Lancia Christmas Run 4th December Story
A surprisingly hot day in Melbourne with the mercury touching 35 degrees caused a few sticky backs against vinyl seats during the Christmas run. None the less, I’m happy to report that the run was very well attended with over 25 vehicles ranging from Lambda’s to Beta’s and 42 wonderful people all made it without any breakdowns or overheating issues to il Vigneto Pizzeria at Rochford wines in the Yarra Valley. There was even the odd Porsche 911 and Alfa Romeo 105 in the mix that heard about our run and decided to join us in cavalcade. Starting at LaManna in Essendon Fields the route took us out towards Walan and Whittlesea past beautiful scenic hills and twisting roads. Arriving at our morning stop at Flying Tarts Bakery and Café, Pheasant Creek, we promptly all lined our Lancia across the front and entered for a welcome stop of coffees, delicious sausage rolls and vanilla slices.
The second level of the restaurant where they had reserved our table was a little warm with the unusually hot day, however the personal bar service and selection of pizzas, salads and pasta was very welcome after the long drive. There was plenty of food to go around and the general consensus was that it was a great place to enjoy lunch. The view from the restaurant was idyllic with the adjacent lake and views out across the winery. Next time it may be a better option to take the decking area downstairs to avoid the stairs. From the conversations across the tables, I think everyone enjoyed the run and were very much looking forward to catching up again on the next one. A Merry Christmas to all and see you in the New Year!
Carl Hurd
