Driving home from Pescara, Italy in Alvis Drophead FCO 154.

 

Up.

 

Day One. 4th September.

 

This was to be a different experience for us, as the cars had been transported out to Pescara a week before our arrival. Being 250 miles from the southern pick-up point, we had arranged for our car to be collected from our house in North Devon. Even this proved more difficult than anticipated because the transport broke down 18 miles short of our house. We had to drive the car to the dead transporter, load up and they had to await recovery by the AA! Fortunately everything worked  out and our car was delivered to the collection depot.

 

The airport for our flight was Stansted, a good 270 miles away from us. We were picked up at 03.30 by our wonderful driver Cliff Rider and driven all the way to the airport. Early Sunday morning is a great day to do a journey such as this and we made excellent time. The flight was 10.55, arriving at 14.30 local time. The temperature in Pescara was in the low 30s C and quite a shock. Mick and Gez were there to meet us and a short Taxi ride took us to the delightful Villa Maria Hotel in the hills above Francavilla al Mare.

 

There were lots of sitting out areas, a delightful outdoor pool and also full fitness facilities, including indoor pool with access to the outside. The group had the  first dinner together and we all retired to bed well fed and watered: thank goodness for the air-conditioning.

 

Our trusty steed being unloaded at Villa Maria.