Durk's call comes at just the right moment. I have to keep the date of October 1 free in the agenda, because we are going to do fun things with Alfa's. Maarten and Anke have planned a wonderful tour in the north of the Netherlands, and we have been invited. The first day of the month will be one of the most beautiful days of the year for me.
Four Alfa's, seven people. Frans, Griet, Maarten, Anke, Peter, Durk and I are going to have a wonderful day. Three Giulias are going along, and Peter has brought the GTV 3.0 V6 (916) out of sleep. Car jewelry. Durk and I drive the Giulia 1300 Super, which still has the 1290 cc engine on board. You may know the story. The Giulia belongs to Koen, son of Frans. The preparations to equip Koens' Giulia with a two-liter Nord engine and a modified chassis are almost ready, and in the long term our Giulia, painted in Grigio Medio, will transform into a Supermacchina.
It's not that time yet. Koen's Giulia is a well-known car, we previously drove it for a day. The technical status is still the same, and is attractive enough to justify the prospect of one day of pure car happiness. Durk picks me up in Leeuwarden at 10.00 a.m., by which time I have been awake for four hours, and am walking around with a wonderful prospect and thoughts of anticipation. They take immediate effect when we are on the road. The wonderful engine sounds unleash another inferno in the soul. A passionate fire that is unparalleled.
We start in Paterswolde. Cape Horn is the stopping point. There are four outside Alfa's neatly next to each other. Our Giulia 1300 Super is next to Peter's GTV. The beautiful green 1300 Ti with a two-liter Nord engine is owned by Grietje and Frans. She, the green Giulia, is standing next to Maarten and Anke's equally beautiful Giulia Super. And it is equipped with the 1600 engine with two '1750 camshafts', meticulously tuned by Frans.
After the cheerful start inside the pavilion at the Hoornse Plas, we start driving. Breathtakingly beautiful stages take us to Oosterwolde. We enjoy the beautiful side of our country, which has no longer been beautiful for a long time. The ingredients for this are four Alfa's, friendships and a truly beautiful part of the Netherlands. And every minute it rolls into increasingly beautiful weather conditions, which enhance the beautiful soundtracks from the foreparts of the Alfaembracing the sun with soft rays. The Alfa's, who expose their aesthetics in an almost haughty way. And making mincemeat of the illusion that nicer cars are being built these days.
De Alfa's unleash pure euphoria in us, even a touch of arrogant rebelliousness. It certainly happened on board Koens' Supertje. Conversations on the edge provide a contrast with our touring car. But they bring screeching bursts of laughter from the throats of Durk and me. And that expression of joy dances with the 1290 cc engine in the Giulia. Sometimes there is also silence on board. Because driving and listening to a Giulia remains a form of ultimate car happiness. The combination of driving and listening symbolizes the rhythm of the most beautiful dance you can make to the most beautiful, sensitive and intense sounds that exist. Impeccable sounds that evoke deep feelings in a breathtaking, tight rhythm. Especially when the accelerator pedal is pressed deeper and deeper. The melody is enhanced by that beautiful bend behavior, playing with weight is synonymous with an exciting tango where you playfully push the boundaries. The gold does not shine on the wide horizon, no, we are in it. The precious metal is 52 years young and very much alive.
The universe that Alfa The name Romeo is also making waves in other areas. This happens during the stopover in Veenhuizen, where we have lunch in the prison museum. And with Maria and Harry, Frans' daughter and son-in-law. They live in a beautiful rural location, and there is coffee and apple pie on the large terrace. Pizzeria Venezia in Oosterwolde is the stage, the stage for the final part of the ride. All intermezzos are interspersed with rural beauty.
The atmosphere during the stops reveals what it's really about. We feel it immediately. Being there for each other unconditionally, always caring for each other and for the other. We all have our life experiences, our vulnerabilities, our major and sad events. We reflect appropriately on loss. Because it never ends there, never. The laugh and the tear come very, very close to each other, the dividing line is paper thin. At such moments, the strength and love of people who fit together, who are complementary, become apparent. Even more than we think. As if it were sent from above.
The last stage takes Durk and me to Leeuwarden. We can enjoy the magic of the Giulia for another 50 kilometers. She, the beauty who grows old in a wonderful way and flatteringly conveys her eternal youth to us. That timbre, which never gets boring after a day of steering, still embraces us. Ultimately, the deep sounds disappear - after a very nice conversation between Durk and me - in the dead of the dark night. In several respects she carefully makes room for new and hopeful rays. You often don't see them in the dark, but they are there. The night ends the impressive day full of joy and emotion in silence. With the Scudetto as a blissful connector.
"Scritto con amore per le persone che mi stanno a cuore. E per i propi cari, che non ci sono più"
On a beautiful summer day I was lucky enough to drive my Mazda mx5 D behind a beautiful Giulia. What pleasure and elegance. I was also surprised, I could barely keep up with him in the corners. Really enjoyed it.
Hey Rik, I have owned a Supertje myself and ridden an MX5 a few times and you know, they both have that wonderful ass that breaks out a bit in a fast corner. Both very nice cars and fun to drive. I have also driven them in the mountains of Italy and they feel completely at home there, a beautiful sensation. Have fun with your MX5!
Magnificent!
My uncle had the first “Super” in the Netherlands, my father the second, and I had the privilege and pleasure of learning to drive it!