Flavia 50 Trieste - Sort of a Blog

[LanciAlan]

During the week of 20 September 2010 I have been driving from Dublin to join the Flavia 50th anniversary in Trieste, accompanied by my brother in law Brendan

Details of the event are at www.flavia50.com


Here are a few pictures taken along the way .... more to follow when I get new batteries for the camera.

[LanciAlan]

Monday 20 September: Ireland/UK

Got the kids up at 4am to clean the car before taking the swift ferry from Dublin port to Holyhead. (OK I didn't wake them up but they helped out before going to bed Sunday night!)

Traversed the UK to Hull where Alan Cooper the previous owner of my 2000HF came up from Grimsby to review progress with the car since I bought it. Alan brought a cubic foot of Flavia/2000 technical literature that is most welcome but will add to our already outrageous payload. He also checked the timing and made an adjustment along the way that seems to have improved the idle.

Then we boarded the P&O fgerry for an overnight crossing to Zeebrugge in Belgium - this was better than the long drive down to Dover and then looking for a hotel in dreary Calais.

[LanciAlan]

Tuesday 21 September: Belgium/Germany

Our arrival in Belgium was cloaked in mist and we soon ended up behind a tractor on the B road to Antwerp instead of the motorway to greater Europe.

On re-fuelling I was pleased to find 98 octane Super Plus unleaded fuel on sale and even more pleased when Brendan  volunteered to pay for it. So I let him drive the car and I took some pictures.

Around lunchtime we came up behind a white Flavia Sport (Zagato) on the motorway - I recognised Paul and Valerie Bishop who, it later appeared, had been on the same ferry crossing as us. We lost them as motorways divided and while I was distracted trying to get their mobile number from someone else in the UK.... but after a detour of some city suburbs we corrected our error and rolled up behind them again at the next motorway services.

The destination for our first night on the Contintent was a small local village hotel in Florstadt about 25k northeast of Frankfurt - conveniently chosen by Flavia 50 organiser Angela Verschoor who we were to meet there. Paul and Val decided to stay there too. This is a family hotel of real charm with great food, atmosphere and service located just 3 minutes from the A45 motorway and which I would recommend as worth seeking out. www.schloss-ysenburg.de

We made our rendezvous with Angela (Flavia Vignale) and a local German Klaus (Aurelia B20) also joined us for dinner

[LanciAlan]

Wednesday 22 September: Germany/Austria

We parted company with Brendan my co-driver early today as we dropped him to the train for Frankfurt where he has business meetings for 2 days ... then he flies to another meeting in Oxford and back to join us in Trieste on Saturday!

Paul and Valerie left early and Angela and I  took some pictures of our cars outside the Hotel before we headed off in convoy for Austria, me bringing up the rear ....

My 2000HF is on its first serious trip since I bought it from Alan Cooper in 2005. I had it re-sprayed for the Turin centenary in 2006 but the re-assembly didn't happen in time so Brendan and I travelled to Turin in his modern Alfa - there is some poetic symmetry in the fact that we return to Italy in a Lancia in the Alfa centenary year!. Then the gearbox burst last year so I've had the engine/gearbox/subframe out all winter. More or less everything has been renewed, replaced or just cleaned up and put back on. My confidence in the car (known inside the family as Philip) and my faith in my own work is growing steadily on this journey.... Philip hasn't missed a beat yet and is a real motorway cruiser with a growling appetite for more speed from 75 to 90! Sometimes I am so pleased I have to drive with my hoodie up so nobody sees me grinning ..... that purple thing on the back parcel shelf is a suit carrier that has a smart suit in it just in case I end up in front of a magistrate or anything.

[fensaddler]

Great to read, and some fine pictures.  Have a great time one and all.

[fay66]

Great report and photos, love the Flavia Vignale!

Brian
8227

[sparehead3]

Just thought I'd add that the user is showing as banned ... spamming ... ? Do we need to clear him (Stu?) Hate to spoil the blog ....

[LanciAlan]

Wednesday 22 September: Germany/Austria - Supplement

There aren't any more pics from Wednesday just yet but how it ended up was that after a fast 250+ mile motorway drive that took us from Frankfurt to a small town near the Austrian border and in the shadow of the alps (which didn't photograph well for some reason!) we found the destination hotel closed until 5pm, as we thought.

This town, Neubeuern, appeared to be built against a sheer rockface with a steep main street/square area accessible only through two narrow archways - one at either end of the main street. We parked our cars and sought refreshment in a terrace bar opposite the hotel in the late afternoon sunshine....

Several welcome pints later and at the same time as I heard the familiar sound of a Flavia engine working hard somewhere out of sight on the steep hill of the main street, Angela spotted Paul Bishop approaching the hotel opposite which was still closed even though the appointed hour of opening had arrived. Paul and Valerie had re-joined us.

Turned out the hotel was gone on holiday but they hadn't taken the trouble to acknowledge our booking enquiry some weeks previous so we had arrived on spec. I can't say what the inside of this hotel was like, never mind recommend it but the town is interesting and, being conveniently located to the motorway, worth considering as a stopover: www.hotel-hofwirt.de

Travelling to the next town showed some promise with many people dining al fresco in the garden of a busy restaurant beside a picturesque duckpond but unfortunately everywhere here was full for the Oktoberfest holiday season.

After not too much longer we got directions and made our way back to the motorway and into Austria to a larger chalet-type motel where we had a fine meal. Later I made first contact with the internet and figured out the modalities of re-sizing and uploading photos before falling asleep at the keyboard .... in the lobby.

[LanciAlan]

Thursday 23 September: Austria/Italy
Today we awoke in sunny Austria and set about crossing the alps into Italy. After a few checks of the cars and pics for the record outside aforesaid chalet motel we set off again - Angela and I planning to go "over the top" via the Grossglockner and some lesser passes and with Paul and Val opting for the longer but quicker motorway route.

First we had to pre-purchase passes for the Austrian motorway tolls - these were the first toll charges that I had come across since leaving home almost 900 miles earlier, at least that I had noticed - maybe I am wanted by the magistrates in Germany!

After a short motorway run we took to the hills and re-fuelled before the long climb. On re-starting, Angela's car made some strange noises which, on investigation, we first thought to be a slippng fanbelt. The alternator was indeed at a bit of an angle - approximately 5 to 10 degrees relative to its normal position and its mounting bracket was broken but tightly held. We made a quick repair without improving the sound effects and it then turned out that two exhaust manifold bolts had come loose and one was missing, allowing exhaust gases to squeal out past the gasket under load pressure.

We improvised by re-purposing a bolt from the nearby bump-guard plate that protects the manifold from grounding over ramps, etc and were soon on our way again with the exhaust noise at least under control if not fully eliminated.

We drove through the quaint "Sound of Music" lower alpine landscape of green rolling hills, chalet-style buildings, goats, millwheels, purple cows, etc. You would think I might have taken a picture or two but I just decided to carry on grinning in my hoodie and enjoying the drive and the view.

The climb up to the Grossglockner pass (also tolled) was quite steep and my 2-litre car struggled to keep up with Angela's 1800. I was carrying the kitchen sink including a trolley jack, spare battery, spare parts, my luggage, Brendan's left luggage, toolbox, spare fuel, water, oil etc. and Angela had 100 copies of her book to celebrate the Flavia anniversary ... http://www.flavia50.com/book.html. She reckoned her book cargo was the equivalent of two people's weight.

Took a picture at the top ... and some videos that are too big to post here so I put them on YouTube ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyUEPE6ANEs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsIOGVUSqAIv

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L29I0HCti1s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGvwvPwGxnw&playnext=1&videos=hbQB3Ig4BVo&feature=mfu_in_order

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWBWHTUzYXc&videos=hbQB3Ig4BVo&feature=BF

[LanciAlan]

Thursday 23 September: Austria/Italy - Supplement

We arrived at the Hotel Astoria in Grado around 3pm after 7 hours in the saddle. Grado is a resort town on a peninsula in the lagoon on which Trieste is located. In addition to its natural connection to the mainland, there is also a manmade causeway at the bell end - so to speak - of the peninsula providing a striking approach to the fairly built-up town of Grado which is largely pedestrianised, traversed by canals and with a marina at its centre, all of which makes navigation by road through the town centre somewhat akin to trying to get anywhere on foot in Venice. - following your nose just doesn't work!

We entered the Hotel underground carpark to be greeted with the sight of 10 or 15 wonderful Flavia and 2000 models all in impressive condition. I'll try to get a better pic but suffice to say that with classic Lancias in nearly every direction the garage had a very period 60's/70's feel.

We assembled and registered for the event at a champagne reception held by the rooftop pool on the seventh floor with sweeping views of the surrounding town and sea before taking a short walk to a restaurant located on the canal by the market where the daily fresh fish sale is held.

[fay66]

Thursday 23 September: Austria/Italy - Supplement

We arrived at the Hotel Astoria in Grado around 3pm after 7 hours in the saddle. Grado is a resort town on a peninsula in the lagoon on which Trieste is located. In addition to the natural connectioin to the mainland, there is also a manmade causeway at the bell end - so to speak - of the peninsula providing a striking approach to the fairly built-up town of Grado which is largely pedestrianised, traversed by canals and with a marina at its centre, all of which makes navigation by road through the town centre somewhat akin to trying to get anywhere on foot in Venice. - following your nose just doesn't work!

We entered the Hotel underground carpark to be greeted with the sight of 10 or 15 wonderful Flavia and 2000 models all in impressive condition. I'll try to get a better pic but with classic Lancias in nearly every directiuon the garage had a very period 60's/70's feel.

We assembled and registered for the event at a champagne reception held by the rooftop pool on the seventh floor with sweeping views of the surrounding town and sea before taking a short walk to a restaurant located on the canal by the market where the daily fish market is held.

Alan,
you're only trying to make us jealous and I might add, succeeding very well
Wish I was with you.

Brian
8227

[HF_Dave]

Oh YES !! am I sorry now ! Should have had my HF there. Women have a lot to answer for !

[LanciAlan]

Indeed. Well you all had your chances .....

Friday 24 September: Grado and Aquileia

Friday morning saw us set forth in convoy from the hotel, crossing the causeway from Grado to the mainland in a light mist under an exqusite pale blue sky and perfect sunshine. No wonder the Dutch couple in the vignale (convertible) in front of me were behaving like teenagers.... did I mention that at 44 I am one of the younger participants here and well below the average age which is mid 60's.

Anyhow we made it to the mainland without incident or indecent and proceeded along a tree-lined road to the town of Aquileia. Here our destination was the 11th to 14th century cathedral built on the site of a 4th century early christian structure which in turn was built on the remains of houses of the strategic roman fortified town of Aquileia. A  feature here is the layers of mosaic flooring, first from the roman houses, then covered by the early church which was in turn covered by the current cathedral. When the 4th century floor was first covered over, it was only 200 years old and was preserved under earth for over 1500 years until discovered. So it is a 1700 year old mosaic with only 200 years' wear and tear  on it!

Following tours of the cathedral, its crypt, the belltower and the impressive remains of the nearby roman port,  we made a short drive for lunch at the premises of a nearby wine producer whose wines (mainly white from the Friuili region - or maybe that's a grape, not sure) we had sampled at dinner the night before. The cars were lined up in the sunny walled courtyard of their factory/restaurant.

[LanciAlan]

Friday 24 September: Grado and Aquileia  -  Supplement

Anyhow, on to the cars, the cars  and our first display of them by daylight. There are just over 20 cars with participants from mainly the UK, then Holland, Sweden, Germany, Switzerland and Oireland.

[LanciAlan]

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