The best way to celebrate 2000? A trip around the world in 80 days in a race with historic cars. How can you resist such a proposal? We said yes right away and found formidable sponsors: Esso would have provided a third of the budget, the same RaiSat Boys if we had brought back television material for a miniseries. The Flavia coupe "Vagabunda" after an English definitive repair to the electrical system, returned to the garage of the magician Feliciani. Three months to make the circumnavigation of the Earth and race with a bevy of fierce competitors. In our category (classic sports) we had the smallest engine, but we knew that Flavia would be well-defended thanks to disc brakes and front-wheel drive. We stopped as usual in Recco, where "o Vittorio", the owner of the restaurant, came to greet us and wondered: "But go to London with this car?" We had difficulty to explain that we would start in London a long race 33 thousand kilometers long. We gave him an appointment for the return ... We first parked Vagabunda, for a few hours in Berkley Square. The in the garage of a five-star hotel. We paid in London the same amount as an individual parking, in Rome, for an entire month. Meeting with Ciriminna from Palermo and his Fiat 1100 B convertible '48, then we all had dinner with the ambassador in the home of Mario Fridegotto, the representative of the Italian delegation in London. Cheers, Greetings! Everything is ready, the night before the scrutineering we slept like the Prince of Condé on the eve of the battle of Rocroi. Together with Ciriminna we went knocking at number 104 of Pall Mall, home of the Reform Club. We bet a pound.We will return to collect the win - such as Phileas Fogg in Jules Verne - after 80 days.
