Winter meeting - 18/20 March 2011
MG Winter Meeting: 20 Years of Emotion
Dearest,
I would like to retrace the emotions of these three beautiful days spent with you, starting from the very last moment, from the last flash.
I had already said goodbye to everyone, many had already left and I too had already started the engine of my TC with Giusi and Angelica already aboard the normal car loaded to the brim with luggage, ready to cover the last 30 km of boring main road that would take us home.
Just then my eye fell on an old map
(no satellite navigator, please!!!) explained on the wonderful light blue bonnet of Urs and Sonia's F2 as they were busy choosing the best route that would take them home via some Alpine pass, not the motorway.
There were no pre-packaged itineraries, no rooms already booked somewhere, and after three days and many kilometers already traveled, they still had the thousands and thousands of curves of the road ahead of them and a new adventure to experience with their MG.
I assure you that envy, the healthy kind, struck me and the desire to "escort" them at least to the border was immense.
Then luckily the feelings of a young father prevailed and I calmly brought my little girl home for the rest she also deserved.
But the essence of who we are is all here.
The thrill of driving these wonderful cars is truly endless.
Good luck Urs, good luck Sonia, good luck to all of you who have been with us.
It's not up to me to chronicle this twentieth edition because I helped the great Max in a very small way (a really small way!!) with the organizational part.
The only problem I feel like pointing out is that he managed to make us feel so good, in every way, that being able to do better for the next edition will be really difficult even for a perfectionist like him.
I close these thoughts of mine by dwelling for a moment on the moment most charged with shared emotion: when we entrusted to the night sky the illuminated lanterns that carried each of our wishes.
Well, let's say that it's human nature to always want something more: we want to be more beautiful, thinner, taller, nicer, richer, more..., more..., more.
On the other hand, in addition to the obvious desire for health and serenity for my little girl, I wished that we MG Car Club members could continue to be EXACTLY who we are and how we are.
With the desire to continue sharing emotions and having fun... freely... together.
Your friend Gianni
XX Winter Meeting 2011
This year too, the Winter Meeting opened the season of MG CAR CLUB of Italy gatherings, Registro Italiano MG, a brand association that, at a national level, unites enthusiasts of the historic English brand and holds its register.
'Winter' for a day, as the gathering, organised as is tradition by the Veneto Regional Centre, now in its 20th edition, took place from 18 to 20 March in the splendid Prosecco region: Valdobbiadene and its surroundings.
But that's not all, because the rally, which began in the city of Vittorio Veneto, a place steeped in national history, was accompanied along its route by an endless quantity of Italian flags displayed on balconies, in the streets, and on the MGs themselves in honor of the celebration of Italian Unification.
Among the 50 participating cars were two beautiful 1930s L6s, one from Switzerland; a splendid TC, several TDs and TFs, and many colorful A, B, BGT, and Midget cars. Technical problems? None.
Almost all Italian regions were represented: from Piedmont to Campania without interruption.
The leitmotif of the Gathering, three days of showers and fine weather, was a tribute to the proverbial entrepreneurial prowess of the Venetians, tinged with magnificent moments steeped in emotion. The visit to the Bottoli wool mill, owned by the eponymous family in Vittorio Veneto; to the Villa Sandi winery owned by the Moretti Polegato family in Crocetta del Montello; and to the logistics base at the ancient Castelbrando Castle, owned by the Colomban family, in Cison di Valmarino, were three significant examples of those who, from their love for their work, know how to combine joy, satisfaction, and quality service for others. Likewise, the meticulous organization of Max Bottoli, with his friends Gianni Tesauro and Oscar Michieletto, left a mark on the hearts of all the participants, who undoubtedly expressed, during the launch of the bamboo hot air balloons on a full moon night from the castle, their desire to return to the 2012 edition. A true gathering of friends, among friends, for friends.
Amedeo Scotti of Uccio