Normally we live in north-western Tuscany in almost serene silence, with only the birds and an occasional barking dog to break the quiet. Oh, and maybe a chainsaw off in the distance of the forest. But, one weekend each year our reverie is interrupted by the revving of engines as the drivers of the Ciocco Rally get to know the road.
Every year my husband playfully threatens to take out his chainsaw and fall a few trees across our road to prevent the road race known as The Ciocco Rally from coming through and destroying his peace yet again, not to mention what it does to our already beat up road.
We live in a mountainous area of Tuscany known for narrow winding roads and ours is particularly daunting in that it is marked “non-collaudata” in other words: pass at your own risk.
There is really nothing wrong with our road, it isn’t any narrower or more winding than the surrounding roads, it’s just pretty beat up, and owing to it’s non-collaudata status it is the orphan of the neighboring byways. It is actually a very busy road since there is a thriving community back here and we all pass through going to and from the nearby towns for work, shopping, the hospital, etc. We have to make the round trip twice a day during the school year to take our 5 year old to the bus stop because the school buses are not authorised to use it. We’ve talked to the Mayor, we’ve written letters for better road maintenance, all to no avail.
Every year, however, in March, the road is cleaned to within an inch of its life and put on the map of the Ciocco Rally. The Comune says they don’t repair the road then because the Rally drivers actually like the thrill of the uneven pavement, hairpin turns, precipitous drop-offs and the challenge of the bumps and potholes. We, the residents, don’t count I guess.
Il Ciocco is a Hotel/Resort/Conference Center at Castelvecchio, in the Garfagnana the mountainous north-western corner of Tuscany. They sponsor elaborate sporting events and boast extensive sports and conference facilities, Pool, 8 Tennis Courts, Indoor and Outdoor Horseback-Riding Rings and Trails, Regulation Soccer Field/stadium, Gym, Sauna, etc. It is helicopter accessible and offers a private helicopter service, as well as shuttle bus and taxi service.
The two most recent events were the Motocross Races, and a Circuit Rally where for about 1000 Euro you got an all-equiped rally vehicle, luxury accommodations in beautiful surroundings and elegant multi-course gourmet meals for the weekend.
In an effort to better our quality of life here, and have a little peace of mind, we’ll continue to press for road maintenance, and an end to this noisy revelry, but until we succeed, the Rally will continue to thrill the back roads racing enthusiasts.
|
|
