Gathering of the Two Seas - April 29/May 1, 2012

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It's not exactly the season opener for us English spider enthusiasts, and I mean MG in particular (there was the Winter and a few one-day meetings), but it's certainly the first enjoyable moment of spring, given that the forecast calls for nice temperatures, even going as far as to suggest 30 degrees... They won't be right as usual, but for us it will be four magnificent days, given that only a couple of drops of rain will fall on Monday afternoon.

So, in the years when he doesn't have the 10-day holiday rally, our Umbrian organizer usually rewards us with a meeting that's longer than the usual weekend. This time, the days are three thanks to the May Day long weekend, but they become four because almost everyone decides to arrive on Saturday and enjoy the Argentario aperitif (magnificent... I held one of my first gatherings there way back in 1989 with the Jaguar-MG twinning) with a visit to the island of Giglio.
Already a place of extraordinary scenic beauty, but with the added bonus of the sight of the Costa Concordia cruise ship that sank last January, which on the one hand fills us with dismay, but on the other makes us reflect on what could have been: a Titanic-like disaster, with the ship listing on one side just meters from the rocks. Truly an unusual and impressive experience... The port is already charming and full of charming and quaint little shops, but we seize the opportunity (we only have two hours) to visit Giglio Castello and enjoy a breathtaking view, despite some clouds making the view less than ideal.
On the way back, our caravan (35-40 “old ladies”, mostly A and B, but there are also TF, TD, and Franco Vigna’s VA Tourer, as well as two recent TFs and a magnificent Magnette in ivory with a red interior) returns to Albinia, a meeting place where we have dinner at the “Vecchia Maremma”, a beautiful structure with ample parking and more than comfortable rooms, in the silence and quiet of the Tuscan vegetation.
Meanwhile, Jakie, the French lady from Cannes, arrives, probably the most "vintage" participant at the meeting. She was there in Sicily and last year in Greece, and she was my co-driver due to a problem with her white B. She's always in tip-top shape, and her driving is quite... lively! Who would have guessed she's 79 years old?
On Sunday morning, we meet in Porto Ercole, the official starting point of the rally. We set off for Pitigliano, a picturesque town built from the tuff rock, offering a truly stunning view from below. We see it rising majestically above us—it's a sight to behold! We park in the square under the watchful and enthusiastic gaze of many locals and tourists, and we enjoy this beautiful and characteristic village for a while.
Our lunch stop is Lake Bolsena, where a restaurant serving lake fish awaits us. Everything is extraordinary: the quality of the food, the prompt and impeccable service, the courtesy of those serving us. Five stars! We've been to Orvieto with Piero before, but let's just say that this time we're arriving on the opposite side of the highway, so the view of the city perched on the famous hill is breathtaking. Furthermore, we enter the city on a road that suddenly reveals the Duomo above us. Most of the crews are overcome with emotion. We line up in an orderly fashion in the square, but we can only stay for a few minutes. People are upset, even the traffic police beg us to stay a little longer!
They await us in Todi, where we have an hour to spend in the picturesque piazza, and then we're back in the saddle for Spoleto, renowned for its film festival and cultural events that make it a pearl in the "city of two worlds." Not to mention the Duomo, which we see in the evening, a rare architectural sight, followed by a nighttime stroll to the Roman Bridge, an enchanting and moving place. We have reserved covered parking at our hotel (perhaps the most elegant of the three), but we'll have to get up early the next morning to refuel (there's a gas station just a few meters away) before setting off for Norcia.
A visit to the church of San Benedetto, his birthplace, and a stop to buy some of the famous lentils are a must! The next journey is truly bucolic. We enter a landscape of valleys, passes, and mountains (up to an altitude of 1,700 meters) to reach Castelluccio, an ancient village we glimpse to our left and can contemplate during a brief stop. The nature surrounding us is truly soothing; there's a silence and a sense of peace that permeates everything, allowing each of us to forget reality for a moment, in search of a moment of spiritual intensity too often forgotten.
I have lunch in Montemonaco, a lovely table where I chat a bit with Gerald Buschan, an Austrian gentleman driver I met in Greece, at the wheel of a twin-cam A that took him ten years to restore (1992-2002), bringing its power to 120 horsepower. Judging by the engine's roar, it sounds like an eight-cylinder... An emulator of Tom, the mustachioed and unforgettable Dane with his two A's, a coupé and a spider. The third foreigner present at the meeting is Wim, this time with a "black tulip" B (he tells me when I ask about the color, an original dark purple), owner of a black TC with green interior that I've been envious of for at least fifteen years...
We make a brief stop at the Abbey of San Rufino, patron saint of hernia sufferers, while those who wish (very few, to be honest) head to the nearby outlet for shopping. In the late afternoon, after a few drops of rain, we arrive in Porto San Giorgio, a hotel near the sea. We enjoy a slightly different evening in Ortezzano, where we are welcomed by a local folklore group: music and dancing by a costumed group featuring members of all ages, and two very young children who are truly touching. It's a shame we can't repay their exquisite hospitality with the sight of our cars.
The last day is a surprise, at least for me, but I think for everyone. Fermo is a city rich in artistic beauty and cultural tradition, which our guide greatly appreciates. Among other things, we visit an ancient library with 43,000 volumes—imagine that! And the globe inside is the largest—I mean largest—known, and there's debate over how it was brought into the room; it's even speculated that it was lowered from the roof! And the old Roman water cisterns. We pass by the magnificent early Christian church of Santa Maria dell'Assunta, built in the 4th century AD, and there's still time for a quick stop in two villages, Moresco and Torre di Palme. The latter reminds me a bit of Civita di Bagnoregio, due to its location on a main street and its hilltop views of the plain. For lunch we are at the port of Porto San Giorgio, a seafood menu this time, and as a side dish… A very hot day, weather that I will soon forget when I return to the north, buckets of rain for hundreds of kilometres!
Goodbyes are always a little sad... We'll see you in Sardinia next year, and it's even sadder now that we've learned that Rosaria Accardo passed away suddenly of a heart attack. Many of us remember her fondly for her great sweetness, her exquisite humanity, and her uncommon altruism. Some are truly moved to tears; I'm quite shaken, too, but we must serenely accept the wishes of those above us and remember her in our hearts as she would have wished.

Peter Noah