Audi 2011 Annual Report Download - page 32

Along for the ride
The road to happiness: The
Audi driving experience’s
Tuscany tour starts near
Munich. Following a brief
introduction, drivers take six
days to reach the charismatic
Crete Senesi landscape to the
south of Siena. Participants
drive Audi R8 Spyder cars to
destinations programmed
into their navigation systems.
Evenings are for comparing
notes in select hotels.
For more information on the
Audi driving experience, go to
www.audi.com/driving –
just a click away!
but I’m glad you weren’t there. It
was pure driving. Those hills and
winding roads in Tuscany are the
perfect terrain, and Italy is the
perfect country for an outing like
that; the people there are crazy about
this “bella macchina.”
Oh, S., I know there is so much you
would like to ask me: which hotel
I stayed in, which restaurant I had
lunch in, where I shopped for wine.
I’m afraid my answers will come as
a disappointment. Yes, I did get to
see a nice hotel in Siena, but I didn’t
fi nd out much about it because I
was eager to start out early. Yes, I
did eat, but mostly simple dishes
of pasta because I was in a hurry.
Yes, I did buy some wine, a bottle of
Brunello. But to be honest, I didn’t
taste it because I made a point of
keeping a clear head.
So what did I take home with me?
A bruise on the hip from the seat
belt buckle. I found out soon enough
that it does take some dexterity to
fi t into those tight bucket seats in
a low-slung sports car. And a new
love for this countryside, with its
roads that wind across hills like
roller coasters. I kicked up dust from
unpaved tracks, the strade bianche.
I felt the wind in my hair and I heard
the crackling that rises with the heat
from the engine after a few miles
while I discussed the pros and cons
of German versus Italian sports cars
with a café owner over an espresso.
It may sound strange to you, but the
Spyder made me see this countryside
in a new light. Oh, S., you called it a
midlife crisis when you fi rst saw me
with the brochure, and I was afraid
you were right. But now I know it
was a journey to savor. You warned
me I shouldn’t even think of buying
such a “monster.” But don’t worry.
I don’t think a supercar belongs in
a big city. It needs to roam free.
And that’s why I’m going to take the
Spyder to Tuscany again as soon
as I can.
And how about fl ying to Siena in
spring – just the two of us? There’s a
very nice hotel there that I’d like to
try out with you.
Experience _ 29
PHOTOS | TOM SÓLO/FRÖHLICH MANAGEMENT
Longing for the south: charismatic landscape
with cypresses, hills and sunset.
Girlan
Telfs
Gargnano
Verona
Monte-
follonico
Siena
Barberino
di Mugello
GERMANY
ITALY
AUSTRIA
SWITZER-
LAND
The Audi driving experience and
the R8 GT Spyder: Enjoy an
unforgettable tour of Tuscany.
Munich
Much love, D.