vintage cycling

Today turned out to be a bike-themed day. What with him indoors all giddy at having signed up for the übercool L'Eroica vintage bike race in Italy, followed by some quick but very rewarding research on girlie vintage bikes, it's little wonder I've managed to tick practically nothing off my day job worklist!

Firstly some info on the said vintage bike race.  It's a rather charming event which takes place every year in September in the Chianti region of Italy and competitors dress up vintage-style, really looking the part complete with fag dangling from corner of mouth and hip flask containing anything BUT water or Gatorade. Check out the website to really get a feel for what it's all about. It's the perfect venue to show off that beautiful Bianchi or Cinelli of yours.

For the girlies on the other hand it's another excuse to indulge in some serious online shopping with these two really lovely Bike Dealers offering exquisite vintage style bikes in fabulous colours and matching accessories. I know a couple of ladies who are already smitten with the models on offer (especially the red one) and I bet you'll be tempted too once you start browsing. The first online shop is the fantastically tasteful Abici - unlike with politics, the Italians really do seem to know what they are doing when it comes to bikes. I dare you NOT to fall in love with their Pantone Universe range. 

The other site I found is charming UK-based retailer The Old Bicycle Company, offering beautiful well-made traditional vintage style cycles. Lovely! If I had more time on my hands I could probably get some more sources for you but my boss is throwing daggers so must dash.

cars again

Well if you know me well, you'll know I'm a petrol-head - and if you've been reading the blog then you may have guessed. The fact that I have 3 males in my household is purely an excuse to indulge in my auto-passion without appearing like too much of a freak. I mean don't get me wrong I can do "girl" reasonably well, I've got  the long hair and I occasionally wear skirts and wouldn't be seen dead without make-up, but there are times when I love talking cars just as much as the next bloke. Let's just make out that it has everything to do with style and then everyone's happy and we don't have to worry about compartmentalising too much. Alright? Can we move on now?
With this year's Geneva Motor Show drawing to a close (I promise next year I will go, I PROMISE!), I can't help but write about them. Cars. Which reminds me: how about NOT having bikini-clad girls draped over cars (so weird to me) but instead doing the right thing, the much more natural thing and have guys, suitably attired and posing in a cool (not naff) way next to the 2011 models.  Does the car industry really still believe in this outdated presentation-mode? (Feel free to answer). For next year, let's use my updated male-presentation-mode. That would be really nice and I'd actually go then, not just say that I would. 
So yeah cars. How much does it matter what cars people drive? I'd say it kind of depends on your perspective. You see for me there's an unavoidable link to style and therefore it becomes an aesthetic rather than a practical matter. I can hear you there, in the background, chuntering something along the lines of "...only need it to get from A to B" and "...environmental repercussions..." and you've lost me, I'm afraid. And before you say any more let me just remind you that this, is a one-car-household (and there aren't many of those around nowadays) so my eco-guilt is practically negligible. I just like people and their cars. Well, let me re-phrase that. I like some people and their cars. I don't particularly get turned on by blokes (no matter how gorgeous) cruising along in Citroen's version of the Noddy car (of which there really are way too many round here, it has to be said). Instead I kinda like pick up trucks and I love old Porsches and there's something a bit sexy about Ferraris and Lambos.  It's birdwatching by any other name. Just something pleasing to the eye that occasionally also gets your pulse racing (the engine, not the bloke of course).

I care not a jot for defining people by what they drive, that is an altogether different sport for which I have neither time nor enthusiasm. To give you an idea of what I'm talking about, just think of Steve McQueen in one of his many Porshes (or in his Jag below), Sean Connery's Aston, Jay Kay and his Ferrari-love and take a look at beautiful Jimmy Dean below.
PS: This lovely blog is one of my favourites. No words but pictures that say it all and more.  

dani's bristol

It doesn't take much to get us car people excited round these parts but Mr Belotti sure sets our hearts all aflutter when his clients drop off their darlings for an inspection... If cars are your drug, then he's your dealer. He is The Man for your oldtimer - drivers descend upon him from all over Europe and once they've finished their tour up and over the Simplon, speeding down the narrow serpentines of the Centovalli in a final roar of glory, they make Verscio their pitstop and let Mr Belotti Jr carefully tend to their beauties. Which is great news for my dear friend and anyone else living locally with a weakness for the classic car. So here is today's little trophy - a Bristol, but with a BMW chassis. Whilst he is clearly not a fan, Mr Belotti kindly conceded to inform me, with more than a hint of pride, that this particular specimen (the one stood in front of the workshop as shown in my very mediocre photo above) was made to order by Swiss company Beutler (1945-1987), for the 1951 Geneva Motor show. To find out this and more, simply visit this supercar website.

I was also given permission to take a peek at his handsome black 1956 Mercedes 300 C which is kept very well hidden away in the labyrinth of his workshop. It is in absolute pristine condition and is for sale he tells me...

che bella!

I found this gorgeous looking beast sat quietly in a Locarnese backwater. How could you not fall in love with it? Too divine.

motoring

It would really seem that I've happened upon my own tailormade little cosmos. Wherever I turn, within say a 5 km radius, I find inspiration wave after wave. The subject of this post? Cars. For which I have a secret passion, one that I tend not to talk about too much as I've always felt it's possibly a little misplaced, me being a woman and all.... But, now that I'm older, more mature and filled to the brim with self-confidence, I know this is total tosh. I love cars, I love cars, I love cars - and more than that, I love driving. As the only female in our household (Miss Marple doesn't qualify as she's a cat and therefore can't drive or cook), I enjoy using the "I'm-the-only-woman-here-and-you-lot-don't-understand-me" argument as well as the other very useful "You-NEVER-let-me-watch-what-I-want-to-watch" card (ie. Poirot, Miss Marple or Jonathan Ross). It really works and thank goodness for that. What they (the men) don't know, is that I love sitting down to endless episodes of Top Gear just as much as they do; Jezzer and James May are my kind of guys, Hammond I'll leave to the younger generations. But let's get back to cars now. As you drive into our little town, on your left you'll see a ramschackle but charming old garage run by Signor Belotti Junior - he took over from his father some time ago and Belotti Senior still keeps a watchful eye on the motors that roll in and out of the renowned workshop. And what motors they are. These are not standard wheels but superb, divine examples of fine motorcars - some really do make your eyes water. Customers come from all over to have Belotti fix their beauties - "Even from England!" the locals keep reminding me. The road through our town just happens to be the final stretch of a spectacular touring route which comes from over the Simplon Pass, via Domodossola down along the narrow bendy roads of the beautiful Centovalli - you'll need your driving gloves and possibly a valium. So while I leave you to drool over the sexy Maserati Ghibli pictured above, I'd also like to draw your attention to a very tasteful blog called MilleMiglia. And by the way, all this is NOT a cunning plan to increase my male readership, it's really just about cars.