L'è minga el meiflauers - 17/18 May 2014

If it's not May Flowers', then what is it?
I had the pleasure of being there, I'll tell you what it is: "if it's not soup it was definitely wet bread"
Ernesto with his cautious manner of a monk from Monza and his worthy companion Federico, the Brianza native from Lentate sul Seveso who doesn't seem to want it and instead the more you dig into it, the more you uncover it, there
Meeting point in Piacenza, capital of the Wild West of the Emilia-Romagna region, the cross and pain of its master Vladimiro Vecchi.
MGs lined up at the Best Western Park Hotel to show off and welcome those arriving under a spring sun that has made every trace of hoods disappear.
Briefing and, the first gem and surprise of the day, the announcement of an elegance contest with the ladies designated to vote for the three most beautiful MGs within a ballot that divided them into three categories: B and C, A and T.
After a few failed vote-trading attempts, despite the promise of deep discounts on dentures and free club memberships, the merry band set off, roadbook in hand, along the Trebbia Valley towards Bobbio.
A medieval village whose main monument is undoubtedly the Ponte Gobbo (Hunchback Bridge), also known as Ponte del Diavolo (Devil's Bridge). Built entirely of stone, its main feature is its eleven irregular and crooked arches. A fine example of Roman engineering despite its irregularity.
The second highlight of the day was a gymkhana among the stalls of the Saturday morning city market, sold to us as an unexpected treat, with the mayor himself leading the way until he led all the cars to a sort of green oasis set aside as a reserved parking lot.
As if by magic, special body care creams, last-minute Chanel makeup touch-ups, hoods that lift, and shiny engines for polarized lenses with UV400 protection appear.
The ladies, pen and ballot in hand, wander through all this abundance with a delicate and expert manner, casting their votes with impartiality and unexpected expertise.
The urn will be opened during the gala dinner in the presence of a notary.
Lunch at the Piacentino Hotel Restaurant, an excellent choice by the two companions, left a fond memory and is highly recommended to anyone preparing for a weekend in Liguria.
Melius abundare quam deficere when one leaves the certain for the uncertain.
A road likely commissioned by ABINGDON executives to promote MG sales in Italy, it kept gentlemen drivers busy and entertained all the way to Rapallo. Curve after curve with zero traffic, a road surface worthy of billiards, and a breathtaking view.
After miles and miles of green mountains and deep bends with silvery streams, the horizon opens up to make way for the cobalt blue waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea.
Many windows open and close at every turn, becoming a single stage where all the beauty of Liguria is on display, with the color of its sea, the scent of its flowers, and the diversity of its coastline.
It is in this context that the Grand Hotel Bristol welcomes us with its elegant and comfortable structure.
A bit of relaxation before another treat goes on air: an aperitif on the huge terrace overlooking the Tigullio Gulf, illuminated by the colors of the sunset. Gradually, between one glass of prosecco and the next, they fade to give way to the lights of the town, reflected in the water, now dark and calm as if the sea were a lake. A natural spectacle that never tires, changed only by the passing of a boat on the sea or a plane overhead.
Dinner was served on the 5th floor where the magnificent view of the gulf and the memory of the Piacenza restaurant made up for the “Vara Valley ricotta gnocchi in a shrimp and tomato sauce” served
as a FIRST COURSE and the fish slice “MORONE in a courgette flower crust on mashed potatoes with olives and basil oil” as a SECOND COURSE.
Connoisseur-grade food served under a magnifying glass to avoid blunting the silver forks on the golden plates.
The Morone is a fish caught locally at depths of 4-500 meters that can reach 25 kg in weight. Its flesh is very delicious because it feeds almost exclusively on crustaceans.
It is served in slices on unblessed wafers and melted in the mouth like a first communion despite a famous Ligurian singer-songwriter having been singing for 50 years “the taste of salt, the taste of the sea, that you have on your skin, that you have on your lips”.
I assure you that I allowed myself this—I hope a pleasant—joke, because I didn't hear one, I repeat, a single negative comment about the dinner, a clear sign that the cheerful company, the perfect organization, and the beauty of the place were predominant.
The counting of the ballots, made official by the presence of the notary, took place in an atmosphere of suspense and anxious anticipation that the usual two skillfully created.
Rumor has it that they trained by listening to the popular TV show "Open Your Box" for hours and hours.
The winners were Giampiero Cargiolli's yellow prime rose MGB, Max Bottoli's old English white MGA, and Bernhard Reithofer's red MGTC.
The winners were awarded attractive prizes and plaques, and the Beltrami Cup was presented by the secretary, a notary for the occasion, to the talented Ernesto Meloscia in recognition of the activities and national gathering promoted within the Lombardy regional center during 2013.
On Sunday morning, a hearty breakfast to replenish our energy, and then we headed off to Sestri Levante for a leisurely stroll that inevitably ended by the sea, where the beautiful day had attracted several tourists seeking their first tan.
However, I didn't see any…..” come out of the water and come and lie down next to me”……That rascal Gino continues to make fun.
Off we go! More curves and counter-curves all the way to the BRACCO pass for the ritual group photo. The shortest ones in front, the tallest in back, the widest in the middle, and the thinnest at the back. That genius Federico is truly a magician... of the shot.
The lines break and off to Casale Moneglia to the Uliveto restaurant where the last lunch and the final act of a wonderful “L'E' MINGA EL MEIFLAUERS” are consumed under a pergola with a view.
Thank you Ernesto, thank you Federico, thank you Lombard friends for creating a close-knit and friendly group with whom it's a pleasure to be together, sharing emotions in a spontaneous and friendly way.

P. Paolo