MG... in Tor Caldara and Anzio, January 28, 2007

Regional Meeting of the Lazio Regional Council


 

(Article published in issue 4-2007 of WeekEnd Lazio magazine, courtesy of Editor-in-Chief Mrs. Enrica Muretti)
A different kind of Saturday, spent in the company of the MGCCI, or the MG CAR CLUB of Italy - Registro Italiano MG.
Different, yes, but with the same initial ritual as always: opening the garage door in the morning ("do I have to oil this shutter?"), dusting the hood (hell, I could have taken it to the wash yesterday), checking the fluids (but this leak wasn't there last time), starting the car (let's hope it's fine...), leaving the garage (this time too I smoothed out the edge), getting the wife (omitted) into the car, arriving at the collection point (Amedeo is late again today).
On Saturday, April 14, 21 MGCCI members from Lazio, and their spouses, attended the regular regional meeting organized by the Director of the Lazio Regional Center, Mr. Amedeo Scotti di Uccio, this time in Anzio and Tor Caldara. The turnout was overwhelming, with many of the region's active members participating.
Highlights on the catwalk include a beautiful black '54 MG TF; a rich selection of MG A models from '56 onwards; B Spiders, B GTs, and Midgets from the '60s and '70s; and the most recent MGFs and MGTFs from the turn of the millennium. Special guests include a Jaguar XK120, a Triumph TR3, an Austin Healey Frog Eye, and a very Italian Lancia Fulvia HF.
After coffee at the Fungo gathering point, the group headed to Anzio. The sight of the natural convoy of classic cars forming along the Pontina was captivating, arousing curiosity and reverential respect from the other drivers.
In Anzio, visit the Civic Museum and the Landing Museum, filled with artifacts of great historical interest. A photo is required at the entrance.
Then, everyone heads to the nearby Tor Caldara Nature Reserve, located between the Ardeatina and the sea, north of Anzio. The Reserve represents a true testament to the archaeology of a landscape that until just a few decades ago was predominant: Mediterranean scrub and forests that reached all the way to the pristine beaches; a piece of the Selva di Nettuno, a forest that until a few decades ago extended for thousands of hectares, connecting with the Selva di Terracina and forming a forest complex of which scattered patches remain throughout the area, the most representative of which is within the Circeo National Park. A true protected jewel, Tor Caldara has been a Nature Reserve within the Lazio Region's Parks and Nature Reserves System since 1988.
Note: The organizer obtained special permission from the Reserve's management to park classic cars inside the park, provided they were pushed both in and out. This was taken seriously and enthusiastically by all participants, who were able to put into practice the saying: "It's better to push an MG than drive a Triumph!"
The bucolic walk, which lasted over an hour, accompanied by an expert park ranger as guide, was a feast for many. Indeed, immediately afterward, participants gathered, as is tradition, around a table: that of the Agriturismo Valle Maggio. Here, amidst refined pappardelle and tender grilled meat, members could look forward, with satisfied stomachs, to the upcoming activities planned both in Lazio and the rest of Italy.
Amedeo Scotti of Uccio
Director of the Lazio Regional Center