fantastic, great company on our table and the grumpy drinks waiter that didn't serve us so one of us took a bottle whilst he wasn't looking
- trip out to see the Maserati parade
- thanks to Chris, Drew and T for giving me a lift, 1st time in all 3 type of cars - Drew QP is so much car for the money and boy its quick
- Champagne Automobile Museum could have spent all day looking around this....
- did the Stelvio Pass on day 3 whilst the main group went direct (tick)
- some beautiful Maserati in the Enzo museum.
- at Enzo museum one of the french had a GS MCV that had shark fins on the hood and 3200 rear lights
well again very impressed with my car - she didn't let me down at all, just kept going even with a broken skyhook, so now need to get this booked in.
had one issue on fuel, running on empty and only had access to 95ron, put 1/2 tank in and seemed OK - took it easy, hopefully no damage to the cats...
at the end of the tour (on Sunday) we all split, I had a slow drive (in Benny view if not 3 figures its slow) to Monaco for a week, went via SP108, but got stopped twice, once by the police - took a look around the car and didn't speak a word of english other than what I could work out from hand movement was asking me to rev it... so I did and they let me go on my way. 2nd time was from a heard of wild boars - walking a long the road towards the car...
after Monaco traveled up to the ferry bypassing all the tolls - so glad I did, found some great roads, one being M64 / C4 just north of Nice (~2,800 metres up (~9,000 feet)) - looking down on part of the Alps. Also stopped at Gueux old pits which we missed on the way down. would have been a great picture with all the masartis lined up - hoepfully next time.
Northern France wasn't much other than mile after mile of straigh roads with limits of 70-90kpm.... hmmmm....
only 1 car wash in Modena, highly recommend GTechniq for these type of trips - total milage was about 2,600 miles - just waiting for fuel and toll bills
because of public forum I have not listed names of friends or other halves but to all those it was a great pleasure to meet you, a thank you to Franks navigator for keeping us on the road as we couldn't see a thing... A massive big thank you to all for making this trip a fantastic adventure....
Matt - would be interested in contact details for skyhook fix
