# A Summer Tale of Two Bimmers



## DSXMachina (Dec 20, 2007)

Eagerly awaiting your very detailed and photo documented trip to Der 'Ring! Buy the 9 trip ticket and go slow on the first few while you get used to all the things you weren't aware of. Like how it seems you go as far up and down as forward.
Oh, be sure to stop at Sabine's store and pick up a nifty little sticker for your stern. See my avatar for a serving suggestion.


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

After the car was serviced, we looked at the sky and decided to skip Lindau altogether, it was raining buckets. So while driving on the Autobahn towards Stuttgart, I came up with this beautiful change of plans - why don't we stop at the Porsche Museum, since we need an indoor activity for the little one, plus we might enjoy it too.

Plan approved and new destination entered into the Nuvi, we were soon parking underground the beautiful Porsche Museum. It's a slick modern building, all angular in complete opposition to their sensual car shapes. I wanted to do a burn-out in the parking garage but mrs. adc thought it wouldn't be good form. Other than that, nobody batted an eye at an M car visiting their arch-rivals hometown.

I'll let the pictures do most of the talking, but the museum was fascinating and I would recommend it as must-see stop for all car nuts. Very enlightening for me were the several modern 911's slliced up for all to see how they are built. Only after seeing the compact engine down low in the chassis did it become apparent to me how they could keep the weight down over the years.


After seeing all these racecars it was impossible not to stop for a small toy at the shop, after which we set off towards Triberg. We arrived relatively late and were pretty tired so decided to eat early, go for a walk and then retire early. We had a wonderful dinner at the (fill in the blank) restaurant and I probably fell asleep on the way back to the hotel, because I cannot remember anything else.


Next day - the big one, the Ring experience.

We arrived later than anticipated (I sense a trend forming) but it turned out it didn't matter. There was a race in the morning and the public session opened late, around 4:30PM. After the initial feeding frenzy at the gates subsided, I went out for an exploratory lap which turned out really well. Those many late night sessions on GT4 were defintely worth something, as I could remember most of the circuit by now. Of course, nothing can prepare you for the sheer size, elevation changes and brutality of the real thing. The M3 in Sport/Power mode on the Ring is absolutely amazing - I did not come even close to maxing it out, meaning this is a machine that without being intimidating, will reveal its secrets in time and hopefully provide many years of interesting ownership.

I only managed to put in 4 laps (Ring was closed 1 hour for an accident) and in the last one, anticipating an early closure (by 7:09PM the gates were closed), I decided to take mrs adc and my son for their first Ring outing. My son whoopped and hollered the entire lap. Mrs. adc valiantly tried to film something, but thenn gave up and held on for dear life. This was her first outing on a track driven at moderately high speed, so after some 6-7 minutes she was ready to call it quits. Of course, the Ring doesn't have any exits... 

After the Ring, we stopped for the glamour shots in front of the BMW M Center in Nurburg - and the official Fahrer Training M3 coupes in full M livery slowly drove by, smiling at the silly guy taking a picture of his car. 

To end this day, I could not see anything more fit than to stop at the Pistenklause, where we had a wonderful dinner - good food, good service, reasonable prices and cool ambience.


Next stop, Barcelona. (Written in the car, while mrs. adc is taking us at a good clip across France).


1. Triberg center
2. View from our room
3. Impossibly scenic view
3. Our restaurant
4. Painted ceiling
5. Interior


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

1. Ready to rumble
2. One down, three to go
3. I'll have one more of those, thank you
4. And another one, thanks
5. The entire family earned their Ring wings
6. In front of the M Center in Nurburg


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

7. When driving by, the car said it wanted to park at the Pistenklause, so we obliged
8. Interior ambience at the Pistenklause
9. Done for the day, car is resting at the Wilhelmshohe
10. And a perfect ending to a busy day, a crisp lager in the cool Eifel evening


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

Porsche Museum, details

We're all car enthusiast here and since other members have posted amazing pics from the BMW Museum (which I didn't get to see), I thought I'd do something different and post something from the arch rival's collection.

Here are some detail shots.

1. Original handbeaten prototype body
2. Door detail
3. Elegant Spider headlight
4. Road racer 356 detail
5. 935 wheel aero
6. Toy-like regalia on this spider


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

7. RX8, eat your heart out
8. From humble beginnings


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

Interesting collection of aero tails.


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

Menacing collection of snouts.


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

And finally a collection of backs. 

And our final meal today, after 12 hours in the car. We absolutely loved the M3 as an transcontinental express. A flex of the right foot, a flick of the wrist is all it takes - and comfortable too with the EDC set in the right mode.

That's it for now, good night.


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

Oops, almost forgot... Courtesy of mrs. adc, some Ring delicatessen for you to enjoy.


And one more story to share - there were 2 cars of young French gearheads (modified E30 325i's) there. They ran all day but at the end one of their cars wouldn't start anymore - so out of nostalgy for the E30 I have at home (and the miriad of problems it displays), I helped push it out of the secured parking lot before it close, so they could have it looked at the next morning. Worked a good appetite.

1. Assorted line at the entrance
2. The silver GTR and it's black brother both passed me on the Ring and they were *freakishly* fast. Absolutely mind-bending.
3. Blue rivals.
4. Close cousins.
5. Trackday weapon.
6. Oldie but goodie.


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## boothguy (Feb 1, 2007)

Great addition to the report, ADC - brought back some very fond memories of the circuit, the hotel, the surroundings and the beer. If your brakes weren't smoking and stinking when you pulled back into the parking lot, you weren't trying hard enough. Keep 'em coming!


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

boothguy said:


> Great addition to the report, ADC - brought back some very fond memories of the circuit, the hotel, the surroundings and the beer. If your brakes weren't smoking and stinking when you pulled back into the parking lot, you weren't trying hard enough. Keep 'em coming!


Driving stories, OK, I have a few...

Ah yeah - mrs. adc may have noticed a few times a bad smell coming from under the car, but I explained that was just the cosmoline wearing off.

Actually the brakes were fine on the Ring, but started to grumble and fade when I was chasing down a sportsbike on the Fluella descent. All day long, bikes had been just obstacle cones that I had to be careful not to scare into toppling , but this guy... I don't know what bike it was (screaming yellow, does that help?), but he was very good, and very brave.

I always had him in the hairpins but he would always catch up on the straights - I also wasn't revving higher that 5500-6000, but I doubt it would have helped. So after a few kms where he played the game dutyfully, I let him pass, he thanked me and I could only just keep up until he passed 2 cars in one swift move. Took me 2 minutes to pass those cars...

Forgot to mention that on the Jaufen ascent, I had an S5 who was trying... let's just say that tight hairpins are even less his domain than the M3's. And on the really bumpy sections, with the EDC in the softest mode, I could pull away cleanly every time. Even respecting the break-in recommendations.

I also had an encounter with a Quattroporte on the Autobahn - he wanted to play and I was more than ready to oblige (break-in completed by that time). Without downshifting, he was closing. After I downshifted into 4th, I was pulling away convincingly. He was a nice guy - and we swapped leads a few times over the next 50kms or so. Beautiful car, and with the aftermarket exhaust he had, amazing sounding too...

And lest you guys think I'm boasting, I ate some pretty bitter tasting humble pie. A small red Opel hatchback was keeping up with me - he was actually faster in the tight stuff but if so, what's the point in passing him on the straights? I'd like to think he had sticky rubber and some fancy suspension under that unassuming econobox shell, but the truth is he was a much better driver than me and clearly knew the circuit. With some more Ring experience I'm sure I would have dispatched him relative ease, but on that day he reminded me vividly that it's the driver, not the car, that matters most.

And on this note, I'm leaving now, going to explore Barcelona...


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## Hummer (Mar 4, 2009)

*Congrats*

Great looking pics, brings back great memories!:thumbup:


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## boothguy (Feb 1, 2007)

Thanks for the on-going narration - very enjoyable. 

It's definitely easy to get carried away on the mountain pass roads or the Nordschliefe, but the penalty for a mistake in either place can be very costly. Glad you had fun but that everyone kept it shiny-side-up. It's also instructive to be shown up by someone with a seemingly "lesser" car, but with lots of experience on the piece of road you're dicing on, and some skills honed by that experience. Can be pretty humbling, for sure. And of course, if this all happened in Italy, you'd look over just as the other guy was overtaking and discover the driver steering with one hand and talking on the ever-present cell phone at the same time.

Looking forward to more words and pics!


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

boothguy said:


> And of course, if this all happened in Italy, you'd look over just as the other guy was overtaking and discover the driver steering with one hand and talking on the ever-present cell phone at the same time.


Pretty close - the Maser guy was smoking a cigar, enjoying the good life. :thumbup:

I just came back from exploring Barcelona,, where we didn't cover as much ground as we had planned. Travelling with 3 kids tends to do that to your plans... anyway, I only have a few pics to show for.

1. Kids are having some fun
2. Cool building along Las Rambla
3 - 4. Details on the building
5. Typical busy Ramblas scene


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

7. Detail at the Sagrada Familia (we arrived after closing)
8. Side details at the cathedral


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

I hope you're hungry, because we stopped at the La Boqueria market.
9. here comes the jamon
10. and candied fruit
11. more meats
12. freshly packaged fruit
13. nuts
14. more nuts


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

15. various eggs
16. and finally mushrooms
17. Fisherman's paella at dinner, to end the report for today.

Good night...


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## IrvRobinson (May 10, 2006)

Great writeup and photos as usual,can't wait to read/see the rest ! Enjoy your journey !


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## ucdbiendog (Nov 19, 2007)

wow I really enjoyed your writeup. you took some pretty amazing shots while you were in the alps!


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

*Ronda*

We're on our way to Ronda now and the sun takes no pity on the landscape. A casual glance at the temp gauge reveals 43 Celsius outside, so I put my hand out through the window and encounter hot soup. Now the whole car is hot.

We try to gas and eat in a small town just a few km off the highway - only to encounter a ghost town. Everything is closed and the two heat-stifled pedestrian we encouter are the only signs of life. Back to the higway, hoping to find a more cheerful place.

I'm receiving a bunch of half-hearted challenges from various cars on the highway, but we're here just to swallow miles. Averaging 18.3 mpg over the past 3000km.

Ah, finally Ronda. After the bleached and tortured landscape we've driven through for the past several hours, the crisp coolness of its white walls is almost shocking - and shockingly beautiful too.

Our hotel, en Frente Arte, is a very unique place. You learn to navigate its many passages, stairs, shortcuts and byways the way you do on a track - a bunch of kids who've been here for a few days are working it like pros. As I've said before, it's all about the driver.

It's colorful here, with eclectic decorations and a completely unique feel to each room. There's something for everyone (check out the pictures), but one of the most outstanding features is the 24h free drinks bar, featuring a beer tap, three types of sherry barrels and numerous wines. For breakfast, we're treated to quail eggs with bacon, a variety of cold cuts, made to order crepes, pastries, you name it. Together with the free wifi it makes for a very good travel deal - I for one would not hesitate to come back.

We head out for dinner just as the sun paints the lanscape in soft purples and oranges and end up at a very good restaurant in the middle of a placa where our children can make sure we won't be welcomed back anytime soon. But our table has an amazing view of the city walls on one side and the open plaza on the other, the food is delicious and the company pleasant. Life is good.

Back at the hotel, I pour myself a generous portion of olorosa sherry and head out towards the secluded patio at the end of the property. With a starry sky above, some dogs barking in the distance and not another event in the cool evening, all is well with the world.

Good night, bimmerfesters (written last night, posted today).

1. It's getting a little hot out there on the arid plain. Oil temp higher than Nurburgring (230) despite moderate cruising speed.
2. Heading towards one of the many tunnels.
3. Arid landscape
4. Dead Andalusian little town - siesta time
5. And more arid landscape
6. Waiting patiently under the fierce sun


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

7. Our room at Enfrente Arte
8. Funky stairway
9. Reception area
10. Self-serve area. 24h free drinks, I feel my vacation has truly started.
11. Breakfast area
12. Zen garden with huge fishtank


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

13. Nik, an avid fishtank enthusiast, is checking the works
14. Game room
15. Barbecue area
16. Quiet terrace with a view. I like to take my sherry here.
17. Vespa at the end of its life, bamboo garden in the background
18. This way to the pool


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

19. Swimming pool - small but refreshing
20. Through an open gate, you can barely make out the horses grazing on the hill
21. Ramparts of Ronda
22. Gorge
23. Gate after the old bridge
24. Rooftop view


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

25. White Andalusian town
26. Orange trees basking in the warm evening glow
27. Tropical flower garden in plaza
28. With the last rays of the sun hitting it just so, a church glows in the background
29. Amazing hued hills at dusk
30. Flowery bush vivid


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

31. Sunset
32. Evening scene
33. Too crowded, let's try someplace else
34 - 35. Views of the city walls early in the evening
36. Kids roam free in this huge fountained plaza


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

37 - 39 Views of the city walls later in the evening
40. On tonight's menu, hearty and savory Gazpacho.


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## boothguy (Feb 1, 2007)

Very nice continuing report. Is it just me does this _Spain_ place seem to be unpopulated?

Oops - apparently as I was posting my smart a** remark, some pics popped up with people in them. I take it all back.


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

boothguy said:


> Very nice continuing report. Is it just me does this _Spain_ place seem to be unpopulated?
> 
> Oops - apparently as I was mosting my smart a** remark, some pics popped up with people in them. I take it all back.


Eh, the plains we drove through had various industrial buildings every now and then but where pretty empty otherwise. Then in the small towns like Ronda if you wait out until the daily crowds leave in the evening, it can be pretty quiet.

All this said, if in some of my pictures you don't see many people, it's because I wanted to catch the place alone. Sometimes this requires a lot of patience, timing or just good luck.

Anyway, where there are people, this Spain place is a fairly lively place.


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## DXK (Jun 1, 2007)

It's mostly empty because most people are over at Marbella, Malaga and the likes this time of the year about 50 miles away, I am not sure why OP is not there?


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## 3series101 (Oct 5, 2006)

Nice report and a Great car...:thumbup:


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## JimD1 (Jun 5, 2009)

Are you and NickD traveling together? If so, can you offer any comments on the 128i vert ability to stay with the M3 on the road? I drive a 128i vert with SP. I've ridden in a M3 and I know it is a lot faster and in any situation where hp is the deciding factor the M3 will win big. But if you are going up or down a mountain and handling is more the issue, is the difference huge? Does the M3 have to stop for the 128i to catch up or can they stay together?

Jim


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

JimD1 said:


> Are you and NickD traveling together? If so, can you offer any comments on the 128i vert ability to stay with the M3 on the road? I drive a 128i vert with SP. I've ridden in a M3 and I know it is a lot faster and in any situation where hp is the deciding factor the M3 will win big. But if you are going up or down a mountain and handling is more the issue, is the difference huge? Does the M3 have to stop for the 128i to catch up or can they stay together?
> 
> Jim


NikD and I are indeed traveling together.

While the tire footprint-to-weight ratio of the 2 cars must be similar, the 128i is hampered by a softer suspension (at least compared to the EDC in hard setting) and by the runflats. So in steady state cornering at sane speeds it can keep up very well.

But when I do get on the M, they are not even on the same planet. Passing cars in the M is simply an exercise in self restraint, there is no planning needed and the responses (in M Power mode and EDC hard) are ferocious. I haven't driven the vert yet - but plan to - so I cannnot comment on the understeer. The M has very little of it, it basically turns where you point it and I'm still learning to trust it and not adjust my driving style for the eventual onset of understeer. On top of that, I haven't even scratched the surface when it comes to sheer grip, it's very hard to do that on the streets.

With equal drivers, driven at full tilt, few cars will keep with the M. Driven responsibly - and even spiritedly - the 128i vert is more than capable of holding its own.

And to someone else's comment - I enjoyed the hill towns immensely. That said, tomorrow we're going to Roquetas de Mar (avoiding some of the more obvious crowded places). Having kids around definitely alters ones vacation plans.

I hope to be able to post more pics tomorrow. Right now after some delicious sherry I'm ready for bed...


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## dalekressin (Sep 3, 2008)

adc said:


> Porsche Museum, details
> 
> We're all car enthusiast here and since other members have posted amazing pics from the BMW Museum (which I didn't get to see), I thought I'd do something different and post something from the arch rival's collection.
> 
> ...


Wow, and you are waiting on an 09 M3 too? Gotta have a P car to tour too right?


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## SJAPoc (Apr 14, 2007)

Great pictures!!! :thumbup:


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

Ronda, by day

What can I say, Ronda stole my heart.

With its twisting narrow streets going this way and that, entrance doors enticingly left ajar so you can peek inside, animated locals chatting the days ennuy away, all under a hot hard sun that will make you seek the most twisted path just to keep in the shade. Yep, I love it all - and should the stars align the right way, I'll be back someday.

After a few hours of exploration the only thing I could still do was crawl to out funky hotel and take a dip in the pool. Then have a few beers. Then dip again - you get the idea...

1. Don't back up that car
2. Old 2CV at home in old Ronda
3 - 6. Ronda gorge and new bridge


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

7. Gorge
8. Through the door, the hallway and the terrace you can glimpse the gorge beyond
9. Typical house entrance
10. House through tropical flowers
11. Local deli
12. Local restaurant


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

13. Arena entrance
14. Through the merciless sun, an old gentleman slowly makes his way home


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

The road through Grazalema

In the evening, we set out to explore by car and catch dinner in a neighboring hill town, Arcos de la Frontera. Only some 60km away said the map, less than an hour said our host.

So why not take the scenic way then, that goes through Grazalema, and perhaps see Zahara too? Here's why: we arrived in Arcos just in time to eat dinner, and then come back. And no, there was no time to see Zahara.

But what a road! What views! Had we not witnessed the majesty of those views, the different vegetation and colors, the other small townd splattered with white on the hill sides, we would have forever thought of Andalusia as parched earth, in various shades of baked.

And we would have not driven that magic road, at sunset, in the cool and fragrant air. Yep, it was all worth it, not really seeing Arcos...

1. Cleaned up and fueled, ready for action
2 - 3. Action on these narrow roads
4. In front of a white house
5 - 6. Views of Grazalema, enchanting hill town


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

7. At the top of the world in Sierra Grazalema, you can see for miles and miles of amazing mountainous terrain
8. King of the world, for a few pecious moments. Then a little Fiat passed us.
9 - 11. Into the sunset, pressing on towards Arcos de la Frontera


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

Granada, monument to the art of stone carving

From Ronda, we regretfully left our hotel (I get a feeling the best one on our trip) and headed towards Roquetas de Mar, near Almeria.

On the way, we stopped to see the Alhambra. (In the high heat of the day, naturally). It was definitely hot but with good food/water management we did ok, kids included. They had a blast walking all the twisted paths of the palace and seeing the wonderful inner gardens, ponds and views.

Perhaps I read it, and must have soon forgotten it - I don't know exactly how long it took the artisans to carve all the walls in the palace - but I do know it was a very long time. The patience and precision required are truly a thing to behold. If this palace was bult to delight and impress, it was a total success.

It's tough to get ensemble views unless you know the surrounding hills or have the use of a helicopter - so I brought you more detail shots, little nuggets of whatever caught my eye.

If you ever do find your way to southern Spain, don't miss the Alhambra. It's all it's cracked up to be, and more.


1. Through a topiary arrangement
2. Inner court
3 - 4. Amazing wood inlay ceilings. Few people ever gaze up...
5. Incredible sculptured arch and ceiling
6. Glazed tile and stone carving detail. The carvings cover many walls and must have taken decades - or centuries - to complete. It just boggles the mind.


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

7. Water courtyard
8. Walls and ceiling detail
9. The families are resting - it's very hot
10 - 11. Two sides of the same portico
12. Centuries old tile


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

13. Tile detail
14. Inner garden through an arch
15. A place to rest and view the garden
16. Through a wall, and then another, and then another...
17. Stone floor detail
18. View into Granada


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

19 - 22. Peaceful outer gardens
23. Tree and wall inextricably linked in time

Going to bed, hope to post some more in the coming days...


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## boothguy (Feb 1, 2007)

I'm liking the ongoing report, even if I still don't get the attraction of Spain. How come we haven't heard from your companion or even seen him in the pics? Drive off a cliff somewhere?


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

boothguy said:


> I'm liking the ongoing report, even if I still don't get the attraction of Spain. How come we haven't heard from your companion or even seen him in the pics? Drive off a cliff somewhere?


Ouch, that hurt.

The main reason why you haven't heard from Nik more is that I'm the only one with a laptop and only one child. Anyone who tries to post a running commentry during their ED can attest to how challenging it can sometimes be - during the day we are with our families and can only post at strange hours in the night after everyone went to bed, or in the morning before they woke up. If it weren't for mrs. adc lending me a helping hand with our child duties, I'd never would have been able to post this far.

With 2 kids, it's harder still. Anyway, looking back at the posts I realized I haven't posted many pictures of us - so the next ones will attempt to rectify this in a small measure, by answering the question: what have NikD, his family and adc's family been up to during this trip?

1. Nick signing the paperwork
2. Then it's my turn
3. Enjoying a fruit salad before pickup
4. Kids checking out the vert
5. Gazing
6. No, we didn't order beer for the kids


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

7. I told Nick the custom is bottoms-up for the first one (he didn't buy it)
8. Taking a picture of the kids taking a picture
9. Examining a strange tree with cotton-like flowers/fruit
10. Enjoying a cold glass of Sangria in Barcelona
11. In front of Casa Milla
12. Boys have discovered the subway car articulation


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

13. NikD having his morning therapy at our hotel in Barcelona
14. Enjoying a good meal in a beautiful setting in Ronda
15. Resting in the Alhambra
16. Posing - the forbidding stance is hard to muster in that heat
17. Families together in the gardens at Alhambra


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

boothguy said:


> I'm liking the ongoing report, even if I still don't get the attraction of Spain.


Have you been to Spain? Prior to coming here, I probably would have thought similarly - what would you want with a hot, dusty, huge are of land populated by complicated people?

All of my preconceptions have been shattered - well except the heat and dusty part. If you don't like hot weather, Spain will not work for you.

But coming here I've discovered that under that thin veneer of odl fashioned courtesy, the Spaniards are warm, welcoming and fun - every single one I have met. Despite not knowing the language, I've never had problems communicating, joking and have always felt quite at home everywhere I went.

I'll use the most recent example - just last night after spotting some camouflaged SUV's from Germany in our parking lot, I went to check them out and met with a guy and his wife. In a mix of 3 different languges we hypothesized about the SUV models, he complimented the M, I explained about the Euro Delivery process, we discussed the car market in Europe and the US, told about our likes and dislikes when travelling, etc.

That to me is the salt and spice of travelling. And Spain delivers in spades.

In terms of landscaping, I guess it's the contrast between the arid plains and your final destinations which usually aren'y arid, the whiteness of the houses in the Andalusian villages contrasted with the brown earth tones, the simply marvelous architecture of Barcelona...

When you superimpose your visit with a little historical knowledge about the place, it just enhances the experience, at least for me - and Spain has lots of history to account for. Then there's the food, absolutely wonderful. Yes, there are plenty of things to like about Spain.

_Edit:_ Thinking about it some more, your question is extremely valid - about any country we visit. Why go there, wandering lust aside? In a couple of days after our ED experience is over, I'll have time to organize my thoughts and post what I liked and disliked about my trip. Stay tuned...

On this note, I'll post a few pictures from Tortosa, where we stayed at the wonderful Parador - and for incredibly reasonable prices.

1. Leaving our hotel in Roquetas de Mar
2. Half panoramic view from the Parador at Tortosa 
3. ... and the other half
4. NikD in the parking lot. We discovered someone had absconded with his radio antena (plus one of his valve stem caps and 2 of mine).
5. Interior at the Parador
6. Bar area


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

7. Our room
8. I'm demonstrating some fine swimming techniques to my son
9. Amazing setting for the pool, and just the thing to do after a 5 hour drive
10. This way down the hill
11. Secret prototypes caught testing. No, I don't know what they were but my guess, based on the long front overhangs and rounded shapes, is something from the VAG group. Nik thought they were BMW's.
12. Parador at night


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

13 - 14. Views from the ramparts at night. The big building at the forefront is the church.


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

Signing off on my european adventure tonight, from Nice. Today on the highway from Avignon to Nice at a rest area, we found another bimmerfester that I had met at the Welt - his was a 335i MSport. Is this a small world, or what?

Sorry no pictures this time, I'm tired and need to wake up at 5AM. I promise to post the rest of the pics when I get home.

What a trip...


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## SJAPoc (Apr 14, 2007)

Thank you for sharing your wonderful adventure and fabulous pictures! A great report :thumbup:


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

I am still in the process of loading/sorting through the photos, but after a little search I was able to find (and purchase) a photo of me on the Ring. (Thanks, chaz58, for your Ring compilation!).

I was having major fun at the time, I only wish it lasted longer...


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## Wingboot (Jan 8, 2002)

Great trip report, thanks for sharing!


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## skywalkerbeth (Jul 19, 2007)

boothguy said:


> Great start for you both. Please keep the pics and description comng. Will the two families be traveling in tandem, at least for a while? I definitely think having someone else there, even for the delivery portion, enhances the whole ED experience greatly (thank you, skywalkerbeth).


And thanks to you too, David, it was a lot of fun - especially the bottle of wine on the shores of Lake Como!


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

When I got home on Saturday, I found my E30 had decided to shed all its power steering fluid in the driveway, so it was time to replace the steering rack. This welcome home activity set lasted until Friday, so I'm a little behind with my picture downloading and organizing.

I was only able to quickly put together a few more pictures, please excuse the rush and quality. But before that, I wanted to add a few comments about our final legs of the trip.

Where did I leave off? 

I think it was at the Parador of Tortosa, outstandingly renovated and perched high on its hilltop with magnificent views of the Ebro valley below. We arrived late around 6PM and one of the first things we did after checking in, was to take a dip in the pool, sit back, relax and enjoy the views. We had dinner in the Parador restaurant where they had a special anniversary menu (of all Paradors) – five cold tapas and four hot tapas, followed by our choice of main dish and desert. All very elegantly presented by serving staff dressed in traditional local dress and very fitted to our surroundings. Our evening ended with some sherry, slowly savored on the room terrace.

This is also where the mysterious SUVs arrived – and had the wine been less entertaining I probably could have scored a journalistic coup by waking up early in the morning and shooting them through the long lens. As it was, I woke up late and took it easy – sorry bimmerfesters.


It was our second best hotel on this trip, only superseded in our affections by en Frente Arte in Ronda. But as with the one in Ronda, we would not hesitate to come back.


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

*Provence*

I must confess that even before going to Provence two years ago, it was already one of my favorite places. =)

All the books I'd read, the paintings I'd seen, the cuisine I had distantly sampled - had painted a promising picture that the actual experience only enhanced and expanded upon.

So it was with a sense of relative familiarity tinged with expectation that we made our way to the Luberon region in the heart of Provence. We stayed at a casual B&B in Rousillon, postcard-perfect village sitting on top of some amazing ochre cliffs. Our hotel, aptly named Les Sables d'Ocre, was efficiently and friendly run by Ludovic and provided us with basic rooms, a nice breakfast, perfectly manicured lawn & pool dotted with mysterious giant plastic orbs that changed colors at night and provided endless fascination to our children.

We came here simply to relax, eat some good hearty food and get ready for the Nice drop off and the long flight home to follow. While Rousillon can be quite busy during the day when hordes of day-trippers come to experience the cliffs and cozy village, at night it is a much quieter affair with clear skies, cool air, wonderful restaurants and a good natured demeanor that is so typical of Provence.

The next day we went for a hike to let the kids blow out some steam, but not before experiencing the local (and relatively small) Provencale market. We bought some amazing tasting fruit - to my surprise we were able to find a special type of tiny wild strawberries that I had only experienced before in Romania. Let me tell you, you haven't known berries until you've tried the delicious fraise de bois (or fragi in Romanian), preferably (but not necessarily) with cream. After the hike we managed to score some freshly baked pizza which we ate on a bench watching all the market artisans close shop and pack up in their white Renault vans. To end our light meal, we went for gelatos - they have some unusual flavors here such as lavender and I think something with thyme.

With the sun high up in the sky we decided to head back to the hotel for a refreshing dip in the pool. Which gave Nick and me the idea that perhaps our cars would also enjoy a little TLC, so we headed into the nearest big town to look for a carwash. We managed to gas and wash relatively quickly (high pressure no touch of course), after which we decided to swap cars on the way back to the hotel - the first time we had done that in this trip.

It was my first time driving a 128i and in convertible format - and I came away impressed with it. It has a grunty engine that doesn't loose fizz in the upper rev range despite the strong mid/low range, better steering effort than the M3 (yes, not a typo) and a good blend of sportiness and comfort in the suspension settings. I also noticed that, similar to the 135i, it rides much better on the runflats than my 2007 335i. The following day we briefly swapped cars again but this time I drove it with the top down and loved it even more. Yes it did have some extra heaviness at the rear and a strange little corkscrewing motion on really tight corners, but the basic handling was good, it didn't seem to suffer from any undue understeer (on an admittedly short drive) and again the engine impressed, this time not only with its willingness but also with the sporty exhaust note. It seemed to me to be correctly packaged and well balanced and if you hustle it you can cover ground very quickly, at least on public roads. The biggest fan of the car was without a doubt my son. The only problem is, my wife now wants one&#8230;

So what did NickD think of the M3? I think I'll let him answer that but it's fair to assume it made some sort of impression.


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

*Nice, then home*

Our all too short sejour Provencal was rapidly coming to an end so the next day we started driving towards our last European destination ***8211; Nice. We would drop the families at the hotel, then drop the cars and head out for a stroll afterwards.

Driving towards Nice I was able to run with an F430 for a short while, to top out my car at 160 on a completely empty stretch of 3 lane road, and to meet at a rest area with another bimmer guy (and bimmerfest member?) who had taken delivery the same day as us but had 5 more days on his vacation. I mean, is this a small world or what??? I spotted his Space Grey E90 335i MSport from far away and found him very easily in the restaurant (requisite BMW hat helped). After a short chat, we went our separate ways.

What can I tell you about Nice? Well, from a driving perspective it was almost as bad as Florence, with tight lanes, confusing exits and lanes, aggressive drivers and lots of traffic. Architecturally the Promenade des Anglais and old town are beautiful, and it was fun to watch the people going about their evening stroll. We managed to drop off the cars with a little time to spare, noting the various battle scars and hitching a cab ride to the hotel.

Battle scars? Oops yes, I forgot to tell about those. Well on my car, there was that time I parallel-parked in Triberg and had a disagreement with the sharp granite curb (wheel and front bumper). On NikD***8217;s car, someone stole his radio antenna and then the idiot with the blue bimmer in front ran over a heavy piece of rubber which then ended up denting his hood. And on both our cars, someone stole some of our valve stem caps.

So cars safely in the hands of TT Car Transit, we decided to reward ourselves with beers and the children with gelatos. We then walked around, did a little shopping, checked out the merry go round and finally ended up eating dinner at one of the innumerable pizzerias on Rue Masena ***8211;with our hotel conveniently located on the same street.

After dinner we walked about the Promenade a little, dipped out feet in the clear cool water and turned in for the night. And that was pretty much the end of our European adventure, unless you think the Zurich airport has some special appeal. 

I***8217;m now in the initial stages of severe M3 withdrawal, my 325i finally has a functional steering rack (I think) and I***8217;m done driving my friend***8217;s Buick Century Limited. The higher we soar, the harder we fall***8230;


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## adc (Apr 1, 2003)

And now, for the pictures...

1. San Fancisco loved orange, Spain stick with their blues for bridge paint
2. Convertible moment
3. Evening paints the ochre cliffs in unearthly tones, while people enjoy a nearby cafe
4. Hmmm, a wine store... should we step in?
5 - 6. Cool colored orbs in our hotel garden


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