So we did arrive in Tuscany and we had lunch (Pranzo) in Mensano, see blog from last Saturday, after lunch we checked in our hotel, very wonderful old restored monastery…. the both buses liked it  a lot sitting between all beautiful flowers…

After a “plunge” in the pool (it was around 38° here!) and a shower later it was time to go to the show grounds and enjoyed what we came for, Volkswagens…:)

The line up was very well done this year, way better as all behind the big marquee in previous years….

cool oval ragtop with a real Hot Rod engine, a blast for the freeways…

I thought this was a cool bus…

They ordered parachute jumpers to bring a special message…. we hauled them in….

all VW’s been watching this!

Parachute jumpers came down with a big flag… Grazie Giovanni, for 30 editions of your ubercool VW show!

and a couple of other flags too…:)

Darrell had to pose a lot all over the show… here we see him with Domenico from Maggilino Service, a very good friend and BBT distributor in Pescara….

Darrell discussed with Giovanni his last invention, a bolt on wishbone suspension with rack and pinion steering and disc brakes for a bus, they have it for splitties and bay windows… pretty impressive…

Food time again… Darrell taste things he never had before, and man did he liked it…. watch his face…

Atmosphere was all ok, like always, everybody was singing laughing and eating!

Anna from Dei Käferservice, David and yours truly…. all very happy, we made it! With no less as two 58 buses was BBT in Tuscany!

and with Giovani Dei, the man himself, yes we had to sing… all of us… in Italian….:)

Darrell liked it a lot and was all ready for desert…

But first we had to listen to radio Bruno’s famous three-man walking band… they’re hilarious!

So desert was even better… hey Darrell, that was your second piece of pie….:)  Darrell,  Italian pie is good for you! Small advise from uncle Bob…/:)

and an “obligato digestivo”, in Italy that calls Limoncello! Giovanni brought us the big bottle….:)

The Great Queen Rats, was a real Queen tribute band, and they performed actually pretty well!

…. with our samba on the Back ground… BBT was here!

Next day sunday morning, we gave Darrell a visit of the Dei premises… and saw these banners in the Dei shop, with BBT as the official sponsor! We’re proud to sponsor a top event like this….

so the last pictures been taking… Darrell had to leave (partially against his will I suppose) a cab was waiting to bring him to Pisa airport for his flight to London Heathrow…  Darrell had almost four weeks traveled all over Europe, I brought him back to Switzerland and Italy, countries he didn’t visit anymore since 1963!!!

Giovanni, Alba and Anna and the whole GAM and Dei team thank You so much  for the reception and hospitality…

Darrell thanks so much for travel with me, I learned so much over all kind of practical things in the early days of VW parts, a source of information that I would not have got without You. It was fun to spend that much time together and Darrell if You like to go on a road trip again, just let me know… We always have reasons and places to go, and we can take any of our Volkswagens or Porsches, you’re always welcome!

And we? We had to continue our road trip, as for us, holiday begun about here!

David was looking quiet some time now for a high roof to do some catering at BBT boots on the VW shows… when we came across this one he simply cracked… a real one-off, original Coca Cola sales flap from 1964!!! Yes the Coca Cola lettering is original and this bus always was used for promotional events by Coca Cola in Vienna!

This is how it looks from the inside…. crazy huh? This is so rare, I only know a handfull all over the world…

Flap open, and hand out drinks @ BBT boots, that’s David idea…. we don’t mind David, and at least now we don’t have to convert your single cab anymore…

Proud new owner with proud new bus!

ah keep up with our sunday tradition, here is life from Italy some beautiful old stuff…

I wouldn’t mind to own this building to house my cars…:)

just so perfect for what i should want to do with it…:)

Actually I could glue the whole Italy in this post, as all is patina, all is old and all is nice (or about)….

look, just a simple corner shot… how nice the colors play in the light…

and just a different angle and everything turns differently… crazy…

What hardly nobody seems to know is Italy has a lot mountains in the North, Alp mountains, but also ubercool  Dolomiti mountain ranges…  this nice old abounded hotel I took at the start of these “I Dolimiti” mountain road…

or like this abounded hotel in Cortina d’Amprezzo…

A couple of more days to go, tomorrow our travel reports will continue! Stay tuned….