# Thirteen months, 135 miles and wha????



## BickUW89 (Apr 18, 2008)

boothguy said:


> Fellow Festers
> 
> Thanks for all the good thoughts and replies to my yell for help.


Dude, sounds painfull! Hang in there, though, and keep us posted. Everyone on this side is pulling for you, and it's great to see some of the folks on the forum able to pull a lever or two for you.

This is a great community: common ground :roundel::, a place to vent , and even get a helping hand :grouphug:.

Your job = get through this, enjoy your ED experience, and keep us posted.
Our job = shoulder to cry on, moral support, cheerleaders.


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## CarSwami (Oct 2, 2005)

I'd not read this thread when I asked you in another thread whether you had contacted a BMW dealership. Of course you have! It is terrible to hear of your predicament, but I was very glad to read that Jonathan tried to use his influence with BMW to get you some help. If there is anything that the rest of us on this forum can do to help you, just holler.

Hang in there and all will be well in the end.


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## MB330 (Oct 18, 2005)

Asteroid said:


> I recall from some old posts where the car needed to go back to the shop, people were able to get a loaner from the factory. Don't know if your plans take you back to Munich in the end but that may be an option. As for how big of a brick you want to be, ask for the M3.
> 
> Hope things work out for you. Good luck. :thumbup:


Indeed. that was owner of 750 , he call his CA in US, wait for 4 hr near freeway and then flat back truck came with loaner 750, and pick up his.


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## x986 (Oct 27, 2006)

Ahh, yes. The "denied 72" I was one of those. Luckily they "found" 20-25 cars, and some of us were able to continue with our plans. Since our Sep. delivery we have about 10,000 miles with only a couple of "reboots" necessary. I do not envy the feeling of apprehension you will have the the rest of your trip after this is (hopefully) resolved, but it (should be) a fixable mechanical problem with no reoccurences.

I absolutely LOVE my 335 coupe. I have had a string of wonderful cars (I find it cheaper to change cars rather than continually trade in wives - although some of the newer models are very attractive). At this moment, I think this is the most satisfying car I have had. But, and it's a big but, I don't think I will keep it after year three. I'm afraid I have the feeling that we have purchased wonderful, beautiful ticking time-bombs.

Best wishes for the remainder of your trip.


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## iversonm (Nov 15, 2004)

x986 said:


> Ahh, yes. The "denied 72" I was one of those.


I was one of them as well. I used the opportunity to come to my senses and realize that "I could've had a V8."

I wonder who the other 70 saps are.


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## boothguy (Feb 1, 2007)

Thanks to all for your suggestions and support. 

The long-promised X3 finally showed up at 1800 local after being promised for noon. And the NAVI it was sporting was a throwback to the bad old days of a tiny text-only window that wouldn't accept any street names for our destination town. Still, it got us over the snow-covered San Bernardino Pass (tunnel was closed) in a driving rain with the lightning flickering off the snowbanks, and down to Cernobbio on Lake Como where we were supposed to be.

The Support Engineering group in Munich apparently got nudged by BMW NA ED, spurred on by JSpira, Philippe Kahn and my friend, plain old Victor Koby, who all called independently to yell on my behalf. Much appreciated. 

The prevailing opinion now seems to be that the combination hydraulic pump/ valve body on the transmission is to blame and one is being leap-frogged ahead of others to get to Chur, we hope for tomorrow. I'll brave the San Bernardino Pass in the rain again to go back and get my car and try to glue the pieces of this trip back together. That is, if it can happen before a planned weekend move puts us another three hours further away (six hours each direction).

Cautious Optimism rears its head. Cautiosly.


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## 3aholic (Feb 21, 2008)

Good luck and godspeed!


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## prospector (Feb 18, 2008)

Great to hear you are on the road again. Really sorry it took three days -- a new worst-case-scenario. And much bad treatment. Is BMW now covering all of the X3 bill?



boothguy said:


> Up until about lunchtime, the major action was Roadside Assistance telling me over and over that the car would be here soon, and how much it was going to cost over and above the coverage limits.


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## Matt&Jen (Mar 24, 2006)

Glad to hear that your moving again, and good luck with the rest of your trip..:thumbup:

Now drive that X3 like you stole it:drive:


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

boothguy said:


> Cautious Optimism rears its head. Cautiosly.


I admire your attitude and wish you the best. :thumbup:

How do you like that X3?


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## JSpira (Oct 21, 2002)

boothguy said:


> The Support Engineering group in Munich apparently got nudged by BMW NA ED, spurred on by JSpira, Philippe Kahn and my friend, plain old Victor Koby, who all called independently to yell on my behalf. Much appreciated.


Happy to have helped out in a small way.

We will need to update the wiki with a section that is entitled WHAT TO DO IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG and we should include all pertinent info there. Zach, if you´re reading this, since you´re updating the wiki - perhaps you would be so kind...


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## boothguy (Feb 1, 2007)

*The Friday, May 30th update*

Hi all:

The ship may be - MAY be righting itself. But with our experience this week, I'm sure you'll understand my skepticism.

So the BMW factory scared up this supposedly super-rare, unobtanium transmission part and leap-frogged me ahead of all the other poor schmucks waiting for one, and got the part to Alpina AG Chur, just to stop the screaming. That was this (Friday) morning, and you'll remember this all started Tuesday afternoon. Yeesh.

You'll remember that BMW Roadside Assistance finally got us into a BMW X3 (from Budget Rent-A-Car, no less) at 6:30 last night and we made the surreal trip over the San Bernardino pass in a driving rain complete with thunder and lightning flickering off the snow banks. It's not often in US driving conditions that you put the steering all the way over on the locks, but on these roads, it's literally every other corner. Karen stayed quite calm, much to my surprise. Must have been that Meclazine/ Xanax cocktail I slipped her just before we left. Pretty good on her part, when you consider that the guardrails way up there on the mountain consisted of a 4-inch tree limb balanced between some stone slabs spaced maybe 10-12 feet apart. They mostly seem to be there for esthetic effect, or perhaps as a final confirmation as you crash through them that the next sound you hear will either be angels singing or devils cackling.

So we got into Cernobbio on Lake Como last night and things started to at least FEEL better right away - even if we had simply relocated the problem to a different country.

Today dawned brighter and more optimistic-feeling and reports began to filter through that the part had in fact arrived in Chur and was being screwed onto the car. I had to call and ask, but at least the answer was encouraging. No one was willing to commit to much of anything regarding whether the repair would be complete or the car would work or how we would be reunited until about 5:00 pm local. But by that time BMW ED Munich said they thought they might be able to persuade someone from Chur to bring the car partway to Lake Como so I wouldn't have to make the complete six-hour round trip all over again.

I happily accepted and was happier still that the proposed chauffeur was my New Best Friend, Christian Muller - the Service Manager (or at least Advisor) at Alpina Chur. Never underestimate the benefits of having a facility in another language or two, y'all. We drove back up to Bellinzona and cooled our heels for an hour and a half at our third BMW dealership of the week: Garage Toretta, while we waited for the appearance of said repaired automobile. They finally kicked us out at 7:30, saying they were hungry and we should please wait out in the parking lot.

At almost exactly his forecast 8:00 pm arrival time, Christian and his girlfriend rolled up in a car that looked a lot like mine - and was. We invited them to dinner but they demurred because of the long drive back. And having driven the diesel-powered X3 over that same mountain pass 24 hours before, I could scarcely argue. We pressed a nice bottle of wine into their hands, took some pictures and headed back to Cernobbio for another late-night dinner and our own bottle of wine.

Tomorrow, I'll be looking for the RESET button on this entire experience, but it won't be until Sunday when we head to Portofino that we'll know for sure if the trans is really, truly fixed. Pardon my lingering skepticism, but you know the story thus far.

Interestingly, Christian told me that this particular problem did not exist in the BMW service/ engineering/ problem database, so we requested that they name it after me. Nice to be a pioneer in something.

So briefly, the attached pictures capsulize the week thus far: the car looking all innocent and seductive on the lighted turntable at Welt Monday; myself, Karen and The Phantom Menace when I thought this was gonna be all fun and games (notice that I've unconsciously made a fist on the car's hood&#8230;weird); me expressing my feelings about the BMW brand the third time the car put us to the curb in the first 300 miles of ownership (the warning vest is mandatory around these parts - stop that laughing); BMW dealership Alpina AG in Chur, Switzerland (probably the prettiest dealership setting in the world?); a momentary break in the rain and below the snow, crossing the San Bernardino pass (yes, those are clouds that we got to drive through); and finally, Karen and I get to exchange keys with Christian Muller in Bellinzona. He got the double penalty of having to take the X3 AND make the return trip over the mountain.

Thanks for your concern, thoughts and suggestions. Keep your fingers crossed for us. If this thing breaks again, I just might tell BMW they can have it back.


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## JSpira (Oct 21, 2002)

boothguy said:


> Interestingly, Christian told me that this particular problem did not exist in the BMW service/ engineering/ problem database, so we requested that they name it after me. Nice to be a pioneer in something..


I have 3 or 4 or these documented "firsts" but I sincerely hope they are not named after me


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## zoltrix (Mar 14, 2007)

JSpira said:


> Happy to have helped out in a small way.
> 
> We will need to update the wiki with a section that is entitled WHAT TO DO IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG and we should include all pertinent info there. Zach, if you´re reading this, since you´re updating the wiki - perhaps you would be so kind...


Of course.

Also, what do you guys think about the wiki being a single, gigantic page? You like? Or better to split it into multiple sections? Because I think the "single page thing" has grown too large...

Now - content.

"What to do if something goes wrong"
1. Call JSpira.
2. ????????


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## zoltrix (Mar 14, 2007)

You actually bought a vest!!

oh.............

So cute. Karen better watch out, lest some enterprising Italian girl steals you right under her nose.


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## JSpira (Oct 21, 2002)

coontie said:


> Of course.
> 
> Also, what do you guys think about the wiki being a single, gigantic page? You like? Or better to split it into multiple sections? Because I think the "single page thing" has grown too large...


Agreed - good idea!



coontie said:


> Now - content.
> 
> "What to do if something goes wrong"
> 1. Call JSpira.
> 2. ????????


 :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:


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## zoltrix (Mar 14, 2007)

JSpira said:


> Agreed - good idea!


alrighty, shall be taken care of.



> :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:


No, seriously, what's your ph#?

I mean, if I get stuck in a Somalia bush in the middle of a rebel offensive on Mogadishu in my brand new 335i, I ain't callin no BMW AD (afr. delivery) support, hells now. I'm callin my main man directly, Herr Spira!

Really. Gimme some content for "What to do when things go south."


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## Pedal2Floor (Jul 29, 2006)

boothguy,

Glad to hear that everything seems to now finally being going well. It is unbelieveable  the effort that was required to make things correct. In the end, I am glad that BMW stepped up and that there were finally some nice people involved to make things right.

What would have happend if we did not have JSpira monitoring this event and others also involved to press the screws. I guess, it pays to keep fighting and be persistent -- although, from a BMW point-of-view, there should have been a better and easier way to resolve this problem. 

Hopefully, it all goes well and this is just a funny a story in a few years.

I hope the rest of your trip works out well and this is an err uhm ahh minor bump in the road 

Hope all continues to go well :thumbup:


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## joe7670 (Oct 8, 2005)

Crazy start to the trip, but sounds like you'll be on your way now.

I blew a gasket when my radio acted up, don't know how I would've reacted to such a prob.

Enjoy the rest of your trip!


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## JSpira (Oct 21, 2002)

coontie said:


> Really. Gimme some content for "What to do when things go south."


Need to be careful here. We don´t want everyone with a stuck windshield wiper calling the U.S. for help (and some people can´t place things in perspective, unlike the OP in this thread who has really done the opposite).

Simply put, if get stuck, call the European Delivery Roadside Assistance AND the delivery specialist at the Welt (so they are alerted to the problem).

For escalation, post on Bimmerfest and then we´ll make a final determination. :angel:


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## Calif65GM (Mar 27, 2005)

Well good to hear that you're hopefully back on the road.

And not to make light of the situation, I'm thinking Booth's experience just opened up maybe 50-100 extra delivery slots/mth for ED die-hards. :angel:


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## b-y (Sep 14, 2004)

Hope things continue to go well.

When you get a chance, how about a back-to-back comparison of the X3 and the 335i over mountain passes. Most of us will never get to drive a diesel X3--was it a 2.0 or 3.0?

I realize the 4000 lb X3 will never handle like a 3-series cabrio, but I'd enjoy hearing your take on this.


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## jeremyclark (May 15, 2005)

Wow, what an ordeal! Glad to hear things look to be shaping up for you now (fingers crossed!).

I read your story intently after I noticed you picked up almost exactly the same car as I'm about to pick up on Tuesday!! The same 335i convertible with Steptronic & paddles... different color, but other than that I suspect most of the same options as well. I didn't have any such issues on my last ED trip two and a half years ago, and certainly wasn't anticipating any issues this time. I'll have to pay close attention to the tranny and will be looking for that wiki update just in case!

Best of luck to you guys, enjoy the rest of your trip and maybe I'll see you on the road next week!

-Jeremy


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## mikemac (Apr 7, 2004)

hope the rest of your trip goes very smoothly. That is some beautiful scenery you're driving thru!


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## X3 Skier (Aug 21, 2005)

Looks like all is "currently" well in ED land.:rofl:

Continued good times with your new wheels and thanks for such an interesting read on your problem and the process of resolution.:thumbup:

Perhaps the Committee should confiscate a vehicle from Alpina in Chur (preferably a B7) for the personal use of stranded Bimmerfesters.

Cheers


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## Bombay Jay (Mar 20, 2006)

Someone should have told him about the fist on the hood!!! Oh the humanity!!!:angel:

Sorry about your trip so far, sounds like you have plenty of time remaining to make some great memories and forget about the problems.


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## Bart001 (Apr 9, 2005)

boothguy said:


> Err - I don't know about the rest of you, but I've never, EVER had a computer-type problem that happened one time and then just disappeared forever, never to recur. Anyone? Bueller? Anyone?


I certainly sympathize!

But I can tell you of such an error that I experienced in my 535xi. I was backing out of my driveway and got the 'engine is operating at reduced power' error message. I was late to an appointment, and the message did say that it was acceptable to continue operating the car. I shut it off at a stop sign, re-started, and 2 months later I've not seen that or any error again.


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## maande10 (Nov 17, 2007)

coontie said:


> I mean, if I get stuck in a Somalia bush in the middle of a rebel offensive on Mogadishu in my brand new 335i, I ain't callin no BMW AD (afr. delivery) support, hells now. I'm callin my main man directly, Herr Spira!


Somalia is not on the list of approved countries.


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## Commodore (Jun 28, 2007)

:thumbdwn:
For someone to have experienced such a mechanical issue on a new car is unacceptable. To experience it 135 miles from the point of collection is absurd. To be treated they way you were treated is nothing short of an abomination and BMW and related service team should be embarrassed. It just reconfirms my view that BMW quality is going south, pretty much like most of the 'premium' brand manufacturers in the quest for obscene amounts of profit.

Why I change my car next time I will be genuinely reconsidering whether or not it will be another BMW.

Hoep you enjoy the rest of your trip nonetheless in that stunning part of Europe.:thumbup:


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## iversonm (Nov 15, 2004)

Commodore said:


> :thumbdwn:
> It just reconfirms my view that BMW quality is going south, pretty much like most of the 'premium' brand manufacturers in the quest for obscene amounts of profit.


Statistical evidence would say otherwise, at least for BMW. They are trending in a positive direction.

The industry as a whole enjoyed it's first quality decrease in many years, however. This drop is mostly due to Toyota's faltering of late.


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## boothguy (Feb 1, 2007)

*Recovered update from Sunday night*

All:

The hotel's Internet connection sneezed just as I was posting this Saturday night and I lost it. And haven't had another connection until today, Tuesday. More details and pics in the post that will follow this one.

Well, not too many miles today - travel here on the shores of Lago di Como is mostly by ferry boat. Transmission worked fine for the half-hour trip up to Villa del Balbianello and back, where a family in a BMW 535 leaving the parking lot noticed the Zoll plates and flagged us down to inquire how the old ED Adventure was going. They had picked their car up at Welt on Tuesday. Gave them the ten-second download and watched as their jaws dropped - directed them to this thread.

Biggest drama of the day was realizing that in the excitement of getting the car back Friday evening, I left the %&*@#$ windblocker in the back of the X3, which is now back in the dealer's lot in Chur. "Can you just drive back to Chur and get it?", asked the man from ED Roadside. "Well, &#8230;nope," was my reply. "If you could just call Alpina Chur and have them send it to the place we're staying the longest in Tuscany next? If not, then to the USA. I'll give you my FedEx account number if you need it". "Okay, we'll try", came the response.

Villa del Balbianello is probably the most beautiful home/ villa I've ever seen, anywhere, any time. The place is a testament to the power and wealth of the Catholic Church, since it was built as a place for an eighteenth century Italian Cardinal to spend his summers quietly reading. It doubled for Naboo in Star Wars EP2. Pity it was cloudy, but the pictures aren't horrible. Rode the ferry over to Varenna for a late lunch (everything this week has been on a late schedule) and bought some wine for later during the one-our stopover between boats in Bellagio.

Caught up with skywalkerbeth (Beth Anderson in real life) and mom Carol in Lenno and regaled them with the developments thus far over a bottle of wine. Got back to the hotel for our by now customary 10:00 dinner, but this time it was pizza and our own bottle of wine on our own hotel balcony, with a regional food/ wine/ craft fest in full throat in the piazza below our window.

We'll see how things go on the drive to Santa Margherita Ligure below Genoa tomorrow (okay so far&#8230;.check the subsequent post).


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

boothguy said:


> Got back to the hotel for our by now customary 10:00 dinner, but this time it was pizza and our own bottle of wine on our own hotel balcony, with a regional food/ wine/ craft fest in full throat in the piazza below our window.


Well, it certainly sounds like things are improving for your vacation. :thumbup:

(Now about those pics you mentioned...)


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## boothguy (Feb 1, 2007)

*Technical difficulties - but only with local internet*

Sorry, gang:

The hotel's Internet connection here in tiny Bagni di Lucca seems a bit ticklish and I can't get the pics uploaded. to accompany my update. Will try a workaround. Stay tuned, and thanks again for all the good wishes.


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## strider41 (Feb 9, 2008)

boothguy. Happy to hear things are improving for you on your journey. We make our trip in July and sharing your experience with the rest of us will help us plan for the worst. You showed an amazing amount of composure and grace under pressure. Not sure I would done as well.


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## boothguy (Feb 1, 2007)

*The Sunday update - return to normalcy?*

Finally got to attch pictures after six tries over three hours. Here goes:

Sunday's drive from Lake Como to Santa Margherita Ligure below Genoa was uneventful, except for the backup on the Autostrada and the slalom down the Autostrada to Genoa itself. Karen and I admitted to each other over dinner (at 7:30 - yay!) that we were just waiting for the kick-in-the-pants shift that signaled the return of The Transmission Gremlin, but we definitely hope he/she/it has been left behind in southern Switzerland. We actually haven't yet covered the 150 miles that seemed to be the tipping point for the problem previously, but we'll try to stay optimistic and relax our shoulders every time the car up-shifts from third to fourth. Not sure when we'll call the problem solved once and for all, but certainly hope it continues to behave.

We're staying in a B&B comprised of restored pair of homes that cling to the hillside above the town here, right next door to more-famous Portofino and have a wonderful sweeping view of the town, the ocean and the valley leading down to them, which would be even more spectacular if not for the omnipresent cloudiness. Cracked open a bottle of wine we brought with us this afternoon just because we could and because we weren't drumming our fingers on the table in yet another BMW dealership. We thus passed a nice relaxing couple of hours just looking off into the middle distance. This is what passes for a celebration on this trip thus far. Given what's occurred to this point, we'll take it.

Had a nice chat with the sweetest pair of Franciscan nuns who shared the terrace with us Sunday afternoon (they luckily had their own bottle of wine since ours was mostly gone). And then over dinner in the little village up the hill, were next to a German couple from Dusseldorf who we helped communicate to the waitress in Italian. They also got the quick version of the story and Annetta, the wife commented sadly on how the quality of German cars has gone down recently. Don't know that I'd go that far, but we'll see them again in the morning since they're staying here in the same B&B as well.

The capsule description of today's pictures:
The inside of our three-balcony lake-view room in Cernobbio on Lake Como. See why we preferred this to a BMW dealership?
Villa del Balbianello is way too beautiful for pictures to do it justice.
Famous spot on Balbianello's terrace.
Varenna on Lake Como from the vaporetto (passenger ferry boat).
Carol, Beth, Karen and David share some wine and horrifying story.
View from B&B's terrace down to Santa Margherita Ligure and the Tyrrhenian Sea.
This is more like it.


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## beewang (Dec 18, 2001)

Fantastic pictures boothguy!!:thumbup: Thank you for sharing!!

The only MAJOR issue I have is your silly shirt.... You are now idetified as supporter of the ENEMY camp... * Long Live **BMW-Sauber F1!!*


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## SJAPoc (Apr 14, 2007)

Great pictures... Looks like you are finally on vacation  Enjoy and keep us posted :thumbup:


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## boothguy (Feb 1, 2007)

Sorry, Bee:

I've owned Ferraris since 1975 - "first love" and all that stuff.

The Nav is wonderful - thanks for the help with the disc. Imagine my horror when I discovered the Version 1.1 Nav in the X3, which wouldn't even allow a street name in our destination city. Luckily, I knew where I was going.

Best,
David


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## sevendown (Jun 5, 2007)

What, may I ask, is that emblem on your shirt?

A few nights ago I had a dream that I was touring Europe on my ED and although I started in Munich with the best car Germany makes, as I crossed the border into Italy the border guards put my 5er into storage and told me I would have to drive the best car Italy makes while I was there. So they threw me the keys to a Ferrari sitting in a lot just behind the passport control.

When I got to the UK (England apparently shared a border with Italy in my dream), I was transferred into a Rolls Royce at the border (with a driver of course).

After spending time being chauffeured around to the theater, museums and restaurants in London (at some point in the dream I was at a ski resort in Sweden driving in the snow in a Volvo SUV, but that part is hazy) my driver dropped the Rolls into the Chunnel and headed toward France (in my dream, individual vehicles could drive in the tunnel). Having become accustomed to the best, upon arriving in France I demanded the best vehicle made there, and was given a bicycle.

Sorry, I digress, but the pictures of you in Italy in that shirt made me think about it.


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## beewang (Dec 18, 2001)

boothguy said:


> Sorry, Bee:
> 
> I've owned Ferraris since 1975 - "first love" and all that stuff.....


I have problems with cars to which I can never afford to drive...

so it is...
*BMW ///M Power to the day I die!!*

beewang


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## Erregend (Apr 22, 2003)

*See the hotel in the red circle. That is the Ermo Gaudio where 
Adrian stayed while in Varenna** as did I **when I was last there.
--- Neat hotel!

BoothGuy,

I wish you the best of luck. We put over 2200 miles 
on our 335i vert in Germany and France and it was a blast.

Now that the problem has been solved, I know you will enjoy 
yours just as much.

*


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## boothguy (Feb 1, 2007)

*The Wednesday update*

Hi gang:

Bee - I hear what you're saying, but I've owned my Ferraris since they were nothing more than a couple of old, cheap, clapped-out sportscars that nobody paid particular attention to. If I had to try to go buy them today, they'd be far out of my reach as well.

Sevendown - funny story.

Erregund - I think that's actually the hotel where Skywalkerbeth and her mom are staying. They opted to extend there because it's sunny rather than head on to Switzerland in the rain.

Now, my update for Wednesday.

All:

The good news first: no repetition of the transmission problems through today, Wednesday, June 4. It's not like we've logged a lot of miles, but the transmission has been working hard climbing up and down the steep and windy roads here in the Garfagnana Valley of Western Tuscany above Lucca. So we're kind of feeling like The Transmission Gremlin may truly have been left behind in southern Switzerland. Sure hope so - he's not a fun dude.

The E93 continues to impress. Things turned sour so quickly last week that I didn't get to say anything good about the car, and as you know, there's plenty to list.

The Owner's Manual says to keep the max speed under 120 for the first thousand miles, so I obediently haven't exceed 119.5 - but it feels amazingly stable at those speeds. I'm very glad I ordered the Active Steering. I feel like it's a big ol' benefit at the high Autobahn/ Autostrada speeds in terms of keeping the car from wandering. And getting up to the tiny hamlets in the hills with the scores of switchbacks and narrow roads make it a real plus.

And with the many extremely steep streets where I'm starting off from rest, I'd probably be needing a new clutch by the time the car hits Port Hueneme in August, if not for the&#8230; you know&#8230;. the lump down there under the floorboards I was so recently cursing.

The car's also very technically sophisticated, and although I'm finding the I-Drive interface a little slow in terms of the number of steps you need to take to get a lot of places, I think it's an excellent value for what you get with it. Karen's not exactly a technical whiz, but she's navigating through the IPod music selections with nary a hitch.

Speaking of navigating, I'm having trouble figuring out how to have the Nav simply display the map as I'm driving around with no active guidance. I'm having to resort to setting a destination and then stopping guidance. Any tips on a simpler way to just show the map?

Now that we're not spending all our time hobnobbing with BMW service folks and the Roadside Assist staff, who all recognize my voice as soon as they hear it, BTW, we're finally starting to enjoy what we came here to see and do. There have even been some brief but memorable periods of sunshine on the winding mountain roads where the top got to go in the trunk.

We had a fantastic four-course meal tonight here in Bagni di Lucca, in a gorgeous, elegant place, right on the river, waiter in tuxedo, the whole shebang. And there we sat in our sweat-stained, wind-blown, shorts-and-sandals glory. We even got an aperitif and some appetizers thrown in; a between-courses Limoncello sorbet; and a bottle of wine we asked the waiter to recommend. And the bill was a measly 39 Euro including 4 Euro worth of cover charge (common in Italy). Now just imagine if the Dollar wasn't weak as a day-old kitten.

The narration on today's pictures:
The Church was the center of life here pre-television. Inside of a modest church in Camogli was a stunner.
Obligatory picture of Camogli's harbor with fishing dories
Photographer dragged this couple around the harbor for over an hour, seemingly for our entertainment.
The only way Karen could stay in the car while negotiating the "driveway" to the B&B in Santa Margherita. I couldn't stand the screaming otherwise.
Brief period of sunshine in western Tuscany. Good thing you can't see how dirty the car actually is.
Cool medieval pedestrian bridge near Bagni di Lucca.
Winding roads to tiny mountain hamlets like Trassilico make Active Steering a must-have.
Potentially the world's smallest restaurant - Castiglione di Garfagnana. You're seeing the entire place in this pic.

More to come&#8230;


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## jvslyke (Dec 4, 2007)

Boothguy, I'm glad to hear that things are turning around and your getting a chance to really enjoy your vacation!

Thanks for the updates and the pictures!

As for the Nav, when you go into it and just want to see the map you need to go down to where perspective is (I use that but you can choose north or direction of travel) and click on it. that will pull the map up.

ENJOY!:thumbup:


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

Push on the talking head button and say "Map".

I don't have iDrive, but this did the trick in an M3 I recently tested.


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## philippek (Jul 31, 2003)

beewang said:


> The only MAJOR issue I have is your silly shirt.... You are now idetified as supporter of the ENEMY camp... * Long Live **BMW-Sauber F1!!*


I noticed that too, and I even sent him an email asking if he brought anything else to wear other than Ferrari gear. His reply:

Yes, smartass. It's just that wearing Ferrari gear in Italy is generally good for one or two nice personal encounter moments per day. In BMW gear, you're just another rich turd.

:rofl: Have a great time David :thumbup:


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## beewang (Dec 18, 2001)

boothguy said:


> ... but I've owned my Ferraris since they were nothing more than a couple of old, cheap, clapped-out sportscars that nobody paid particular attention to. ....***8230;


And I would argue that they still are nothing more than a couple of old, cheap, clapped-out sheetmetal that nobody paid particular attention to.... ti this day 



boothguy said:


> ... Speaking of navigating, I***8217;m having trouble figuring out how to have the Nav simply display the map as I***8217;m driving around with no active guidance. I***8217;m having to resort to setting a destination and then stopping guidance. Any tips on a simpler way to just show the map?
> ***8230;


:banghead:

push the talk buttom and say.. (repeat after me... ) ... "MAP!" :slap:


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## SJAPoc (Apr 14, 2007)

Great continuing report and photos!


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## boothguy (Feb 1, 2007)

Hey Bee: you have a point, except that now, they're worth more than my house in San Diego. A LOT more. Please don't fixate on the Scuderia shields or "that other brand". Also had a Big Healey and an XK-150 Jag that I sold too soon/ too cheaply. How's this for balance? I restored a '74 Jensen-Healey for Karen that never gets driven any more, because she feels dwarfed by all the SUVs on the road. I now can't bear to sell the thing because it'll never be worth half of what I've got in it. Ya win some, and ya lose some, no?

Glad you're enjoying the pics and the ongoing report. Today was actually the first time since last Tuesday we were completely relaxed and not anticipating every 3-4 upshift. 

Moving to Cortona in southeastern Tuscany tomorrow; hope to get out from under the rain clouds eventually.

Thanks to all..


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## pjt (Jan 31, 2005)

Boothguy:

I just returned from Munich late last night and hit the sack before checking out your thread at work this morning (we intentionally traveled without a computer so that my children . . . ages 22 & 19 . . . could avoid the temptation of spending valuable hours on the internet instead of enjoying Europe). Anyway, we were the family in the black 535i that you encountered outside of the Villa de Balbianello on Saturday. 

While the encounter was brief, your description of our reaction to your (mis)adventure was spot on. I honestly didn't know what to say, though recall babbling something fairly stupid before moving out of the way of the car behind us. We didn't have the opportunity to express that we were sorry for your trouble, though are pleased to know that your time since our meeting has been uneventful (as far as continued car trouble is concerned). 

Enjoy the remainder of your trip . . . and here's wishing that every day brings clear skies, bright sunshine, warm temperatures and pleasant memories. All the best!

pjt


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## The BoatMan (Apr 2, 2002)

boothguy said:


> Speaking of navigating, I'm having trouble figuring out how to have the Nav simply display the map as I'm driving around with no active guidance. I'm having to resort to setting a destination and then stopping guidance. Any tips on a simpler way to just show the map?


If you want to stop active guidance the voice shortcut is "stop guidance".

For driving I always use voice shortcut "perspective".

Love the reports...keep em coming.


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## cbrown5294 (Jun 6, 2008)

Hey Boothguy,

Sorry to hear about the problems....I was the guy at the Welt that day with my boyfriend picking up the Black Sapphire 328I and we did the tour together then left for Rome right after that. I wanted to chat but was so tired and jet-laged I barley remember anything that day! We were on our way back via Chur and on the nice detour....damn tunnel being closed I think when you were there!
Hope you enjoy the rest of your trip. I am back home in reality driving 65mph in my old 323ci


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## JSpira (Oct 21, 2002)

cbrown5294 said:


> Hey Boothguy,
> 
> Sorry to hear about the problems....I was the guy at the Welt that day with my boyfriend picking up the Black Sapphire 328I and we did the tour together then left for Rome right after that. I wanted to chat but was so tired and jet-laged I barley remember anything that day! We were on our way back via Chur and on the nice detour....damn tunnel being closed I think when you were there!
> Hope you enjoy the rest of your trip. I am back home in reality driving 65mph in my old 323ci


cb, you are clearly unaware of the 12-hour rule :angel:

no fotos of your trip?


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## cbrown5294 (Jun 6, 2008)

Im working on it!!!! I phone is no the best device to try and do s**t on!! That was my only access the past 2 weeks and lord its nice to be at a laptop. My only drama was losing my bags on the trip home thanks to the wonderful 12 minute connection time Lufthansa left us with in Frankfurt (iam not kidding 12 min to RUN through 2 piers of FRA airport) Oh I forgot to add after a long night at the Haufbrau house the night before.......ohhh beer, sausages and running=bad feelings
Got my digital and will be up and running soon!


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## cbrown5294 (Jun 6, 2008)

Oh Boothguy:
In case you did not know be really carefull of the speedlimts in Italy. My freinds who live there kept telling me of all the camara's and tickets they have received the past few months....Italian government is really craking down on the 130km limit....after they pointed it out you will see them everywhere. They are not like Germnay mounted over the highways but are boxes on the side of the road, black with some orange trim I think.


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## boothguy (Feb 1, 2007)

*Friday update - smooth sailing*

Hi PJT and CBrown:

Remember you both - especially pjt. Your son's jaw literally dropped open when we gave you the quick overview last week in Villa del Balbianello's parking lot - shame Karen's camera wasn't at the ready to capture his preceless reaction. Hope you've since had time to wash that epically dirty 535i. You guys with the dark colors are either braver than me or can spend more time keeping your cars clean. Amazing what ".....the rainiest May in 30 years in northern Italy...", yeah, yeah... will do for an otherwise gorgeous car, huh? Even my Space Gray E93 is starting to look dingy from 10' away.

CBrown, really enjjoyed the tour; hope you felt the same. Karen and I keep wondering aloud what "..the Roberts.." are doing right now. For those of you who either haven't yet been, or mayhap didn't have the amusing Volker Gahmann as your tourguide, the mechanical entities that do all the heavy lifting, welding, spraying of coatings, etc. in the Munich factory tour are referred to by Herr Gahmann as, ".. the roberts you see here are making checks within 1/10th of a millimeter and performing spot welds at XXXvolts..". Guess you hadda be there.

Either way, I was a bit ambivalent about the Munich plant tour before taking it, having been a little disappointed at not getting a slot in Regensburg where my particular car was born. But I really do recommend the Munich tour highly for owners of any model car. Same words, different paragraphs, in terms of doing the other plant tours, or so Rolf says. Still a very worthwhile 2.5 hours. Just remember to go potty beforehand, since there are no comfort stops along the way.

My car's gremlins seem to be farther behind with every passing mile.

We're now in southeastern Tuscany, in MY favorite town on the trip: Cortona, where we've been twice before. Today's car pic is in the tiny forecourt of the Villa Marsili. Looking a little grungy? The birds apparently agree. They pooped on it twice while we were picking out a room.

No real report tonight - sorry. Will have to sleep off the effects of yet another wonderful meal and wine.

Hotel where we stay here provides a much-as-you-want apertif and appetizer spread, which properly lubricates us for the 15-minute walk to dinner. We're welcomed at La Buccacia by proprietor Romano who pretends to remember us from four years ago like family. We resist his attempts to spend four hours on "..a typically Tuscan meal.." (Jeez, who could eat that much food?) instead of the absolute minimum two that's needed for dinner in Italy.

For appetizer, we share Lardo: pork fat aged in marble casks, melted on toast, with a little salt and a hint of pepper. Originates in the mountains just off the Ligurian coast. Sounds disgusting, I know, but I'm not planning on making a regular part of my diet. And it's actually sublime. The rest of dinner is some heavenly home-made pasta: spicy strozzapretti for me and creamy tortelloni (gigantic tortellini) for Karen, a great wine and superb dessert.

Romano's a one-man show, and it's the same in Italian or English. He just has more fun with the bewildered non-Italian speakers by doing about a quarter of it in Italian. The Brits and Americans wind up agreeing to his suggestions for dinner (he's right anyway), just by the sheer force of his personality. He does everything but balance the wine bottle on his nose.

He liberally spreads around some free homemade biscottini and forces some Grappa on us as we're groping for the door. Wife Agostina is the _cesarina_ of the kitchen and she comes out to greet us. Eleven-year-old Francesca, who has been helping dad out in the dining room jumps into the picture as Romano comandeers an American gal from an adjacent tale, ordering her to take our picture. Guess maybe we're really long-lost family after all.

Erm...sorry about no pics. For some reason, the current connection is making me do everything twice and four tries is my limit on the pics at this late hour.

More to come, thanks to all...


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## sevendown (Jun 5, 2007)

boothguy said:


> He liberally spreads around some free homemade biscottini and forces some Grappa on us


For anyone drinking Grappa, there should be a rule for your car similar to what pilots must observe. No driving/flying for 12 hours after drinking it.

I remember the last time I was in Italy a friend "forced" some Grappa on me toward the end of an evening of wine drinking. For me, it was no *walking* within 12 *minutes* after drinking Grappa.

Evil stuff. Positively, sinfully, evil.

Keep having a good time!!


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## blue_dolphin (Sep 16, 2007)

boothguy said:


> ...Karen and I keep wondering aloud what "..the Roberts.." are doing right now. For those of you who either haven't yet been, or mayhap didn't have the amusing Volker Gahmann as your tourguide, the mechanical entities that do all the heavy lifting, welding, spraying of coatings, etc. in the Munich factory tour are referred to by Herr Gahmann as, ".. the roberts you see here are making checks within 1/10th of a millimeter and performing spot welds at XXXvolts..". Guess you hadda be there....


Ah, the roberts! I love it! Same tour guide. At one point during my tour he identified, "one of my especially preferred roberts." I crack myself up telling the robert stories but I think you're right - hadda be there!

So glad to hear that you are enjoying the trip despite the ...issues  you've had to deal with.


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## boothguy (Feb 1, 2007)

*Let's try again on the pics*

Gang:

Here are the pics I couldn't upload last night.

First is my grungy E93 here in Cortona. Brilliant decision by myself on the Space Gray in terms of masking the dirt. Second is Karen and I during a lull in the festivities at ristorante La Bucaccia last night. Although Romano looks sleepy in the pic, trust me, he's a ball of energy. Wife Agostina runs the kitchen and everything on the menu (which changes nightly) is special. Eleven-year old Francesca fetches the wine and opens it like a pro.


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## cbrown5294 (Jun 6, 2008)

Hey Boothguy,
Yes my boyfriend and I are still taking bout the roberts! We were out last night telling friends about the trip, etc and said we had no idea we would see and learn that much about roberts at BMW!
From what I remember the Dingofling tour was really much better, no waking on catwalks but putting on the blue lab coat and walking on the floor...if you have time on the way back I would highly recomend trying to get a tour there.
Enjoy Italia!


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## abmwc (Feb 2, 2008)

*Robbed in Regensburg, too.*



boothguy said:


> Hi PJT and CBrown:
> 
> Karen and I keep wondering aloud what "..the Roberts.." are doing right now. For those of you who either haven't yet been, or mayhap didn't have the amusing Volker Gahmann as your tourguide, the mechanical entities that do all the heavy lifting, welding, spraying of coatings, etc. in the Munich factory tour are referred to by Herr Gahmann as, ".. the roberts you see here are making checks within 1/10th of a millimeter and performing spot welds at XXXvolts..". Guess you hadda be there.
> 
> Either way, I was a bit ambivalent about the Munich plant tour before taking it, having been a little disappointed at not getting a slot in Regensburg where my particular car was born. But I really do recommend the Munich tour highly for owners of any model car. Same words, different paragraphs, in terms of doing the other plant tours, or so Rolf says. Still a very worthwhile 2.5 hours. Just remember to go potty beforehand, since there are no comfort stops along the way.


Hey boothguy, sorry to hear about the slow start out of the blocks, but it sounds like the run is back on pace. Good thing your trip is more of a long distance event (rather than the 5 day sprint we entered) - seems you have more than made up for the initial stumble.

We did both tours, and even in Regensburg, our (female) guide spoke of the amazing Roberts. When I remarked that they did seem to be bobbing up and down quite a bit, no one except my wife laughed - perhaps no one heard me, or maybe it was that the tour group comprised mostly non-native English speakers (or, as my wife points out, perhaps it wasn't that damn funny). We did both tours, and enjoyed both. There is some overlap, but we saw some things on the R tour that we did not see on the M tour (e.g., the painting Roberts), and vice versa (the sheet metal stamping). Overall, we were happy we did both, and since there was no charge for either tour, we certainly did not feel we were robbed. The smell of the Munich plant evoked some long dormant memories of the summers I spent in college working in a steel/alloy tool manufacturing plant, and in some subtle way, enhanced my enjoyment of the tour even more.

Glad to hear you and your wife (and now, your vert, too) are enjoying the trip!

Best regards,
abmwc


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## boothguy (Feb 1, 2007)

All:

I think we can finally put The Transmission Gremlin out to pasture. The car's getting driven every day, and although not over what seemed to be the mystical 135-150 mile level, now that we're in Tuscany, the transmission is doing a lot of shifting because we're on secondary roads much more. 

Although the weather still refuses to fully cooperate, there's at least the opportunity for the top to be down for a little while every day, which is what the trip was supposed to be all about. Having been here before (and in flawless weather, too), I was all primed for the fields of sunflowers nodding under the warm Tuscan sun, with a solitary stone farmhouse flanked by couple of Italian Cypress trees shimmering on a distant hilltop. And us with the top down, motoring leisurely along. 

More later, plus pics.


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## boothguy (Feb 1, 2007)

*Sunday update - officially a vacation*

All:

Here are some pics from the last coupla days. Being that it's late, I'll spare you (and me) a lot of narration. We're in Cortona - a hilltown in southeastern Tuscany, hard by the border with Umbria. Lots of great country, great wine, great food...you get the idea.

Drove to Montefalco and Bevagna in Umbria yesterday and were rewarded with some perfect, jewel-like hilltop villages. Were having lunch at an outdoor cafe in Montefalco when a horseman unexpectedly galloped into the piazza and practiced some equitation moves for a few minutes - doubtless in rehearsal for a medieval festival that seemed as though it was on the verge of opening. The horse was doing a lot of slipping and sliding on the smooth stones, and it woulda been all fun and games until somebody got hurt...

Today we drove the Chianti Road in north-central Tuscany, just south of Florence, where a guy panhandling by the side of an exit we detoured through took one look at the BMW roundel on the hood and actually doffed his cap, hoping, no doubt, for some largess from the presumably filthy-rich owner of said prestigious German make. A Boltjames moment if ever there was one. Kind of feel badly now for not giving him something, but people behind were beeping for the queue to get going.

Actual sunshine continues to be elusive, but even a few minutes/ miles in this countryside with the top down is wish fulfillment to the Nth degree. Turns out the sunflowers don't start their show until July, but the rest of the ingredients are all there, and with all the rain, things are extra green.

Dinner hardly seems as though it should even be on the agenda, what with the groaning table that represents our breakfast choices here at the Hotel Villa Marsili in Cortona. At the risk of ruining a good thing for myself, I'll divulge that this is actually my favorite hotel in the whole wide world - and I'm fortunate enough to have been a lot of places. I'm sure it's not for everyone, though...just strikes the perfect chord for me.

Just had to go back to La Bucaccia for dinner again tonight, where we were awarded a trip to the wine cellar (yep, that's the whole thing in the pic) to pick out one of Romano's "..special-a wines just-a for friends..". It was a Vino Nobile from Montepulciano, where we're going tomorrow. My espoused strategy was, "..if we drink a bottle tonight, maybe I'll feel less pressured to buy one tomorrow when we're there". There are three bottles sitting unopened on the desk in the room right now, and we're running out of evenings to drink them.

More later...


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

Very evocative pictures... thank you! :thumbup:


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## boothguy (Feb 1, 2007)

One quick note for sevendown regarding the Grappa: Romano insisted on giving us each another glass last night as we were paying the check, just as I thought we were going to make a clean getaway. Tried to no avail to spare Karen by telling Romano that he and I should have the drink, which only sufficed to have him join us. Luckily, the walk back to the hotel was in a light rain, and I didn't put up the umbrella in hopes that the rain would make the world stop spinning. It was only marginally effective. That's some potent stuff. A tankful would probably be good for 300 mph in the BMW.


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## Alfred G (Apr 1, 2007)

Great pics!

Is this a breakfast buffet?










Very unusual for Italy!


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## sevendown (Jun 5, 2007)

boothguy said:


> One quick note for sevendown regarding the Grappa: Romano insisted on giving us each another glass last night as we were paying the check, just as I thought we were going to make a clean getaway. Tried to no avail to spare Karen by telling Romano that he and I should have the drink, which only sufficed to have him join us. Luckily, the walk back to the hotel was in a light rain, and I didn't put up the umbrella in hopes that the rain would make the world stop spinning. It was only marginally effective. That's some potent stuff. A tankful would probably be good for 300 mph in the BMW.


It's served as a "digestivo," to aid digestion after a heavy meal. My guess is it works by knocking you out so you just don't notice any digestion problems. (Similar to how tequila helps a sunburn in Mexico.)

Some of it comes as strong as 160 proof!!

Keep enjoying your trip, and keep the pictures coming.


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## boothguy (Feb 1, 2007)

Hi Alfred - nice to hear from you. It is indeed a breakfast buffet, and I agree that it's unusual for Italy. One of the many reasons we love this hotel. 

SD: I think you hit on the formula for the Grappa and how it's supposed to function. It's one of those drinks that seems to go straight up the nose every first sip. Guess that's part of its diversionary charm.

We're about to head out to dinner after a day where I only had to use the windshield wipers once. A first for this trip. Did notice that BMW Engineering apparently frowns on the practice of driving in the rain with the top down. Got caught in a sudden shower with no place to pull over for abut half a mile, and while the rain itself was not coming into the cockpit, the water from the windshield was coming right up the glass, off the edge and right onto my left leg. 

Still, in all, a nice day in the sun in the rolling hills of Tuscany. More later...


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

sevendown said:


> It's served as a "digestivo," to aid digestion after a heavy meal.


There is a very similar Romanian beverage called "Tuica" which is mostly served as aperitivo, something to generate/increase your appetite before the meal. It works by burning the lining off your esophagus, so any solid food after that creates a soothing sensation. 

Then of course you can also have it after the meal, when it will knock you out cold.


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## boothguy (Feb 1, 2007)

ADC - hilarious. Sounds very similar to the way the Grappa appears designed to work.

The girl at reception on night shift here at the hotel is Romanian, so I'll have to ask her about the Tuica.

Just a quick note and a pic for tonight - we're supposed to be getting organized to move to Venezia tomorrow.

Parking is pretty much a free-for-all here, as I think is well known. We've already had a couple of interesting situations with exrtemely tight parking spaces and people leaving us little room to get out, more than once causing a ten-minute workout of the Active Steering system. But this one is the topper. Look at how this hammerhead parked their Ford product next to me in Montepulciano, leaving about enough room to open my door and slip in a magazine, if we'd have bought one.

Since my knee joints don't allow for sideways-folding, squirming over the console feet-first into the driver's seat was not happening. Luckily, this is a cabriolet, so I just dropped the top and hoisted myself over and down into position for the resulting picture. Karen's calming presence kept me from doing anything rash to the offending vehicle.


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## boothguy (Feb 1, 2007)

*Tuscany update*

All:

No Internet here in Venezia the past couple of days as we're staying in a converted home in a residential part of San Marco - the heart of the city. Let's try to get caught up.

First, to finish off our experience in Tuscany - my favorite part of Italy and a close second to Lake Como for Karen.

Finally got a mostly sunny day for a drive around southern Tuscany around Montepulciano and Montalcino. Put the top down as the gorgeous scenery rolled past. We're about a month too early for the sunflowers, but all the rest of the ingredients are there. This is the heart of the trip for me, and the part that I pictured in my mind something like a thousand times as I was planning this whole deal. Having driven this area twice before, I really (REALLY) wanted to do it again in my new convertible. And after the transmission fumblerooski of the beginning of the trip, and the less-than-ideal weather since then, I'm glad we finally got nearly a full day like this one.

Went for a walk around Montepulciano and when we got back to the car, some bozo had parked maybe six inches from my door, making it impossible to get in on that side. I could get in on the passenger's side, but squirming over the console into my seat was not happening, due to the inability of my knees to fold in the sideways direction. Luckily, I could put the top down and get to my seat in classic sportscar style.

We did get caught in a sudden shower on a straight stretch of highway late in the day. With no place to pull off and stop to put up the top, I decided to try a trick from my days in the Jag: run at a decent speed and let the wind carry the rain right over the cockpit until a place to pull over and put up the top presents itself. Except BMW Engineering apparently frowns on this practice. The car's speed kept the rain out of the cockpit no problem. But the rain ran right up the windshield, over the edge and was making a nice little rivulet into my lap.

Back at Villa Marsili, we were quickly adopted by Lulia, the nighttime receptionist. The staff there has always been a major art of the experience and Lulia is a welcome recent addition from Romania. I greeted her in Romanian the first evening she was on duty, and from then on, we couldn't just walk in past the desk and head up to our room. Before long, she had brought in her pal "Flat Eric" to get in a picture with us. When it was time to go, Lulia insisted we say "see you tomorrow" in Italian instead of goodbye. A real sweetheart.

The quick key to today's pictures:

A nice day yields postcard views around every corner near Montepulciano.
Classic mid-sixties Fiat 500s are cute enough and tiny enough to hug.
The top is down, the sun is out, and I'm a happy guy.
Knothead nearly trapped me outside of the car.
Even the gelato knows how good it is.
Karen, Flat Eric and Lulia our last night in Tuscany


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## boothguy (Feb 1, 2007)

*Venezia update*

Me again - this time with an update from Venezia.

Drove here Tuesday morning from Cortona, in bright sun and blue skies the whole way - a real occurrence for us to go a whole day without using the wipers. Almost got to get re-acquainted with BMW Roadside Assistance after a fuel stop outside Bologna. A construction diversion shortened the merging lane to only a few car-lengths, and was blind to approaching traffic. Naturally, a big rig (and they're REALLY big here) carrying an earthmover came roaring around the blind corner just as I was starting to merge. I aborted the maneuver and the rig's driver leaned on the horn. It was nowhere near as close as it must have seemed to my passenger, as evidenced by the groove in her hand which nicely matched the door-pull handle.

The balance of the trip to Venezia was uneventful and we parked in the mammoth Tronchetto garage, got our tickets, got on the vaporetto boat, got off at the right stop and zig-zagged our way through the extremely narrow and confusing streets to our hotel without putting a foot wrong.

I've always wondered, walking down residential streets here in Italy, what it was like behind those great wooden plank doors. And Locanda alla Fenice is our chance to find out. Five rooms of a former residence have been converted to guest use, and ours has a pair of shuttered windows that look out on a quiet street with a canal about a hundred feet away with the gondoliers rowing by, singing to their fares.

We had successfully resisted visiting Venice until this trip, not really being into the whole big-city experience. Our professoressa from this past semester had lived here and really encouraged us to try it, and that was the tipping point.

It's a truly unique place and we're glad we came, but learned that it's an absolute minimum three-day stay to really see and experience the whole shebang - four is better. It's all a bit like seeing The Dowager Empress: you don't necessarily want to date her, but you can certainly admire the bone structure. Even with all the impressive sights, great stores and gawkable people, there are just too many folks all trying to share the same space and amenities along with you, and it confirms for us that Tuscany or Lake Como are really more our speed.

Had dinner last night in the little trattoria that's right below our window. If I had passed out from too much wine, Karen could easily have dragged me through the door to the hotel - evening complete. A nice couple next to us turned out to be vacationing restaurant owners from a little town outside Palermo, Sicily. They didn't want to finish their bottle of wine and started pouring it into our empty glasses. A nice conversation, about 85% in Italian ensued, pictures were passed around, and we're now invited to Sicily on our next trip. Works for me.

Karen passed on taking a gondola ride, after seeing them lined up nose-to-tail going down the canals, with one gondolier chatting away on a cell phone in the midst of his expensive fare (about $80). Kind of kills the romance.

The key to today's pictures:
Venice has banned the feeding of the pigeons in St. Mark's Square to try to get them to move on. This little girl was having none of it.
Gondolas jam the canal just around the corner from where we're staying. Kind of detracts from the romance.
Wanted to visit the Venice open-air market ever since Chapter 10 of second semester - and finally did. I even bought something.
Crowds line up all day and half the night to take pictures of the Bridge of Sighs. We were inside, taking a picture of them.
A series of ferry rides got us to the quiet island of Burano, where colorful fishermen's houses line the canals.

Next up: a visit to our client Campagnolo in Vicenza, and then on to Sirmione on Lake Garda.


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## Asteroid (Aug 17, 2005)

Thanks for the report boothguy. While many consider it a tourist trap, Venice is one of my favorite cities. Glad that you took the time and are enjoying your stay there, though I don't believe you when you say you didn't take a wrong turn somewhere. 
If you must take a gondola, you can take one of the traghettos at several locations where bridge crossings aren't convenient. If you do, ride standing like a local.

Buon viaggio. :thumbup:


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## X3 Skier (Aug 21, 2005)

Asteroid said:


> If you must take a gondola, you can take one of the traghettos at several locations where bridge crossings aren't convenient. If you do, ride standing like a local.


It is LOT cheaper. :angel:

Cheers


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## boothguy (Feb 1, 2007)

*Return of the transmission gremlin*

Sirmione update 6-14

All:

Made the short 1.5 hour drive from Venezia to Sirmione on Lake Garda today, stopping off for a business meeting with our long-time client Campagnolo in Vicenza on the way. Rain Thursday afternoon - naturally.

The transmission gave us a couple of funny upshifts in a row when driving through Sirmione Thursday afternoon. Almost like the transmission was slipping, with the engine revving a bit before the upshift actually dropped in. Upon further consideration, I decided to contact BMW ED Friday and have them put me and my funky gearbox on the radar. After some discussion, we decided to chance the 300-mile, five-hour drive to Berchtesgaden in the corner of Bavaria close by Salzburg, Austria. We'll see how that goes. BMW ED Munich are now saying they'll huddle up and check in with me on Monday to see what the drive to Berchtesgaden brought.

The initial plan, provided the car gets us to Munich on Monday, appears to be to replace the transmission before the car goes on the boat. But clearly, "getting back to Munich" is the key phrase.

On a lighter note... Getting out of Venezia was easier than getting in, since it's one of those places that benefits knowing the ropes - if only a couple of days worth. Glad we went, but feel no strong pull to visit again. An interesting, totally unique city, but just didn't make a deep-down connection.

I know I committed to not making Lardo a regular part of my diet but saw it on the menu Thursday night and just had to sample it one last time. This time, it was wrapping the tails of some prawns the size of housecats. Only a slight exaggeration. Really phenomenal with the salty burst of the Lardo yielding to the crispness of the prawns. Who needs melted butter when you've got melted Lardo, I always say.

Spent Friday exploring Sirmione - a tiny town on a narrow neck of land extending out into Lake Garda. Very picturesque, with its ancient fortress dominating the town. Bright sunshine through lunchtime gave way to a real frog-strangler downpour this afternoon. After getting tired of standing in front of a gelateria watching the raindrops dance on the stones, we retired to a nearby wine bar for a glass of wine and some paper-thin parmigiano shavings to wait out the storm.

Headed to Salzburg over the weekend to rendezvous with our friends to Kobys, who are picking up their 535i on Saturday. We'll overlap with them in Salzburg/ Fuschl for a day before heading back to Munich. Hopefully with our car, instead of in a rental. Cross your fingers.

The key to today's pictures:
A bunch of pictures of the cool fortress that dominates the town and the peninsula.
Gelato is the creamiest, most intense ice cream you'll ever taste.


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## skywalkerbeth (Jul 19, 2007)

Glad you finally had decent weather! the water looks sooooooo turquoise. Having been to Lake Como twice now, I think I'll have to put Lake Garda on the list for next time!

Bummer you didn't like Venice so much, it is one of my favorite cities. The history of it is just amazing.


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

The Garda has better color in the water than Como, eh? :thumbup:


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## skywalkerbeth (Jul 19, 2007)

It sure looks more colorful anyway! It must not be as deep... The fortress kind of reminds me of Portugal a little bit. 

If you just count the past two years I've been to Italy four times - I'll have to mix up the destinations a little more! Garda is on the list. I'm considering Venice this fall - maybe a few days on Garda would be nice... ahhhhh.


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

skywalkerbeth said:


> It sure looks more colorful anyway! It must not be as deep...


It has the typical turquoise-green color of glacier lakes all across the Alps. The lakes around Salzburg are very similar - and all with crystal clear water.



> If you just count the past two years I've been to Italy four times - I'll have to mix up the destinations a little more!


Ever tried Cinque Terre? Here are some pics I took (start with Post #19):
http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=212244&highlight=335+great+adventure


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## skywalkerbeth (Jul 19, 2007)

You know, AFTER we got back, I thought "maybe we should have used the extra two days to head to CT". I haven't been there yet either. Six total trips to Italy, and it's been Rome/Venice/Florence/Tuscany/Lake Como/Umbria/Dolomites only (and 3 times, each, for the first four on the list, twice for Lake Como, once Umbria and once Dolomites). 

Time to mix it up! So much of Italy to see and so little time. I love how each area is so different from the others, yet Italy is not a huge country (France is similar in that respect). 

Thanks for the pictures, you are a good photographer!


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## boothguy (Feb 1, 2007)

*Saturday and the transmission behaved*

All:

Just a quick note from Berchtesgaden (Schonau actually): the transmission behaved itself on the 300-mile drive from Sirmione to here today, with no repeat of the "slipping" it was doing on the very gentle upshifts driving into Sirmione Thursday evening.

Planning on hearing from BMW ED Munich Monday, and will hopefully be sticking to the current plan to replace the trans before the car leaves Germany for California. Maybe they want to do an autopsy on it - who knows. Either way, I don't want it in my car any longer than it absolutely has to be in there. I could feel my butt cheeks tense every time we stopped for a toll on the drive today, until we were back in sixth gear.

The irony of it all is that this is the first auto-trans car I've owned in, well... a long, long time. Ordered it this time so Karen could drive this car when she felt like it,.

There's a 135 coupe with Zoll plates sitting in the parking lot right outside our window. Plan to track the owner down tomorrow.

Hi Beth - nice to have you check in. Sure was fun hanging with you and Carol during delivery and again in Lenno.


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## skywalkerbeth (Jul 19, 2007)

They look wonderful! I love having terraces.


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## boothguy (Feb 1, 2007)

*Food and drink cost snapshot*

Third installment in the "what it cost" series: food and beverage.

Karen hasn't gone through all the credit card and cash receipts, so I can't provide a total cost for the trip. But we can come close enough for a snapshot.

Breakfast was included in the cost of the hotel room in most of the places we stayed. So we had lunch and dinner to contend with, plus a snack in the late afternoon (gelato usually won out at about 1.70Euro for a cup).

For lunch, it's easily possible to get a sandwich or something simple for 3.25Euro. But the problem is that a small bottled water can be that much again.

Most places in Italy offer antipasti and/or primi (pasta or risotto dishes) as lunch selections as well - and you can get pizza in an incredible range of places from the most humble bar (not quite like an American bar), to upscale restaurants. At lunch, these items are available from 7-10Euro. Wine can range from about 3Euro for a glass of the house stuff, to about 15Euro for a bottle from a wine list, most of which can be quite good. For example, the bottle we shared with skywalkerbeth and Carol was 15Euro and was really outstanding.

When it comes to dinner, there's a wide variety of choices. For example, our two 10pm dinners on Lake Como were in what was billed as a pizzeria in a modest albergo, but in fact was a beautiful dining room with a great wine list. Pizzas were 10Euro and wonderfully delicate creations that allowed you to taste each ingredient, down to the flour. A really nice bottle of wine was again about 15Euro.

In general, 40-50Euro would get a nice couple of dinners with a good bottle of wine and dessert. Our best value dinner was in Bagni di Lucca where a four course dinner in an elegant room with a nice bottle of wine was a whopping 39Euro for the both of us. We felt like we should be saying "stick 'em up" when the bill came. It was so great, we went back the next night and splurged on the best bottle of Brunello on the wine list - an '04 Banfi that cost 35Euro there and at least $125 here.

If you're intimidated by a menu in a foreign language, there's usually a "menu turistico" that will make your choices simpler, but may be more food (and time) than you really want.

For days on the move, it's almost impossible to go wrong by stopping at an Autogrill. These monsters of the Autostrade would seem on the surface to be the Italian equivalent of a Howard Johnson's. But you would be wrong if you made that assumption, and denying yourself a treat. There's a great assortment of reasonably-priced panini (sandwiches), that can be had hot or cold, eaten there or taken with. And there's a sit-down cafeteria section that will make you forever change your opinion of cafeteria food. There's even a really excellent selection of breads, cheeses and meats you can buy to munch in the car while you rack up the miles to your next destination.

If my trip updates sounded as though they were centered around food and wine, well&#8230; it's Italy. They've been at this civilization stuff for a really long time, and they've got the finer points of it down really , really well. Between the art, the scenery, the history and the food and wine, there's something there for everyone.

The picture key:
When in Munich, you've just got to have a big ol' Augustiner and a mammoth pretzel.
Karen says "I never met a noodle I didn't like" and Spaetzle is no exception.
Road food makes a dandy picnic at your next destination.
Local concoctions like crostone (giant crostini) are worth trying.
Menu for the most ridiculous meal of the trip - and only 11E per person.
You must try the Autogrill.
Prawns with the tails wrapped in melted Lardo - yikes!
Eat outside - it's Italy!


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## X3 Skier (Aug 21, 2005)

Boothguy, I think you should ask the Roundel if you could submit an article based on all these reports. Your writing style and photos are of the quality I see there and I suppose they may be looking for articles. The transmission problems and adventures related to them is not something I have seen in Roundel on other ED articles. Who knows, you may become the next JSpira .

Even if you don't make the cut, I really enjoyed your in depth reporting.

Cheers


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

boothguy said:


> If my trip updates sounded as though they were centered around food and wine, well&#8230; it's Italy. They've been at this civilization stuff for a really long time, and they've got the finer points of it down really , really well. Between the art, the scenery, the history and the food and wine, there's something there for everyone.


Excellent points.

For our next future trip to Italy we aim to enjoy the way of life more, and be exhausted by the incredibly rich and filling cultural artifacts less. 

Thank you for your honest, well written report and outstanding pics.


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## boothguy (Feb 1, 2007)

Thanks for your generous comments. I actually used to make my living with the whole words-and-pictures thing, but changed careers more than 20 years ago. Nowadays, on-line forums are my primary outlet for this kind of stuff.


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## skywalkerbeth (Jul 19, 2007)

David - I'd love to hear more about your former career, offline of course. Were you a photographer, a journalist?


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## boothguy (Feb 1, 2007)

*And finally, nothing but car pics*

And finally.. for those of you who are here mainly for the car pictures, here's a selection.

For pure drama, there's nothing quite like that first glimpse of your very own car in a setting and angle you'll never get again: you're up high, it's on the turntable, and gleaming under the spotlights at the Welt.

Delivery Specialist Matheu makes the proper introductions. Sure wish I'd have gotten his card for later.

Before the gremlin attacked. The Zugspitze was shining almost as brightly as the car, and I still had my windblocker.

Against a colorful house in Italy's Garfagnana Valley. I could have worked the angles a little better to get the headrests out of the color conflict with the house, but I was worried about traffic rounding the blind corner you can't see in the pic and creaming me, so just grabbed this quick shot.

Hmm...can't seem to attach the other four pics. Let me try a separate post to see if that works...


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## boothguy (Feb 1, 2007)

*The last four car pics - or not..*

Gang:

No dice - can't attach the pics, sorry. Six tries, two re-boots, and I'm going to bed.


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## sevendown (Jun 5, 2007)

It sure is beautiful. 

Do you feel melancholy that it's not yours anymore? I wouldn't. You're getting a great deal, but I know some people who would be upset that the one they started with won't be the one they end up with. You'll have another break-in period, but that's the only draw back I can see (and that should be easier to handle here than there).


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## boothguy (Feb 1, 2007)

*Another try on the last four pics*

Trying once again on posting the last four car pics...

Here's the text that went with them:
The only decent picture with the top up: in front of the Hotel Miralago in Cernobbio, Italy, but unfortunately obscured by the planters. Couldn't back up to improve the angle because of the signage from the restaurant on whose patio I was standing. Top seams are not too much in evidence, and the grungy wheels are mercifully blocked from view.

Even though it was too cold, we stopped five minutes away from my favorite hotel, the Villa Marsili in Cortona, Italy, to put the top down and arrive in style. Forecourt of the hotel is even smaller than it seems in the pictures, so even with a 20mm lens, couldn't get back far enough to properly frame the front 3/4 shot.

We overlapped a day with our longtime friends the Kobys in Salzburg, who were just starting their own ED trip in their new 535i. This shot was after lunch at Schloss Fuschl. Jack will be taking his driver's test in a year or so, and I think I'll let him take it in this car, purely for Style Points.

SD: you're exactly right about the main drawback, but I filed it under "All For The Best".


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## mrd (May 12, 2008)

David - Here's a bump for your tremendous report. 

Thanks much for the PM regarding Lake Como vs Lake Garda. We've decided to do Como this time, Garda the next time. We'll be in some of your footsteps (similar 335 vert, Laimer Hof for a night - they couldn't accommodate us for two nights so we'll move to the Uhland for the second night in Munich), but hopefully we won't have to go through the frustrating mechanical issues you dealt with. 

I'm not a tech guy, don't own a laptop. When I travel for pleasure, I don't want to stay connected to my everyday life, and I typically "cut the cords" to e-mail, fax machines, etc. As a consequence you might as well notify the 12 hour rule cops now, 'cause I doubt I'll post anything until after I return to the US. (I'll be on back roads in Europe after leaving Munich, so I may be able to avoid or slip through any 12 hour rule police dragnet or road blockade! And, unless they're driving M's, I should be able to outrun them if I am spotted).


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

mrd said:


> so I may be able to avoid or slip through any 12 hour rule police dragnet or road blockade! And, unless they're driving M's, I should be able to outrun them if I am spotted


Not during the break-in period you won't.


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## boothguy (Feb 1, 2007)

The Laimer Hof! Cool! If you use Rolf for your airport pickup, he'll now know how to get there, having found it for the first time with us. Remember me to Simone at the front desk as "the American who had to go to the hospital because of the allergy attack". The staff there is really great. We also liked it because of its quiet, residential neighborhood setting, within a 5-minute walk of the beautiful grounds of the Nymphenburg Palace, and about a 15-minute walk to an 8,000-seat beer garden for that must-have beer/pretzel/schnitzel/spaetzel picture.

Interestiing strategy on cutting the technological cords. That must make it feel more like a real vacation. The way I escaped the 12-Hour Patrol was, knowing in advance I wouldn't have an Internet connection the night of delivery, I asked skywalkerbeth to post for both of us and she graciously agreed, thereby saving me the additional headache of having my car impounded.

Can't wait to read your trip report.


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## boothguy (Feb 1, 2007)

*Well THAT was a long nine-and-a-half weeks.*

Having had to wait thirteen months to do the ED trip in the first place and feeling pretty proud of having made it through the countdown to May 26 without obsessing over the approaching date, I actually thought the wait for redelivery would be a snap.

Wrong.

First week or so after our June 16th dropoff was occupied with hashing out the solution to the phantom transmission issue, how and when the solution was going to be applied, and so on. I wasn't really happy with the way things were going at the end of the trip and in the process of making my dissatisfaction known to BMW ED Munich, let BMW North America ED know as well. They stepped in, and stepped up in a most unexpected but satisfying way. Rather than just sort of hope the problem was going to go away, as had been the case with the local dealerships and BMW Support Engineering at the beginning of the trip, BMW ED in New Jersey made sure the problem was going to be solved for good and all. Period. Full stop. Amazing.

So then came the step of tracking the ship that the car was finally loaded onto. I didn't really want to get hooked into this whole vessel tracking activity in the first place, knowing it would only make the wait seem longer. But since I always look at the TV every Christmas Eve when the evening weatherperson puts up the silly "radar" screen with the cutout of Santa, sleigh and reindeer ping-ponging across it, I'm therefore exactly the kind of person who's going to get sucked into a "who's on the (fill in the vessel name)" thread.

So I finally determine that the car is on a vessel called the Alioth Leader, which sailed from Bremerhaven on July 10th . But it seems that this mammoth ship, which looks to be bigger than the town where I live, is as stealthy as an F-117A. No sign of it between the English Channel and San Diego. I know this because I checked 2-3 times per day. Arrrrgh!

So the ship finally put into Port Hueneme about eight days before my biggest road trip of the year ***8211; a thousand miles roundtrip to the big classic car weekend in Monterey, CA. "Think I'll have my car in time to drive it to Monterey?", I asked P. Kahn. "I think there's an excellent chance, since your car doesn't have to go through Customs," came the reply. Except not. Missed the trip, but the car actually showed up at my door on the back of a transporter (pic below left) a few days after I got back. Convenient, but sort of a cold re-delivery experience.

And just for pure symmetry, the first time I had the car on the local four-lane with the top up***8230;.... you guessed it ***8230;.... I've got the fluttering-buffeting syndrome between about 55 and 62 mph. Guh-reat. Now I get to get acquainted with ANOTHER dealer service department.

Since then, I've taken it on a long weekend road trip wine tasting in Paso Robles (pic below right) and have had lots of chances for some nice top-down motoring locally, thanks to a spell of great 'vert weather in September and October. So right now, I'm enjoying life with this car in the middle of it. Much more enjoyable than that _other_ car. Hmm. It's 31 ½ months till the lease'll be up and I can do another ED trip..


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