I would like to thank you on behalf of Huib, Lucas and me for joining us on our Odyssey through France. I think I can say we found Ali Baba's cave, after some hot-persuits on lonely curly roads through the grainfields draped like carpets over the hills.
les' maka list; not a list of cars in attendance, but of the people who make this meeting so special !!
Ask Barbara, who is still smiling!!! & wondering why she didn't attend past meetings ? Actually, she had good reasons not to attend, actually, since Fulvia Z's 'av 2 seats & the right seat was filled in 07 & 08 !!
To the list:
Many Mr & Miss Be's, numerous Mr & Ms. NL's, 1 Miss Japan (I think), 1 Miss Indonesia, 1 Mr Merry-Can, 1 "Miss Germany", 1 Herr Wiener, 2x "flying Dubliner's" (via Honk Kong & thats no joke !! ); 2 "living in England England'ers", 1 Kobold (who appeared out of nowhere, in the body of a blond haired young man) from France !
& whom 'av I forgotten ??
Bruce Lindsay's Spirit was with us, in the form of a very hvy & beautifully packed & jacketed book !!
I partially agree with the lovely person who said that the Gamma Coupe isn't attractive. Actually, her words were "I think your car is really ugly, next to all these lovely Fulvia". Who am I to disagree ?
If anyone also thinks "my my my, that Gamma was sure slow"; let me go on the record about the speeds driven (by excellent drivers) at this Rallye of the Long-Knives !
The Gamma may be fast. It may be slow. I don't know. The driver was slow. This I know this from many years of experience B).
Still, we did touch 160kph for a while, in the rain, enroute to Ciney, after 60+ minutes of go-slo motoring around sud Lux-City. 160kph was the limit, since we were following (ouch) a Nissan Micra that wouldn't move over !!! & it was raining !! 160 was fine !!
We enjoyed 'semi-hi-speed clear lovely cruising' on the way home, averaging +/- 140kph. on the Highway; much lower speeds on Country Roads (take me home) !!
Gas mileage ? ...ca 12 Liter per 100km when traveling, in lovely comfort, on the motorways; ca 5oL per 100km on (GIANT) *cow-paths, while floating across water-filled ditches & slowly negotiating big "speed-bumps" in towns & while shifting a lot out in the uncharted (by man) outback.
The *cows we saw were Giant Cows, not the cow paths...they were designed for very small & very skinny 4 hoof drive cows !!
Soon after leaving the Tulip Hotel, heading NE, we tanked-up out on the Autoroute. A UK plated Ford Galaxy parked next to our Gamma at the gas-pumps.
The driver said "my, that Gamma is in lovely nick! I know all the UK Gamma guys, I work with Jack Romano on the UK Club's magazine, "Viva-Lancia" & have owned lots of Lancia's in the past; most recently a Beta HPE.
I said "I can't believe this; meeting a Lancisit UK'er in mid France, who knows my UK Gamma friends, right after leaving a 'howling & laughing pack of dye-tied Fulvisti' 30 minutes ago......
He told me "never drive hard, ha ha ha, when the Gamma engine is cold" !! He is correct. I like my motor the way it is now & not broken!!
I knew I would forget his name, so I didn't ask him. I wasn't going to able, I am sure, to write it down ... doo too a bad case of "Lancia-Lag" & some many ahem...big glasses of wine the previous evening !!)
-D