Crossing the border in the hire car, six hours or more of driving — and we reached Brescia, Italy safely.
Brescia is the Mille Miglia’s start point, and from the next day the process of scrutineering begins, deciding whether we can actually enter.
Wandering about like a tourist was strictly off-limits this time, so we moved with the bare minimum in backpacks, like backpackers.
I wanted to heal a body worn out from the long journey and drink a toast to reaching Italy — but conditions there were strict, no eating out at all, and even the local supermarket had restricted alcohol hours.
Meals ended up being almost entirely salad, prosciutto and cheese bought at the supermarket.
The rules for this event kept being revised right up to the last minute, and then — word arrived that without a negative Covid test on hand, we would not be allowed into scrutineering the next day!!!
We rushed to a local drive-through test site —
and reception had already closed. I remember that night less for excitement about tomorrow than for the sheer nerves — was this where the whole thing ended? — that kept me from sleeping at all.
Italian nights run long, the sun taking its time to set, and between jet lag and sheer nerves I was completely worn out.
So — what happens at tomorrow’s scrutineering??? Continued in part 4.