VILLA D'ESTE 2017: MY FIRST 60 YEARS
Anna and I love Villa d'Este and have been customers since many years; being invited to be part of the Jury of the noblest and most refined of the classic-cars Concorsos, the eponymous 'Villa d'Este', has been a great honour for me and I am very proud be still part of it. For all these reasons, when I asked myself where I did really want to spend my 60th Birthday, there was only one possible answer
Anna and I arrived with our Bristol 409 in the lat morning hours of Friday 28 April 2017. Paradise on the lake...
I parked the 409 in the lower floor of the Villa d'Este garage
I just LOVE the quiet unruffled luxury of Villa d'Este
The well-stocked bar
Lunch at Veranda, as befitting a day of real holiday...Anna wrote me a very moving letter for my 60th birthday, the best present I could ever wish for
I had the original keyfob of the 409 repaired by a specialist, as the leather was worn out. He did a passable work
A nice relaxed dinner. Marco Makaus (of Mille Miglia, Rolls-Royce fame) and his lovely wife Dorotea were with us for dinner Friday evening.
The staff at VdE know my tastes, so they charmingly avoided any chanting, cheering, singing: they simply said, in a hushed voice, 'Buon Compleanno'. That understatement is exactly what I wanted
The morning after....
Saturday morning Marco and Dorotea led us up some fascinating paths behind Villa d'Este. Living in Cernobbio they know everything of this enchanting little hamlet
A glorious day on the lake Como
When you park your car in the inner yard, you never know who will be your next neighbour....
Hotel Villa d'Este's own Alfa Romeo Villa d'Este
How many high-class hotels around the world can fly their own original crest and flag?
The bathrooms are sumptuous
The view from our room
A frothy Cappuccino
Nice scarves
A typical boat used in ancient times on the lake, called the 'Lucia' after the main character in Aleesandro Manzoni's masterwork, 'I Promessi Sposi'
Marco's stylish Lancia Flaminia Pininfarina
Saturday 29, Marco and Dorotea took us for lunch at 'Della Torre' in the higher part of Cernobbio. Best 'Cotoletta Milanese' in the world, I gather
Albergo Ristorante 'Della Torre' Via Vittorio Emanuele 3
22012 Cernobbio - Como
+39 031 511308
info@dellatorre.co.it
Bristols and Lancias are not dissimilar in philosophy
Anna and Dorotea checking the flowers placed on the rear seat of the 409 for the trip back home
Face to face, the Italian and British coachbuilt classics show similar stances
A strategically placed bench in front of the lake
Time to leave
Driving back home along the Autostrada: (legal) speed 80 mph, water temp 90°C, oil pressure 65 psi, everything working, engine purring
Starting....
...and coming back, after 341 miles
An interesting fact about the Villa d'Este Concorso is that we always manage to get drenched by a severe thunderstorm during our way to or from Cernobbio; not this time. It was a splendid trip and everything worked perfectly. I was happy to take with me the 409 for my 6oth birthday celebration, it is the classic car that I'm more fond of nowadays
