tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1415873729494803082024-03-14T03:01:58.128-07:00Love, Life and FerrariThoughts from A Passionate Canadian Danielle Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00770387634241488928noreply@blogger.comBlogger76125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-141587372949480308.post-58791086795875559312013-03-18T18:05:00.001-07:002013-07-15T21:41:04.534-07:00Autograph Hunting Outside The Paddock: Part 2As I mentioned in yesterday's post, this year at the Australian Grand Prix I took the opportunity to try and meet some of my favourite Formula 1 celebrities at the exit of the Melbourne paddock. After discovering an area that most fans weren't even aware of and befriending a group of autograph-hunting enthusiasts, one who looked like Heinz Harald Frentzen, I was fortunate enough to meet and greet some of the paddock's big names. Still, after almost an hour of autograph hunting, I couldn't help but wonder if I would ever catch a glimpse of Ferrari race drivers Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso.<br />
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I asked 'Frentzen' about the big name drivers and he replied that it was unlikely that we would get a glimpse of them in our present area. "Cars drive them right up to the paddock gates." He explained "Right in front of the autograph stands. Sometimes they stop to sign things, other times they just walk straight in. In any case, you don't want to go there because it is a mad house when somebody famous turns up." I was slightly disappointed "What about on this side of the road, can we stand right in front of the gates?" 'Frentzen' shook his head "They'll never let you stand there, not a hope."<br />
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I'll admit that initially I was discouraged from the area that seemed even more impossible to get in to than the spot that I was already in, but as the minutes wore on, 'Frentzen's' words of warning morphed into more of a challenge or dare. I decided to spend a little more time where I was for the moment, after all if it ain't broke, why fix it?<br />
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My persistence paid off almost immediately as Sebastien Buemi walked by us and Lotus team principal, Eric Boullier followed soon after. He was looking as smug as ever and I couldn't help but chuckle at the weird photo that I ended up taking of him. It was a close-up of Boullier's signature expression and all of the guys thought that it was hysterical when I showed them.<br />
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"Who do you want to see the most?" I inquired during a brief pause between celebrities. "I wanted to see Damon." one of the guys replied in a dejected tone. "I don't think that he wanted to see us though." The third member of the gang started laughing "Heinz Harald here wanted to see Jenson!" I had mentioned the Frentzen resemblance earlier. "Oooooh Jenson...friend! Jenson Button friend....Jenson...friend!" The group exclaimed, copying an scene from one of my favourite cult British shows "The Inbetweeners".<br />
<span style="background-color: blue;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNPUbLHk9oE</span> We all laughed uncontrollably, these nerds were awesome!<br />
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"Is that Fernando?" 'Frentzen' remarked, gesturing up the road. In the distance I saw two figures cloaked in red and indeed one of them bore a strong resemblance to Fernando Alonso. I began to get excited and nervous, I never thought that one of Formula 1's biggest stars would simply stroll up to the paddock minus a massive entourage and fanfare. In his modest state, Alonso looked almost mortal. Only his fantastically groomed eyebrows appeared to be super-human. All of the autograph hunters retreated "We're going to leave him alone." one of them explained "I don't want to get on his bad side."<br />
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I took a deep breath and approached the Ferrari driver, after all what was the worst that he could do? "Fernando" I asked politely "Can I take your picture please?" He looked me up and down with a puzzled expression as though he was trying to figure out who I was, what I was doing there and if my level of fanaticism could compromise his safety. After a moment he agreed, adding "Just one." He seemed very preoccupied and not in an especially talkative mood. Still, he obliged me before disappearing into the paddock, presumably without greeting the masses of fans who had turned up just to see him. I didn't hold it against him though, as I said yesterday, being a Formula 1 driver means you get hounded everywhere you go, even when having dinner with your family. After a while I can see how that level of exposure would grate on your nerves.<br />
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After my brush with Fernando Alonso I decided that it couldn't possibly get any better, I had heard rumors that Stefano Domenicali was already in the paddock and now most of the drivers and team personnel had joined him on the other side of its secure gates. I bid farewell to my companions, who had been a great source of information and entertainment, and began to walk towards to zebra crossing that would take me back to reality.<br />
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When I reached the crossing I noticed that lots of media were still lurking by the paddock gates and a man wearing a Ferrari team uniform stood nearby paying close attention to the road. 'Frentzen' had warned me not to even approach this area but I figured that at this point I had nothing to lose and strode up to the man in the Ferrari uniform "Are you waiting for Felipe?" I asked in Italian. The man turned around, shocked to hear his own language. "You're Italian!" "No" I explained. "Sono Canadese." He smiled and then looked a bit confused. "If you're Canadian, how do you speak Italian and why are you here?!" He had so many questions "Your Italian is amazing!" he beamed. We talked politely for several minutes, looking on in amusement as Nico Rosberg arrived and was mauled by journalists, before he revealed that he was indeed waiting for Felipe and his entourage.<br />
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Before I knew what was happening, a Ferrari pulled up and my new companion sprung into action. As the door swung upon, a thin figure with a large nose stepped out. It was Nicolas Todt, son of Jean Todt and Felipe Massa's manager. Nicolas surveyed the area with scrutiny before greeting the man in Ferrari uniform. Soon afterwards, a short middle-aged man stepped out. It was Felipe Massa's father, Luiz Antonio Massa and he seemed to be in good spirits. Finally, out came Felipe Massa himself, grinning and waving, the Brazilian was ready to face his public. I was in complete and utter awe, you wouldn't think it to see him on the television, but Felipe has an almost magnetic quality about him.<br />
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"We are leaving now." My Ferrari friend explained "I understand, good luck for the coming year." was my reply. "Ciao Grazie!" He exclaimed waving at me before disappearing with Felipe into the daunting swarm of cameras and screaming fans. It was complete and utter insanity.<br />
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Almost instantly a yellow-clad security guard was in front of me. Without my Ferrari entourage, I was a sitting duck. I smiled in acknowledgement, the time had come for me to leave. As I walked back towards the zebra crossing, I glanced over my shoulder. Felipe was surrounded; signing pieces of paper, shaking hands and answering questions. From a distance he looked like a modern-day warrior, except instead of deflecting enemy fire, he was fending off his adoring public.<br />
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The time for photographs was over but I was satisfied, I didn't need any more pictures. Funnily enough, of all of the interactions that I had this weekend, the ones that I will remember most fondly were the moments that I spent laughing with my gang of autograph nerds and the brief time that I spent speaking to my new Ferrari friend.<br />
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In my opinion, these are the experiences that are worth waiting for. After all, an autograph can be bought, but memories are priceless.<br />
<br />Danielle Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00770387634241488928noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-141587372949480308.post-3589449973816710692013-03-17T19:33:00.001-07:002013-03-18T19:24:50.114-07:00Autograph Hunting Outside The Paddock: Part 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Normally I'm not one for autograph hunting. There are only a few members of the Formula 1 circus who truly leave me stumped for words and most of the time I value the opportunity to spend a few moments chatting to such people way more than a name on a piece of paper or trinket. Still, when I had a few spare moments on Saturday morning, I decided to head over to the exit of the Melbourne paddock to see what all of the fuss was about.<br />
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As I explained on Thursday, The Australian Grand Prix has a purpose built autograph stage where fans can get up close to their idols for a split second and have an item of their choosing signed. While I think that this is a wonderful idea in concept, in practice the whole thing is very mechanical in the sense that the drivers really do not seem to want to interact with the various fans shoving random items in front of them to be signed. Although the autograph stage did net me a few amazing photographs of Romain Grosjean and eventual Australian Grand Prix winner, Kimi Raikkonen, the experience felt hollow and I longed for something more substantial and maybe even a bit of an adventure.<br />
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It was with this sense of adventure and perhaps a little <i>tifosa</i> mischief that I headed to the purpose built autograph area directly opposite the paddock. As soon as I arrived I decided that it was a fairly nice arrangement for fans. Not only was there an area for standing, there was also a mini-grandstand especially designed for photographs. The crowd also seemed fairly civil compared to the crush of red that is present outside the paddock at the notoriously intense Italian Grand Prix. "Yes", I told myself "This is definitely a good place to spot Formula 1's elite."<br />
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I made myself comfortable high up in the grandstand overlooking the area, standing directly next to a lady dressed in red and her Ferrari-outfitted children. They looked quite hardcore and I decided that the best thing to do would be to position myself near other <i>tifosi</i> who might act as early warning devices should I miss someone coming out from behind the guarded gates. Almost as soon as I had dropped my rucksack on the floor, I spotted Niki Lauda emerge in what looked like his Parmalat hat. (Surely it wasn't Parmalat, but it looked pretty worn out and was bright red.) and started to snap photos furiously. "Who is that?" the lady in red asked curiously. "It's Niki Lauda." I replied. "A former Formula 1 driver, now he's a presenter." The woman seemed confused for a moment and then smiled "Oh well, I don't really know many faces, just the Ferrari team, that's all." Clearly she wasn't the person to be standing next to, she probably couldn't even pick her Stefano Domenicalis from her Rob Smedleys.<br />
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As I shook my head and smirked a little to myself I noticed something very interesting. As Niki was walking along the path that lead to the car park, several plain-outfitted people stopped him and asked for his autograph. Clearly they were not members of the Paddock Club and yet somehow they were on the desired side of the road. I decided to investigate, the autograph area would always be there and the spot across the road looked decidedly better.<br />
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Yellow-vested security guards paced in front of the zebra crossing that stood between me and the other side and piles of fans crowded in front of it. Clearly this was some kind of boundary and yet the guards were not checking the tickets of the few who strode confidently across it. I decided to try my luck and put on my reflective aviator sunglasses. I look more aloof in them for some reason and they gave me what was probably a false sense of comfort. It reminded me of that scene from The Neverending Story where Atreyu has to run by those giant statues with the eyes that shoot lasers out of them. <span style="background-color: blue;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_vzG5nYk1I </span>If you've never seen The Neverending Story...shame on you. I approached the guards and they twitched a bit but I remained focused and walked with purpose all the way to the other side. I was victorious and couldn't help but grin with pride.<br />
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Once in what I had mentally labelled as 'The Danger Zone', I made my way to where the people had asked for Niki's autograph to find a small group of young men crowded around a tree toting bags of pictures and memorabilia. "Do you guys have a store or something?" I asked one of them who looked disturbingly like Heinz Harald Frentzen. "No" He replied with a grin "I have a bit of a collection." It turned out that these guys were not greedy autograph sellers but in fact genuine autograph-hunting nerds and Formula 1 fans who made my passion look positively tame.<br />
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"Look, there's Damon!" one of them exclaimed as they rushed over to 1996 World Champion, Damon Hill. Damon had a scowl on his face "No autographs!" he said sharply and hurried by. I felt bad for one of the guys in particular who had a 1996 Williams FW18 model with Jacques Villeneuve's signature on it, he said he just needed Damon's signature to complete his collection. When Damon passed by me, I asked politely for a photograph and he obliged, even managing a smile. I was pleased but couldn't help but wonder why he had been so harsh to my new companions. "He thinks we're Ebay autograph sellers." 'Frentzen' explained. "The Ebay people hang out up there" He gestured towards the car park. "They're very intrusive and aggressive, they even use little children to get their autographs for them...it's a real business. They had Alan Jones trapped out there signing things for ages the other day." I gasped in surprise perhaps it was a bit naive of me to think that all autograph hunters are as polite as I am, but still, 'Frentzen's' description made the Paddock exit seem like a Brazilian slum-town, packed with beggar children trying to pick your pocket. No wonder the drivers sometimes refuse to sign anything, it must get rather tedious after awhile.<br />
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While waiting with the guys we all got to talking and shared our tales of various brushes with Formula 1 celebrities and stories of events that we have attended over the years. I boasted about Monza and my meeting with Stefano Domenicali and one of the guys told me about one of his favorite drivers, last year's GP2 Champion Davide Valsecchi. Apparently Davide had told them that he had already signed a race seat contract with Lotus for 2012 when at the last second one of the team's sponsors insisted upon a French driver. Romain Grosjean thus claimed the seat over Italian Valsecchi and now it looks unlikely that Davide will ever secure a race seat of his own.<br />
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All of a sudden mid-story the guys all began to shuffle through their bags and I soon saw why. Williams driver, Valtteri Bottas was approaching with his entourage. The Finnish star was extremely friendly and posed for several photographs, beaming widely. He seemed to be incredibly relaxed and took the time for all of us. I already thought quite highly of his ability and his personality, but after meeting him and his equally lovely girlfriend, Emilia I have to say that my opinion of him has only gone up. He is a genuine guy, with a substantial amount talent, it was really nice to see.<br />
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Another rising star who I had the opportunity to meet and speak with was Ferrari Driver Academy member, Jules Bianchi. The young French Marussia driver seemed almost shy when I approached him for a photograph and blushed with a big smile when I mentioned that if he played his cards right he would drive for Ferrari one day. He was a very humble man who has a possibly big future ahead of him.<br />
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Equally a joy to meet were McLaren's Martin Whitmarsh and former Formula 1 driver, David Coulthard. Both gave me a bit of their time and where happy to chat for a brief moment.<br />
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A humorous interaction came when I noticed Australian Formula 1 presenter, Greg Rust while I was chatting with Alan Jones, who struggled to figure out his very modern phone. Greg tried to slip by unnoticed to which I exclaimed "I know you!" he started to chuckle and told me not to bother with him and concentrate on the important people instead. He was truly down to earth, which is contrary to the way that he seems on television.<br />
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After a seemingly endless parade of familiar faces passed by, a flash of red polo shirts alerted me to the presence of Ferrari team members. With them came test driver, Marc Gene, who looked as though he was in a hurry.<br />
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After getting a decent picture of Marc, the Ferrari celebrities began to flood in. There was Pedro de la Rosa, who happily smiled and greeted me, Rob Smedley, who seemed a bit confused about why I even wanted his photo but grinned nonetheless and even Fernando Alonso's race engineer, Andrea Stella, who took a while to pose for a photograph and thanked me for my support. I must admit that the thrill of seeing so many Formula 1 celebrities in one place got my heart pumping, but I was still waiting for that elusive big fish...would I be able to catch a glimpse of Felipe Massa or even Fernando Alonso himself?<br />
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To be continued...Danielle Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00770387634241488928noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-141587372949480308.post-72391886321154578022013-03-14T04:59:00.003-07:002013-03-14T14:22:44.547-07:002013 Australian Grand Prix: ThursdayIt's been a long and exciting day here in Melbourne and admittedly I am on the verge of passing out. Although the Formula 1 cars don't make their way onto the track for the first time until tomorrow, the Albert Park circuit opened its doors this morning and I was there to capture all of the action.<br />
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The following are some of my photographs and observations from a very intense Thursday at the Australian Grand Prix:<br />
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Thousands of fans crushed themselves into a very full pit lane at nine in the morning. Funnily enough I was able to get a front row seat at Ferrari as Australian fans flocked to Red Bull in the hopes of catching a glimpse of Mark Webber.<br />
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Ferrari's chief designer Nicholas Tombazis seemed quite taken with the new McLaren.<br />
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Ferrari spent a decent portion of time studying the rear of Fernando Alonso's car and then practicing pit stops in the afternoon. Is it just me or does one of the mechanics look almost exactly like Stefano Domenicali? A group of guys standing near me certainly thought so and kept chanting "STEFANO!" to the poor man who was obliviously trying to do his job.<br />
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Kimi Raikkonen was as cool as ever. The iceman seemed almost pained to sign various items for his fans at a obligatory autograph session in Albert Park. I can't say that I blame him really, the whole area resembled a large cattle pen, with fans jostling for position and thrusting all manner of things, including a can of deodorant in his direction. Ever the professional, Kimi signed it all at a blistering speed and only cracked a tiny smile when an over-excited female admirer exclaimed "Kimi! I love you, I'm a huge fan!"<br />
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McLaren newbie Sergio Perez loved the autograph stage and even performed a crazy dance, which Jenson Button labelled as "sexy", for the assembled crowd. The two drivers seem to genuinely get along well, let's hope that Sergio doesn't become too jaded by fame.<br />
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David Coulthard treated me to a little show when his Red Bull exited the pit lane right where I was standing. Unfortunately security was trying to kick me out but at least I managed to get a few decent pictures before having to leave.<br />
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A beautiful view of the pit lane exit courtesy of a case of mistaken identity.<br />
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A large selection of historic cars was on display to the public.<br />
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I hope that you enjoyed this first view of the Australian Grand Prix. Rest assured that I will post more photographs in the coming days.<br />
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<br />Danielle Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00770387634241488928noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-141587372949480308.post-12544869355947791432013-03-10T18:45:00.003-07:002013-03-10T18:49:26.331-07:00Formula 1 Arrives in MelbourneIt's another gorgeous day in Melbourne and the start of the 2013 Formula 1 season is just days away! Making the headlines this past week was Lewis Hamilton, who managed to secure a paddock pass for his beloved dog. No, I'm not talking about Nicole (oooh that was low!) but rather his new best friend and 'chillaxing' partner Roscoe the bulldog. Hamilton and presumably Roscoe landed in Melbourne recently and the Mercedes star couldn't resist posting this beautiful picture on his twitter account <br />
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https://twitter.com/LewisHamilton/status/310851216349483010/photo/1 adding that he was off for a 6am run. While not as scandalous as a post about his team mate's telemetry data, surely the revelation that he and possibly the entire Mercedes team are staying at either the Hilton or Crown Casino is enough to warrant a scolding from Ross Brawn. </div>
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Other drivers have also been tweeting about their arrivals in the city or posting photos from their epic voyages to get here. Fernando Alonso tweeted this artistic snap en route to Australia http://instagram.com/p/WsCsy4Qak6/ and Sauber's latest Mexican recruit, Esteban Gutierrez, took part in a predictable photo shoot involving some kangaroos. http://instagram.com/p/Wp9daWOw90/ </div>
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Jenson Button seemed to have the same idea as I did yesterday, enjoying a spot of beach training in the scorching temperatures </div>
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and Nico Hulkenberg expressed his wish to make it past the first corner on Sunday! </div>
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Notably absent from the Twitter posting frenzy was Kimi Raikkonen, who was probably asleep after eating one too many ice cream sandwiches in a first class cabin somewhere over the Pacific. </div>
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Last but not least was Adrian Sutil. Back on the grid this year after being shunned in the wake of an assault conviction, Sutil still seems to harbor more than a little bit of resentment towards one time friend Lewis Hamilton. Last year I reported that when Hamilton refused to testify at Sutil's court case he had also apparently changed his phone number presumably to avoid confrontation with the bitter German . </div>
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Now that the ghost of glassings past has come back to haunt the British driver, it seems that Hamilton is eager to bury the hatchet. "I have emailed Adrian a couple of times" a needy-sounding Lewis stated " I emailed him a while ago because I heard there was a chance he could get the seat. I just said that I had said a prayer for him, that I really hoped he got the seat because he deserved it and that I really hoped to see him back in Formula 1. I also emailed him on the way here as soon as I found out and congratulated him. I haven't heard back from him but I'm sure at some stage we will get to talk." For his part, Sutil doesn't seem quite as keen. "We have no relationship at the moment. I never saw him, I never spoke to him. I will meet up with him but I don't know what will happen." Oh to be a fly on that wall!</div>
Danielle Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00770387634241488928noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-141587372949480308.post-90393145894264966432013-02-24T02:22:00.001-08:002013-02-27T05:04:19.328-08:002013 Australian Grand Prix: First Pictures <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEGEacYFzCDN8Jvpkcl7raFTBlqyg1deLKaMRmRsR2a3Yt0ZFS3OPM9Ywtfr-eMOuDBaB2duFBqAKV-pAP8Bchc67vMcOWCFTfbnfz6KXRkwhNCqw_mStwypV9G4LqvojE_VwvZafM9kU/s1600/IMG_0126.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEGEacYFzCDN8Jvpkcl7raFTBlqyg1deLKaMRmRsR2a3Yt0ZFS3OPM9Ywtfr-eMOuDBaB2duFBqAKV-pAP8Bchc67vMcOWCFTfbnfz6KXRkwhNCqw_mStwypV9G4LqvojE_VwvZafM9kU/s640/IMG_0126.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Happy New Year everyone! 2013 is finally here and in only a few weeks time the Formula 1 circus will be here too. Normally in February I am in hibernation mode; shivering, drinking tea and bemoaning the many layers of clothing that it takes to keep me from getting frostbite. The long, sweaty, summer days of the Formula 1 season seem like a distant memory and that first race in March feels a lifetime away. This year, however, is slightly different. In Melbourne evidence that the Australian Grand Prix is just around the corner is all around me and the only kind of tea I feel like drinking is of the iced variety. From the blisteringly scorching daytime temperatures to the massive banner that is being displayed outside the tourist information centre in Federation Square, there is little doubt that the start of the season is just around the corner.<br />
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Perhaps the biggest evidence that the Australian Grand Prix is almost here can be found in Albert Park. Although the Grand Prix circuit has yet to be fully constructed, grandstands have been erected and materials for gravel traps, fencing and tyre barriers have already arrived.<br />
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The paddock area has been sealed off and signs advertise the upcoming event. Part of the circuit is a fairly main road and thousands of commuters use it to travel to and from work on a daily basis. Last week, as I stood in a parking lot which will soon become the Clark chicane, I couldn't help but smile to imagine that Formula 1 cars would soon be racing along the palm-tree lined straight nearby.<br />
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I can remember waking up early in the morning and watching images of that road on TV. Melbourne seemed like a tropical paradise; brightly lit and full of bold colours. The pure blue sky and lush green grass were so clear on my screen and the Ferraris gave off a red/orange glow as they sped by. There in the damp darkness of my English living room, blurry-eyed and covered in blankets, I fell a little bit in love with Melbourne and its vivid warmth.<br />
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Walking the circuit stirred in me those emotions that I felt as a teenager , longing for summer days to return and with them my renewed hopes of a Ferrari championship. As I ventured onto the start/finish straight, I glanced up at the empty grandstands and imagined they were full of people, my heart beat faster and I realised just how excited I am for this race.<br />
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While Ferrari scrambles to make sure that this year's challenger, the F138, is competitive from its first racing lap, all I can do is sit here and await their arrival. I have missed them, it's as simple as that and above all I have missed the way my stomach tightens in those seconds before the lights go out on a Sunday afternoon. I am very ready for 2013 and even more ready for a Ferrari championship.<br />
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The following are some of my recent photos from around Albert Park. Winter is almost over and the long summer days of the Formula 1 season will be here before we know it!<br />
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<br />Danielle Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00770387634241488928noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-141587372949480308.post-29683299197138569992012-12-01T20:07:00.000-08:002012-12-01T20:07:06.556-08:00"Flag-Gate"
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It’s been almost a week since the 2012 Formula 1 season came
to a climax in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Brazil</st1:country-region></st1:place>
and the bitter taste of defeat is finally starting to fade away. For those of
you who didn’t watch last Sunday’s (or if you live in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Australia</st1:country-region></st1:place>, Monday morning’s)
dramatic conclusion, Fernando Alonso lost the Driver’s Championship by a mere
three points to Sebastian Vettel. It was an exciting race and Ferrari fought
until the very last lap but sadly, despite Vettel having to endure what has to
be one of the most calamitous races of his career, he would not be denied the
championship.</div>
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<o:p> </o:p>In the aftermath of Interlagos there has been much
controversy surrounding Sebastian Vettel and his passing of several cars while
yellow flags were out on the circuit. At first it appeared as though the yellow
flags in question were merely yellow and red striped slippery surface warnings,
Ferrari’s Pat Fry even noted as much during his post-race interview when
questioned about Vettel’s pass on Kobayashi. In the past week, however, new
video evidence emerged on the internet which seemed to show the newly-crowned
World Champion passing Jean Eric Vergne under a very definite yellow flag. It
was a development that had the potential to alter the result of the
Championship and it made headlines all over the world. </div>
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My initial reaction to what has been nicknamed “Flag-Gate”
was one of horror. There is nothing worse than when the result of a race is
altered after the cars have reached the chequered flag and the champagne has
been sprayed. The idea that the Championship could be decided by a post-race
penalty made my stomach turn. I imagined the potential headlines accusing
Ferrari of using underhanded tactics and various other odious methods in order
to secure the Championship. I imagined that somehow, even if the argument was
completely valid, Ferrari’s image would once again be dragged through the mud
and others would emerge looking whiter than white. </div>
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My mind skipped back to <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Texas</st1:place></st1:state>, when Ferrari made the bold decision
to break the seal on Felipe Massa’s gearbox, demoting the Brazilian five
positions on the grid. It was a strategic move that allowed Fernando Alonso to
start on the clean side of the track and helped to ensure that Ferrari would
take the Championship down to the wire.</div>
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From inside the paddock, there were no complaints about this
strategy. In fact, I rather think that many of the teams might have admired its
brilliance. Still, despite there being no controversy, some members of the
media chose to report it as one. One article that boiled my blood in particular
appeared on ESPN’s Formula 1 website. In the article Martin Williamson accused the
strategy of being within the rules but outside the spirit of them. He even went
as far as to say that Ferrari’s actions made a mockery out of qualifying and sullied
the sport. It is commentary like this that gives new fans a false impression of
the sport. What exactly did Williamson mean when he spoke of the spirit of the
sport and what made him believe that he could even attempt to define the moral
boundaries of a sport that is three dimensional, not black and white. Team
orders have always had a place within Formula 1 and the teams have always
pushed the limits of the regulations. It is the media who chooses to make drama
where indeed no drama exists.</div>
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The media has this amazing ability to blow things totally
out of proportion and paint its subjects as either heroes or villains. Sensational
headlines sell newspapers and everyone enjoys commenting on a good controversy.
As much as I would have loved to celebrate a Ferrari Championship, I must
concede that this whole messy post-Brazil affair has been nothing more than the
Spanish media stirring the pot. </div>
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Although Ferrari were satisfied that Vettel overtook
Kobayashi under a yellow and red striped flag during the Brazilian Grand Prix,
the emergence of the Vettel/Vergne video on the internet and the media storm
that the video unleashed, forced them to re-examine the race and ask for
clarification from the FIA. Fernando Alonso, himself was allegedly also amongst
those calling for Ferrari to lodge a protest. “I have no miracles.” He wrote on
this twitter account “I transform the correct rules in my miracles.” with his
manager, Luis Garcia Abad adding “Where justice does not prevail, it’s
dangerous to be in the right.” </div>
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In the conspiracy theorists’ defence, I have to admit that I
have watched the grainy video of Vettel’s pass on Vergne countless times and
have yet to see a green flag being waved. Still, the quality of the video that
sparked this debate is so poor that one cannot even read Vettel’s dashboard. As
much as I dislike not being able to see the flag with my own eyes, I do accept
that both the FIA and the teams have access to a quantity of information that
would make my head spin. </div>
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In the end, the whole dramatic episode amounted to nothing,
with the FIA confirming that Vettel’s move was indeed legal and that Ferrari
had no case to appeal. Ferrari too conceded, issuing the following statement:
“Ferrari duly takes note of the reply sent by the FIA this morning and
therefore considers the matter now closed. The request for a clarification from
the FIA, regarding Vettel’s passing move on Vergne, came about through the need
to shed light on the circumstances of the move, which came out on the internet
only a few days after the race.” </div>
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With Vettel in the clear, the media has made Ferrari its
latest target, with some unfair comments being hurled in the team’s direction
questioning the Italian side’s sportsmanship. Perhaps to clear the air a
little, Stefano Domenicali made a statement of his own. “We had no intention of
belittling the merit of the title winner, but it was right to have the matter
completely cleared up.” </div>
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Believe what you like, but the fact remains that in the face
of overwhelming pressure, Ferrari had no choice but to address the issue. The
team’s ethics and sportsmanship have nothing to do with it. Were the situations
reversed, Red Bull might have very well reacted in a similar manner and yet,
somehow, I have a feeling that they wouldn’t have received quite the same
amount of criticism for merely asking for clarification. The lesson here is
that it is the media we should hold accountable for sensationalising issues in
order to sell papers and not the teams who are merely trying to do their jobs
to the best of their abilities. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
Danielle Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00770387634241488928noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-141587372949480308.post-6723538402985771562012-11-05T19:58:00.002-08:002012-12-03T02:28:14.620-08:00Phillip Island’s MotoGP: Part One<br />
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The past few weeks have seen many interesting developments
in the Formula 1 paddock. Ferrari announced that they have renewed their
contract with Felipe Massa, Lotus have confirmed that they are sticking with
Kimi Raikkonen and Nico Hulkenberg has been picked up by Sauber, strengthening
all of those paddock rumours claiming that Ferrari is watching him. Sauber’s
reserve driver, Esteban Gutierrez looks set to take the second seat in the team
next year after filling in for Sergio Perez during <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s first Friday free practice
session. Apparently Sergio was suffering from some sort of super cold that was
enough to keep him out of his car but not out of his team’s garage. During the
session, camera crews focused in on the glum-looking Mexican who appeared more
irritated than unwell. “Had a fever yesterday, but I’m all right today. It’s a
team decision.” He clarified on his twitter. Watch out for an announcement in
the coming days confirming either Gutierrez or current driver, Kobayashi. Finally,
what update wouldn’t be complete without a random comment from Lewis Hamilton who
once again left me speechless when he claimed that his childhood love of
curries means that he feels quite at home in India… surely he’s kidding right? </div>
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But enough about Formula 1 for now, last weekend I took a
break from my favourite motorsport to check out one of the most exciting forms
of racing out there, namely motorcycle racing. I’ll admit it, I’m not an avid
MotoGP enthusiast, in fact aside from watching the occasional race with my
boyfriend who is quite passionate about it, I don’t really think about it that
often. Sure I know the major players and yes the races that I have seen have
been nail biting but I guess I have always told myself that there isn’t much
room in my life for another form of racing aside from Formula 1. Despite this
prior belief, however, I couldn’t resist a weekend of live racing at <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Phillip</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Island</st1:placename></st1:place> when the opportunity presented
itself. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaDiipPmtajOdBCw435ksQojVP2_FuGqjkKgvW-IhH3WpARFHdSLJdC30HGzBugQom4x2W2na7ma-4YNL2DfHNhm4z-COqLTsghyo1tEaaPzEcWMX6cakaRdhDqvApCbQ7KjQ38WMLdh4/s1600/367.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaDiipPmtajOdBCw435ksQojVP2_FuGqjkKgvW-IhH3WpARFHdSLJdC30HGzBugQom4x2W2na7ma-4YNL2DfHNhm4z-COqLTsghyo1tEaaPzEcWMX6cakaRdhDqvApCbQ7KjQ38WMLdh4/s640/367.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Bundled up in a massive yellow jacket which made me resemble
a caterpillar of sorts, I made my way to the circuit via coach and was
immediately thankful for my ridiculous attire upon arriving at my destination.
Don’t let the latex mini skirts and cropped tops that the grid girls wear fool you,
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Phillip</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Island</st1:placename></st1:place> is absolutely freezing! Shivering
in the freezing rain, my boyfriend and I made our way to our seats, stopping
along the way to watch the Moto3 bikes.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLdVUUryQuOcJenYxWIRa74wv9WgNMIzP9hylIKJ7Zfsf75eWVReLbq-cGsXY1NDOIAwJB8YFHVbYOO-fSFU3kEp_b7JDEQZQMp_HI6c541hvUAHuFGfkzZwYGBdCPVXElDHoOc9RHkRY/s1600/024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH6ws3s0qrgaQzEXWyUgaKPl2tyaEzUIExpazduDVsJ-28wci7mz9C5i70ejq-sJ2imTwcWAcQTuC7ikO8eCr_-lcHuW8GNws0n4LhQnjAGydFuzayUBQcK-ooz1uh3dxvBoSA3vHWuHg/s1600/027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH6ws3s0qrgaQzEXWyUgaKPl2tyaEzUIExpazduDVsJ-28wci7mz9C5i70ejq-sJ2imTwcWAcQTuC7ikO8eCr_-lcHuW8GNws0n4LhQnjAGydFuzayUBQcK-ooz1uh3dxvBoSA3vHWuHg/s640/027.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Although we had purchased grandstand tickets just opposite
the podium on Gardner Straight, it was a joy to watch the bikes from different
general admission areas along the track. One major difference between Formula 1
and MotoGP has to be the quality of viewing from these relatively inexpensive
areas. I was amazed how close I was able to come to the track and the sound of
the engines was truly magnificent. The angles and speeds that the riders
approach the corners at are quite frightening and when two or more bikes enter
a bend at the same time the whole manoeuvre appears to be a well-choreographed
dance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPApOiGcI4pW7diGFdE53nklvi1XcKd-k6-2m9PPD76Lx0V3QNGJuZ0YMlr-ta5TOFubuTS4lWPbLHswP_HbEt1g5vzV0_DMJRSNG2PEH7Xgo56iSotM-p93VjYpbIP_-4xh3QkitbMEQ/s1600/047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPApOiGcI4pW7diGFdE53nklvi1XcKd-k6-2m9PPD76Lx0V3QNGJuZ0YMlr-ta5TOFubuTS4lWPbLHswP_HbEt1g5vzV0_DMJRSNG2PEH7Xgo56iSotM-p93VjYpbIP_-4xh3QkitbMEQ/s640/047.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg20IdymET_HdIkl-rLwA_viit0uOWt9JX5kWqs7khc8PBQa-CXJVpHEycu4m1dXmNfnZVTKWrV0RxrU-0tcRxDwDLqyB8ihRJlCWdCPKyABqMV4OeFxZs7n6_AMTnUDDTIhiKyfXXzlv0/s1600/045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg20IdymET_HdIkl-rLwA_viit0uOWt9JX5kWqs7khc8PBQa-CXJVpHEycu4m1dXmNfnZVTKWrV0RxrU-0tcRxDwDLqyB8ihRJlCWdCPKyABqMV4OeFxZs7n6_AMTnUDDTIhiKyfXXzlv0/s640/045.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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There’s something pure about motorcycle racing, something in
its essence that I feel as though Formula 1 has lost. When I stood at the exit
of the final corner at <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Phillip</st1:placename>
<st1:placename w:st="on">Island</st1:placename></st1:place> it finally hit me
what that something was. One by one, as all of the powerful 1000cc MotoGP bikes
passed me by, I noticed them kick their riders hard in their own unique way.
Some riders had to contend with a small wobble, while others appeared to be on
the edge between control and disaster. It seemed as though no one was really in
charge of their machine and yet instead of timidly backing off, they all
pressed on, harder and more committed than before they had even entered the
corner. I wondered if the whole lap was like that and indeed as I stood at
various vantage points, I discovered that it was. </div>
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You would think that a man
who would willingly skate on such a fine edge would be careless to the point of
recklessness and yet one thing impressed me almost as much as the fearlessness
that the riders seemed to possess and that was the respect that they had for
one another. There was no blocking, no swerving, no games like we have
witnessed in Formula 1 in recent years. The slower riders made way for the
faster ones and everyone gave each other room. One got the feeling that these
riders could easily regulate themselves without the need for steward
interference and ridiculous penalties for racing incidents. As morbid as it
sounds, perhaps the fact that all of these men have witnessed tragedy in their
careers and risk their lives every time they jump on a bike has made them
better racers. Modern- day Formula 1 drivers could learn a few things from
these men.</div>
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Watching them pass before me one by one, pushing to the
limit and seemingly defying gravity made me think about men like Tazio
Nuvolari, who started his career on a motorcycle and suddenly I understood the
fascination. These men are the real deal; racers at heart who live for that
feeling of adrenalin that they get pushing themselves beyond what many believe
to be possible. Just like watching an acrobat, your heart is in your mouth the
whole time. Instinctively you look away and yet can’t resist but to turn back
and watch the show. Writing about that feeling makes me think of Enzo Ferrari
and what he described as his “terrible joys”. Through MotoGP I was able to
understand this contradictory feeling and experience its magnetic pull
firsthand.</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKfafoO6kAFbOPrbvugLeOgtSsAq6RQHGUNg8ZPdHIwYFli8uVYInH4ePyn0N3CdglLPyj2bwQAvxtBOeL_p2g3qySoK8I9p62VMsh52xSaOX2RNqsWFXN28IR_eu1v7l4B609yyoK3CQ/s1600/218.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKfafoO6kAFbOPrbvugLeOgtSsAq6RQHGUNg8ZPdHIwYFli8uVYInH4ePyn0N3CdglLPyj2bwQAvxtBOeL_p2g3qySoK8I9p62VMsh52xSaOX2RNqsWFXN28IR_eu1v7l4B609yyoK3CQ/s640/218.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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After my first taste of live motorcycle racing, my boyfriend
and I took a moment to explore the area and check out some of the merchandise.
The atmosphere was very laid back and I got the feeling that this must have
been what Formula 1 was like thirty years ago, before the meticulous
organization of modern-times. Most notably absent were all of the glamorous
celebrities who regularly fight it out with one another during a Formula 1
Grand Prix weekend for a few precious moments of camera time. I definitely did
not miss the big screen focusing in on Nicole Scherzinger jumping about like a
deranged lemur every few moments that’s for sure. </div>
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The people in attendance seemed all equally passionate about
the sport and many wandered around in motorcycle leathers and carrying helmets,
having arrived at the track on bikes of their own. There were many banners
expressing love for Australian native, Casey Stoner, who will retire at the end
of this season. There was equal support, however, for legends like Valentino
Rossi and many fans sported tributes to the late Marco Simoncelli, who died
tragically in a race last year. As I left <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Phillip</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Island</st1:placename></st1:place>
after the first day, I was full enthusiasm for Sunday’s race and had developed
a definite respect for MotoGP. </div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8VAoaQ5AhBJJh8PJm5nTv2ZNmVV0-_Xzhom2iFziXnFfg93nNxpqXwUP4BG2n03Ys3oTO3MTP26USt8BdR_qUQPOIQATKJ5q6BdwZ8MF-VgrK2QfAHZT6kdjK_NVmfX0pM5WD2bTR4uQ/s1600/005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8VAoaQ5AhBJJh8PJm5nTv2ZNmVV0-_Xzhom2iFziXnFfg93nNxpqXwUP4BG2n03Ys3oTO3MTP26USt8BdR_qUQPOIQATKJ5q6BdwZ8MF-VgrK2QfAHZT6kdjK_NVmfX0pM5WD2bTR4uQ/s640/005.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVBgLNogrnZ3jY5B6OJ16KB6SUskk9OJ0F5PIkGyXcxoOh3VepE_BlE0j8pgyqKw-MCWmXzvuSctc_vKbSErvsEpo-kIS4kk0DvwHfSOUz-xMUvpGRg20TY8yzZrYjrSgfIjtgP_qOL34/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVBgLNogrnZ3jY5B6OJ16KB6SUskk9OJ0F5PIkGyXcxoOh3VepE_BlE0j8pgyqKw-MCWmXzvuSctc_vKbSErvsEpo-kIS4kk0DvwHfSOUz-xMUvpGRg20TY8yzZrYjrSgfIjtgP_qOL34/s640/004.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<o:p></o:p> </div>
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Be sure to check out my blog in the coming days for part two
of my MotoGP experience as well as more pictures from <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Phillip</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Island</st1:placename></st1:place>.</div>
Danielle Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00770387634241488928noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-141587372949480308.post-79973328182213887022012-10-08T04:56:00.001-07:002012-10-09T14:32:44.732-07:00Lewis Hamilton’s Debut AlbumAs a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">tifosa</i>, I
should be freaking out right now. Sebastian Vettel has reduced Fernando
Alonso’s healthy lead in the World Driver’s Championship to a mere four points
in one race and the Red Bull RB8 looked almost unbeatable in <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Japan</st1:place></st1:country>.
Strangely enough, however, after spending the majority of Sunday evening
shaking my head in disbelief and muttering bitterly to myself, I seem to have
switched my focus onto Lewis Hamilton and his increasingly ridiculous
behaviour. <br />
<br />
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Those of you who know me well will already be aware that
Lewis is often the butt of my jokes. From his tacky earrings to his pretentious
TAG Heuer commercial (“let me tell you a fascinating story.” LOL!) <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ou3STygv5c"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ou3STygv5c</span></a>
not a week seems to go by without me wondering how the humble and intelligent
boy who once told Ron Dennis that he would like to drive for McLaren became the
author of twitter tweets such as “Wassup everyone! Hope your kool.” and “Chillin
wit my homie.” </div>
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Now, I’m not saying that Lewis isn’t talented. As much as he
annoys me, I will admit that he is certainly one of the most naturally gifted
drivers on the grid. The fact that he manages to retain a drive despite putting
his foot in his mouth on a regular basis is surely indicative of how large that
talent truly is. One does however wonder how much of Hamilton’s shock decision
to switch teams to Mercedes next year was Lewis wanting to leave and how much
of it was McLaren simply not wanting him to stay. </div>
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There has been a lot of friction between Hamilton and McLaren
recently, with Lewis often appearing to be a spoiled brat throwing his toys out
of the gold encrusted pram that Ron Dennis built for him. From public
criticisms of his team to random twitter outbursts and even the leakage of his
and team-mate, Jenson Button’s telemetry data on social media, it has been
shocking to watch Lewis Hamilton take an image that was already somewhat
tainted in the wake of 2011 and run it further into the ground. Sometimes I
find myself questioning if even Lewis’s own fans aren’t just a bit turned off. </div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqvecw8zcDYkzkhyzvRsnOc0h9BE9ghC_OTuqTo4F398BnOqQ2UI3PJyZUf36Q2xXbg5lhixBTjLOVO50bxD0WXBRzB5rXleSIpjhyW4NZeD3GOq1SG0i_9PuHQfsJLbhULBr6zPSh6yo/s1600/085.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqvecw8zcDYkzkhyzvRsnOc0h9BE9ghC_OTuqTo4F398BnOqQ2UI3PJyZUf36Q2xXbg5lhixBTjLOVO50bxD0WXBRzB5rXleSIpjhyW4NZeD3GOq1SG0i_9PuHQfsJLbhULBr6zPSh6yo/s640/085.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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To be fair to Lewis, I don’t know him, nor do I know the
inner workings of the McLaren team, in fact I have to admit that I too once
judged Fernando Alonso for his behaviour and branded him a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">prima donna</i> prior to his Ferrari years. Maybe in five years time,
once the dust from <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Hamilton</st1:place></st1:city>’s
move has settled, I will see things in a new light. For now, however, I have to
wonder if Ross Brawn might already be regretting his decision to sign McLaren’s
former golden boy. In the past several days alone, <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Hamilton</st1:place></st1:city> has admitted in an interview with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Mail on Sunday</i> that he probably
won’t be winning next year’s championship or even a race in the 2013 Mercedes.
“I am just well aware we don’t have the best car and it will take a lot of work
to improve it.” He puzzlingly stated about a car which has yet to be built. I’m
sure that neither sentiment will be met with open arms by Brawn, who is
accustomed to winning and surely hopes to be on the top step of the podium
multiple times next year.</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn78NqGKHxOE13cjItZ9U_rrCplw43BcKLs7BOf6C3IyczmUnBetqASzpJfdXuoEobTZOVDthGetpfs1oOd1qZePbZ-GqzDOO2olQAgEcqohf8c3q3PBRRfKyTjNzN_SQe8IKv72NOuo0/s1600/RossBrawn.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn78NqGKHxOE13cjItZ9U_rrCplw43BcKLs7BOf6C3IyczmUnBetqASzpJfdXuoEobTZOVDthGetpfs1oOd1qZePbZ-GqzDOO2olQAgEcqohf8c3q3PBRRfKyTjNzN_SQe8IKv72NOuo0/s640/RossBrawn.JPG" width="458" /></a></div>
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Many of the sport’s most respected commentators have
supported Lewis’s move to Mercedes. Former McLaren driver, David Coulthard
likened the Briton’s switch to a young man moving out of his parent’s home and
Damon Hill even went so far as to compare <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Hamilton</st1:place></st1:city>
to a caged bird at McLaren. It seems that despite Lewis’s questionable
behaviour, he still has people in his corner and they will no doubt be keen to
see him return to the promising form that he displayed at the beginning of his
Formula 1 career. </div>
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For my part, although I dislike the man, I will say that a
move like this takes guts. If the Mercedes is the class of the field in 2014
when the sport’s technical regulations change then <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Hamilton</st1:place></st1:city> will look like a genius. If,
however, Lewis ends up languishing in the midfield or even lower, his career
may go the way that Jacques Villeneuve’s went in 1999 when he joined British
American Racing. </div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
If that does end up the case, maybe <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Hamilton</st1:place></st1:city> will follow the French Canadian into
the music industry, he has a girlfriend who already knows the business and
seems to be quite handy on the guitar. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPqcgcNg3F4"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPqcgcNg3F4</span></a>
Perhaps he could go by the name L-Ham or Lew-Diddy. </div>
<br />
Whatever the outcome next season, whether Lewis flies or
lands flat on his face, it’s going to be an interesting ride for sure and I am
salivating at the prospect of watching the drama unfold.Danielle Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00770387634241488928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-141587372949480308.post-58761027169922137942012-09-25T05:21:00.000-07:002012-10-09T14:33:18.564-07:00How to Attend The Canadian Grand Prix <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_6rDKIeMdQYnGUS9GQnjR-fFoJ0m05MbEsGM_XQqCEUTa_UEPhgNtZM_MnoZYsKLRRGu4sggdC6Q95xrdsi5U2A0sINPo14lR9QT0_izGdtauxugG8xi9RabCTgmugFODYGNmTj3_FZ4/s1600/020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_6rDKIeMdQYnGUS9GQnjR-fFoJ0m05MbEsGM_XQqCEUTa_UEPhgNtZM_MnoZYsKLRRGu4sggdC6Q95xrdsi5U2A0sINPo14lR9QT0_izGdtauxugG8xi9RabCTgmugFODYGNmTj3_FZ4/s640/020.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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It may seem like a lifetime away now, but only a few short
months ago the Formula 1 circus made its way to <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Montreal</st1:place></st1:city>, home of the Canadian Grand Prix,
and I was there to welcome it. </div>
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First of all let me just say that <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Montreal</st1:place></st1:city> is one of the most beautiful cities
in the world during the summer months. I know that I’m probably a little bit
biased seeing as it is my hometown, but members of Formula 1’s inner circle and
tourists alike all rate <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Montreal</st1:city></st1:place>
as one of their favourite destinations on the calendar. </div>
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So what is it about <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Montreal</st1:place></st1:city>
that makes it special and how can you maximise your time in the city and at the
same time have an amazing Grand Prix experience? The following are some of my
tips on how to attend the Canadian Grand Prix:</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
1. Take
The Metro Everywhere: In Montreal, the only way to travel if you haven’t
rented a luxury sports car for the weekend is by Metro. It is fast,
affordable and will get you to virtually anywhere you want to go. Taking
the metro to the circuit is the easiest way to get there, but when leaving
the island after the race, I recommend waiting a few hours as it can take
a while to get out and your time will be better spent exploring the track. </div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
2. Go
to Pit Lane Open Day: Pit lane open day is a <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Montreal</st1:place></st1:city> tradition. On the Thursday
before the Grand Prix weekend begins the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve opens
its doors to members of the public and fans can get up close and personal
with the teams and even some drivers. I have fond memories of sitting on
the unfinished Ferrari pit wall as a child and in 2010, I met Bruno Senna
and chatted to the Red Bull mechanics. Unfortunately this year pit lane open
day was cancelled due to interference from protesters, I hope that it will
be reinstated next year.
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3. Head
to Peel and Crescent: During Grand Prix weekend in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Montreal</st1:place></st1:city>, the place to be when not at
the circuit is on Peel or Crescent. Every year the two streets host a
variety of events. From pit stop challenges to live entertainment on
stage, there is something for everyone. If you want you can even eat at <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Newtown</st1:place></st1:city>, which was
once owned by Jacques Villeneuve. This year I was able to meet the legendary
Emerson Fittipaldi. Along with posing for several photographs, he also
signed a massive wad of pictures that my friend Rex, who is possibly
Emerson’s biggest fan, had brought along with him. I thought that Rex was
going to pass out, he was so excited. </div>
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4. Visit
Mount Royal: For the most spectacular view in the city, go for a hike,
cycle ride or drive up <st1:place w:st="on">Mount Royal</st1:place>. The
hill hosts some of the city’s most beautiful mansions and at night the
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5. Eat
in <st1:city w:st="on">Westmount:</st1:city> <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Westmount</st1:city></st1:place> may not be on every tourist’s
radar but it is well worth a visit, especially if you are a fan of former
Formula 1 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve. The outspoken Canadian owns a
house in the area, as do famous hockey players, celebrities and even
former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. I grew up there and still enjoy
strolling through the lovely <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Westmount</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Park</st1:placetype></st1:place>, revisiting
memories of my youth whenever I visit. Aside from celebrity watching and
some picturesque parks, <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Westmount</st1:place></st1:city>
also boasts several lovely restaurants. My current favourite restaurant in
<st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Westmount</st1:place></st1:city>
is a little Italian restaurant called 11 Scalini. Whenever my family goes
there we get amazing service and the carbonara is to die for. Ask for
Sergio if you love Ferrari, he is a massive <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">tifoso</i> and adores chatting about the red cars! **
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6. Sit
Anywhere: Having been just about everywhere around the circuit Gilles
Villeneuve, I have to say that it is impossible to go wrong when it comes
to seat selection. If money is no option, then you can’t beat the first
corner, Senna S for drama and action, but even the most affordable tickets
offer extremely good value for money. This year I sat in the
modestly-priced grandstand 33 and thoroughly enjoyed my view and overall
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7. Buy
a plastic poncho: In recent years, a plastic poncho has been the
must-have accessory at a Canadian Grand Prix weekend. Fans who attended
the 2011 race will remember it as a monsoon-like affair that went down in
the history books as the longest ever Grand Prix and this year after Friday’s
second practice session there was a similar downpour that caught many fans
unaware. I have never been more thankful for a glorified plastic bag in my
entire life!
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8. Invade
The Track: The end of the Grand Prix on Sunday afternoon is usually such
a sad moment, but in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Montreal</st1:place></st1:city>
the end of the race is when a lot of the fun that you can have as a
spectator begins. The track marshals open the circuit at various points
and if you are prepared to climb, crawl and get dirty, then you won’t be
disappointed. Fans are allowed to walk all the way around the circuit,
hang around outside the pit lane for several hours and even take photos
next to the now famous “Salut Gilles” message at the start/finish line.
Those who are sitting along the start/finish straight also have the
opportunity to celebrate just beneath the podium and many drivers and
teams who have performed well in the race will happily greet their
supporters after the champagne. This year I caught up with an overjoyed
Sergio Perez who was singing in Spanish with friend and fellow countryman,
Esteban Gutierrez and was greeted by Heikki Kovalainen as he thanked his
mechanics.
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Although the above are just a few of the countless things to
do in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Montreal</st1:place></st1:city>,
I hope that my suggestions have been helpful if you are planning a trip to the
Canadian Grand Prix this year. If you have a question about the event, please
feel free to ask me about it and I will do my best to provide you with the
information.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6PpR4mg7k06ILyBZtL2yb_wCF9w6Dc1v3l9EPuYDTV3xR7GZ6yDRyVNwk8G9Z_ZXotPlQeReEhymzXSOry2JUnE-HwqMENOam485B28qjVtve-PuthVFKnrTmCzcgnxiNt2Nvni4YVcU/s1600/007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6PpR4mg7k06ILyBZtL2yb_wCF9w6Dc1v3l9EPuYDTV3xR7GZ6yDRyVNwk8G9Z_ZXotPlQeReEhymzXSOry2JUnE-HwqMENOam485B28qjVtve-PuthVFKnrTmCzcgnxiNt2Nvni4YVcU/s640/007.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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** If you decide to take the Metro to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Westmount</st1:city></st1:place>, get off at Vendome.</div>
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Danielle Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00770387634241488928noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-141587372949480308.post-75807482043515246012012-09-25T03:10:00.000-07:002012-10-09T14:33:43.699-07:00AFL Grand Final Week in Melbourne<br />
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<br />
Spring has finally sprung and I am really looking forward to
some warmer weather after my few months of winter! As you have probably already
guessed from the photos in my previous blog post, I am in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Melbourne</st1:city>, <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on">Australia</st1:country></st1:place>;
land of kangaroos, Crocodile Dundee and these awkward looking pick-up truck
mutations known as yutes. <br />
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I said goodbye to <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on">Italy</st1:country>
in June after experiencing an amazing year living in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Lodi</st1:place></st1:city> and taking every opportunity to travel
around the country. I will miss the home of Ferrari so very dearly and I have
to thank the people who I came into contact with while I was there a great deal
for showing me how to truly live with passion and helping me to understand the
team that I have loved my entire life more than ever before. In the past year I
have gotten closer to Ferrari than I ever dreamt was possible, I have made some
amazing memories and I have been reminded that anything can be achieved if you
believe in it and single-mindedly pursue that goal. I know that I will be back
to Maranello someday soon and I am looking forward to that day with all of my
heart.</div>
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It’s been tough moving to <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Australia</st1:place></st1:country> and I would be lying if I
said that there weren’t obstacles but who ever said that following your heart
was easy? Thankfully I can now say that I feel settled in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Melbourne</st1:place></st1:city> and have begun to look forward to
the fantastic amount of events that the city has to offer and also learn more
about some of the things that are uniquely Australian.</div>
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At the top of my list of fascinations has to be what the
locals here simply call “football” but the rest of the world refers to as
“Aussie Rules”. The most confusing thing about “football” has to be the name
since apparently only people in <st1:state w:st="on">Victoria</st1:state> call
it football, the rest of <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Australia</st1:place></st1:country>
calls rugby “football”. Lost yet? </div>
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If you can get past the name and the ridiculously short
shorts that all of the players seem to wear, try understanding the rules. Am I
the only one who wonders how a team can still score points even if they don’t
get the ball in between the designated posts and what’s with the referee
throwing the ball in backwards sometimes and then other times simply smashing
it into the ground like a mouldy watermelon?! Why are there so many birds in
“football” and why is one of the teams known only as the cats? Not the
wildcats, not the tiger cats, not even the slightly agitated cats…just the
cats. I could go on, but before I begin dissecting the random words that
commentators use to describe various plays (for example: “Ooooh he soccerd it!”
What does that even mean?!) let me just say that I am absolutely in love with
this game! </div>
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I found out recently that Aussie Rules is in my blood and
even though it was only a distant cousin of mine who once played for
Collingwood, I definitely feel as though the revelation warrants me learning a
little bit more about the sport and perhaps even trying it out for myself. Who
knows, maybe someday soon you’ll see me violently thrashing my hands around
like a lunatic in the stands of the MCG or maybe even prancing about on the
Brownlow Medal red carpet. Stranger things have happened.<br />
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The Australian Football League (AFL) Grand Final takes place
this Saturday and all throughout the city, locals will be proudly sporting
their colours of allegiance. There is even a parade on Friday and the tourist
information centre boasts a large banner that features the AFL trophy on it. I can’t
wait to see who emerges victorious this weekend, whether it’s the hawks or the swans.
I’m putting my money on the swans simply because I reckon that in the wild a
swan could absolutely take a hawk, I’ve been chased by one before and those
things are bloody vicious. </div>
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Put some shrimp on your barbie, it’s going to be a cracker!
(Sorry, I couldn’t resist!)</div>
Danielle Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00770387634241488928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-141587372949480308.post-52551000498669227912012-07-12T04:36:00.000-07:002012-10-09T14:34:24.658-07:00Where Am I?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB3nXJ-aNf72v0AcxHwZsLvwIpG2RjN7DjaqY2S7jx-1AAXsFeWrKakugAYW-P4FTXbpv4t-cFo3vowaggwMzlMrI3lUSY7Wa7rZ1Vn0ELW8eZ16ZljiQ0gfJFU-zNnNOHZMtxSIywXFo/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB3nXJ-aNf72v0AcxHwZsLvwIpG2RjN7DjaqY2S7jx-1AAXsFeWrKakugAYW-P4FTXbpv4t-cFo3vowaggwMzlMrI3lUSY7Wa7rZ1Vn0ELW8eZ16ZljiQ0gfJFU-zNnNOHZMtxSIywXFo/s640/004.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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What a month to be a <em>tifosa </em>and what a crazy month for me in general. Since I last wrote I have been travelling...and travelling and having more of my random adventures. Ferrari has somehow managed to find speed in the car, Felipe Massa has managed to put in a half decent drive and yes, who could forget Fernando Alonso's spellbinding Spanish victory? So where am I now? I won't tell you just yet because I still have jet lag and honestly don't know if I'm on foot or horseback, but I will leave you with some of my pictures from the past month and the promise that I will return to tell all of my tales in the near future!<br />
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Danielle Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00770387634241488928noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-141587372949480308.post-36796256799533762802012-05-20T13:04:00.000-07:002012-05-20T14:20:27.871-07:00Maranello Celebrates Gilles Villeneuve 30 Years On<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When I was in Maranello yesterday for the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mille Miglia</i> race, I couldn’t help but
take note of one of the town’s tourist attractions in particular. The bronze
Gilles Villeneuve bust, situated on the street that bares his name, was once
again sporting a new look. Gone were the massive potted flowers that adorned
the monument less than two weeks ago for the celebrations which marked 30 years
since the little French Canadian died in a horrific accident during the Belgian
Grand Prix weekend and a large Banner had been placed beneath the memorial, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Ciao Gilles”</i> it read simply.</div>
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Italians have constantly impressed me with their knowledge
and enthusiasm for motorsports since I arrived in this country less than one
year ago. In fact, I remember once being told that I could not possibly hope to
understand Ferrari until I had lived in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Italy</st1:place></st1:country-region>. While it is true that many <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">tifosi</i> are only partial fans at best, it
was upon the anniversary of Gilles Villeneuve’s death that I came to see the
true passion that many Italians have for Ferrari and its drivers. I also came
to see that Gilles was loved in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Italy</st1:place></st1:country-region>
possibly more than any other driver to have donned the famous scarlet overalls.
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In the week running up to May 8<sup>th</sup>, every major
sporting newspaper and magazine ran at least one article dedicated to
Villeneuve and his legacy. The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Gazetta
dello Sport</i> even sold a large book dedicated to the former Ferrari driver,
filled with pictures detailing his life and career. People who I spoke with
about the anniversary all knew the legend of Gilles Villeneuve. “He was the
pilot who Enzo loved the most.” One of my neighbours commented upon noticing my
purchase of the above mentioned book. “He loved him like a son.” </div>
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Perhaps the most eagerly anticipated event that was held to
mark thirty years without Gilles took place on the day of his death in
Maranello. Villeneuve’s son, Jacques took to Fiorano to drive his father’s
Ferrari 312 T4. When I heard about this tribute, I made it my mission to
attend. I grew up watching Jacques Villeneuve race and I remember being
thirteen and painting a huge mural on my wall to commemorate his 1997 World
Championship. He wasn’t a Ferrari driver, but he was Canadian and to me that
was worth cheering about. <br />
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It wasn’t until I began to learn more about the history of
Formula 1 that I truly first encountered the story of his father, Gilles. I
think that I have already written about my admiration for Villeneuve, who is
remembered for his passion, his speed and his courage. He died before I was
born and yet I have seen the videos of him working his magic behind the wheel
of various cars and came to identify with him as I identify with Ferrari.
Gilles Villeneuve was not simply a driver, no, he was a driver who embodied the
very things that I love about the prancing horse itself and the qualities which
drew me in and made me a life long fan of this inspirational team. It helped,
of course, that Gilles was also a Canadian but had he been from <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Romania</st1:place></st1:country-region>, I
think that I would have still come to idolize him.</div>
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On the day of the tribute I was surprised to find Maranello
bustling with people and not just any people, but true <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">tifosi</i>. These spectators were genuine fans with genuine memories. A
few of them donned Gilles memorabilia and many more toted around various copies
of magazines and spoke fondly of what Gilles Villeneuve had meant to them. The
atmosphere was calm and relaxed and when, at approximately 10:30am, Jacques
Villeneuve began his tribute, the knowledgeable crowd watched in awe.<br />
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It was the perfect day to be Canadian in Maranello and once
the Italians nearby me detected my accent, they were full of questions about
what <st1:country-region w:st="on">Canada</st1:country-region> is like and if
Canadians still think of Gilles as they do in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Italy</st1:place></st1:country-region>. Interestingly enough,
although Gilles Villeneuve is far from forgotten in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Montreal</st1:place></st1:city> (they named the Formula 1 circuit
after him.) I do think that the Italians really adopted him as one of their own
and took him into their hearts in a way that the average Canadian has not. It
was lovely to see the real emotion displayed from those in attendance.<br />
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After the handful of laps, I joined a group of fans outside
the gates of Fiorano, hoping to catch a glimpse of some of the Ferrari
celebrities in attendance and hopefully Jacques Villeneuve himself. My
expectations were more than met when the gates opened and out came Luca di
Montezemolo in his silver Ferrari. The car rolled along slowly as people shoved
magazines and pieces of paper into the car’s passenger seat window, where
Montezemolo was sitting. “Luca, I’m Canadian!” I shouted in Italian without
really thinking about it. The moment the words left my mouth, it seemed as
though the world froze and Luca di Montezemolo himself leaned forward in his
chair to greet me personally and thanked me for coming. <br />
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After my brush with the Ferrari president, I didn’t really
expect to see many more things, but the celebrities kept pouring out of the
Fiorano gates. Fernando Alonso made a mad dash out the alternative exit to the
circuit in his car, much to the crowd’s great displeasure. When the next
vehicle attempted to leave Fiorano, the congregated <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">tifosi</i> refused to make way. “Go the other way!” one cheeky fan
exclaimed in Italian to roars of laughter. “It was good enough for Alonso!”
Mauro Forghieri, who was technical director during Gilles Villeneuve’s time at
Ferrari, also experienced humorous crowd problems of his own. As the Italian
attempted to sign autographs, the car behind him began honking at the swarmed
Forghieri, who laughed at the joke. <br />
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All those in attendance were in a fantastic mood and as
Gilles’s former mechanics left the facility, the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">tifosi</i> erupted into applause, acknowledging the service that the
men had given Ferrari. The crowd was in fact so respectful, that the team
treated us to a special viewing and photo session with the car as it was taken
back to the factory, with several of us crossing the forbidden threshold,
beyond the gates of Fiorano, for and unforgettable few minutes!<br />
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After several hours of stories and laughs with the fans
around me, finally the Villeneuve family and their entourage came into view.
Melanie Villeneuve, Gilles’s daughter, was the first to greet the crowd with a
warm smile and friendly wave. Her mother, Joann walked a few feet behind her,
chatting happily with friends. Both women embraced the crowd immediately and
spoke in Italian. I was fortunate enough to speak with both of them, who were
shocked to discover that I too am Canadian. Melanie in particular was
especially down to earth and it was a joy to hear a Canadian accent for the
first time in almost a year! <br />
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Suddenly the focus of the crowd shifted when a flashy yellow
Ferrari, containing 1997 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve in it, approached
the exit. I managed to exchange only the briefest few words with him before the
fans climbed all over his car…literally. “Is it always like this?” I asked
Melanie Villeneuve as she watched her brother get mauled by the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">tifosi</i>. “Yes.” She replied, while
glancing at her mother. <br />
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As the cars containing Jacques Villeneuve, Melanie
Villeneuve and their mother, Joann made their way out the Fiorano gates, well
wishers approached Joann in particular and began to tell Gilles’s widow how
much her late husband had meant to them. Obviously touched by their words, both
Joann and Melanie seemed to really appreciate the love that the fans still have
for Gilles Villeneuve.<br />
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As her car was about to disappear from view, Melanie
Villeneuve greeted me one last time. She gave me the thumbs up and exclaimed
“Go Canada!” while beaming broadly. I like to think that if Gilles could see
the way that he was remembered, he would have been extremely proud. For me, it
was a very special day in Maranello that I will not likely forget anytime soon.<br />
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<br />Danielle Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00770387634241488928noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-141587372949480308.post-12350541142608678302012-05-20T06:53:00.003-07:002012-05-20T06:57:08.047-07:002012 Mille Miglia: Pictures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5iiTyc6q2askknvgdd6lQNa4wxdBXIU7N2SuqpcMmU0GUAsc-fG-zGKglHxVvBqiL929kydV7hU8x71IEcJgdpddoc6seI3HBT4GN5Fn2HW_708Ha0FxLEURCqaqrn2CSZcLgT2fh4v0/s1600/208.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5iiTyc6q2askknvgdd6lQNa4wxdBXIU7N2SuqpcMmU0GUAsc-fG-zGKglHxVvBqiL929kydV7hU8x71IEcJgdpddoc6seI3HBT4GN5Fn2HW_708Ha0FxLEURCqaqrn2CSZcLgT2fh4v0/s640/208.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>Danielle Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00770387634241488928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-141587372949480308.post-37784463811053982462012-05-20T05:37:00.001-07:002012-05-20T10:42:10.153-07:002012 Mille Miglia: Maranello<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I was jolted out of bed somewhere between three and four
this morning, when my bedroom began shaking violently from side to side. My
first thought was <span style="background-color: red; color: white;">“not again!”</span> and my second was <span style="background-color: red; color: white;">“I wish I hadn’t worn those sweatpants
that are so old they are almost transparent to bed!”</span> Just as I was about to put
my shoes on, suddenly the tremor stopped and I breathed a sigh of relief. This
was the kind of earthquake tremor that we had experienced here in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Lodi</st1:place></st1:city> earlier this January
and we were not at the epicentre. I crawled back into bed and soon passed out,
unaware that I had been near the origin of the earthquake only hours earlier.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
When I awoke again, I turned on my computer to discover much
to my horror that the 6. 3 magnitude earthquake had not only struck near the
Emilia Romagna town of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Modena</st1:place></st1:city>,
but that it had also killed at least three people. Apparently it is one of the
largest earthquakes that the region has ever faced and my thoughts are with the
victims and their families.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
As some of you may already be aware, the historic <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mille Miglia</i> automobile race passed
through both <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Modena</st1:place></st1:city>
and Maranello yesterday and I decided to travel to the home of Ferrari for what
may be my last visit in a long time. As I reached my destination, I couldn’t
help but think about all of the things that Ferrari means to me and also what
my time living near Maranello has meant. Being able to keep a promise that I
made to myself when I was a little girl, even if that promise seemed to be a
little crazy has given me this wonderful sense of closure and also rekindled
the feeling inside me that anything is possible. </div>
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<br /></div>
When I arrived in the town, I headed immediately for my
favourite spot overlooking the Fiorano circuit and after a few moments of
contemplation, decided to make a trek around its perimeter. Fighting past
overgrown grass as rain began to fall and being startled by random animal
noises and abnormally healthy insects, I treated myself to some of Fiorano’s
most spectacular views. I paused in particular in front of Enzo Ferrari’s old
house and couldn’t help but laugh to think of the many times that I have tried
to talk my way passed the security guards that protect the gates to Fiorano or
wondered if I could somehow find a bush with a hole in it. I will miss this
place and all of my random Maranello adventures. After a good hour spent
admiring the track, I emerged from the long grass covered in dirt and certainly
dishevelled looking. It’s like I always say, you know it’s been a good day out
when you are caked in a layer of mud and sweat! <br />
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<br /></div>
The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mille Miglia</i> was scheduled to arrive in
Maranello at around six in the evening but an hour before that, the Ferrari
tribute to the race was set to pass through the historic front gates of the
factory. The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mille Miglia</i> race is
important to Italian motorsport and to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Modena</st1:city></st1:place>’s
motor valley in particular, but to Ferrari the race is of special significance.
<span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: red;">“The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mille Miglia</i> arouses in me
strong emotions, for this race epitomises long years of my life.”</span> </span>Enzo Ferrari
wrote in his autobiography at the end of a chapter titled simply “Why?”. <span style="background-color: red; color: white;">“I
have been involved in it first as a competitor, then as the race organizer of
the firm to which I belonged, Alfa Romeo; and, finally, as a car builder –
always filled with admiration for the race itself and its champions. The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mille Miglia</i>, in fact, was a competition
that not only made a decisive contribution to the technical evolution of the
cars themselves, but also revealed who were the real champions. No driver could
call himself complete if his laurels did not include also a victory at <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Brescia</st1:city></st1:place>.”</span> <br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFhWn55a4ImQPB6gTovGEPJW0wnu-RWoLfAk0x17bgUpOklIORu6YhlDWvULtDk-mVkgJcnrACCt-zcKxHsrcFr58wCfIu0IukL38tp-09hZwIGo-DvhXIkiihTtfN1eRWzMVXbz5VJqE/s1600/112.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFhWn55a4ImQPB6gTovGEPJW0wnu-RWoLfAk0x17bgUpOklIORu6YhlDWvULtDk-mVkgJcnrACCt-zcKxHsrcFr58wCfIu0IukL38tp-09hZwIGo-DvhXIkiihTtfN1eRWzMVXbz5VJqE/s640/112.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<o:p> </o:p>In “My Terrible Joys” which is like a bible to tifosi like
me, Ferrari continues to talk about the race with great fondness. He remembers
funny stories such as the amusing incident when he observed Antonio Ascari’s
mechanic, Sozzi, sweating profusely. Apparently Ascari had made him put pieces
of led sheet in his pockets and shoes when he was found to be nine pounds under
weight.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
It seems as though Ferrari was even fond of some of the
race’s strange regulations, such as one which forbid the use of horns. <span style="background-color: red; color: white;">“Every
mechanic carried with him a supply of hammers, bolts, old sparking plugs and
other odds and ends that might be used as projectiles with which to signal to
the driver in front- deafened by his engine- that he should make way for some
one wishing to overtake him. Ah, those races of the heroic days of motoring.”</span>
He concluded.</div>
<br />
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Sadly for Ferrari, all of his memories of the event were not
so pleasant. The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mille Miglia</i> was
banned in 1957 after two fatal crashes. The first crash involved Ferrari driver
Alfonso de Portago and killed not only the driver and co-driver but also nine
spectators, five of them children. Enzo Ferrari was blamed publically for the
incident and although he was eventually cleared of charges that were lodged
against him, it was a very difficult time for the Italian. Even after such
tragedy, Ferrari’s support for the race and calls to have it reinstated
continued. </div>
<br />
In 1977, The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mille
Miglia</i> became the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mille Miglia
Storica</i>. Although its latest incarnation no longer showcases the latest
technological advances or provides an arena for the world greatest drivers to
do battle, the <em>Mille
Miglia </em>still presents a challenge for both car and driver and is a fitting tribute to what was once one of the major
events on the automotive calendar. <br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
Enzo Ferrari was notorious for not wishing to look back but
only to the future of his cars. In fact, he would often scrap old race cars
after they had ceased to be of use to the team. I’m not sure what he would have thought of the modern-day <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mille Miglia </i>but for someone like me, who was not around for the dawn of motor racing, it is
a unique opportunity to see historic cars being driven as they were intended to
be, not collecting dust in a museum. </div>
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As the time for the arrival of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mille Miglia </i>approached, a crowd of fans congregated in
front of the factory gates with cameras in hand. I heard many different
languages and accents amongst them; there were the Germans, an elderly British
couple and of course the ever-present <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">tifosi</i>.
Some, I discovered, had been following the cars since they left <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Brescia</st1:place></st1:city> on Thursday. One
Italian man standing next to me explained that he follows the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mille Miglia</i> every year and
hopes one day to be able to even participate. </div>
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Present too were the<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">
paparazzi</i>, who jostled for position in front of the barriers that had been
erected to block off the street and keep spectators at bay. Several were
extremely aggressive, shouting at one another in Italian. <span style="background-color: red; color: white;">“Hey, you’re blocking
my shot!”</span> one of them exclaimed. <span style="background-color: red; color: white;">“I’m just doing my job.”</span> was the slightly
frazzled photographer’s response. <span style="background-color: red; color: white;">“No you’re not, you’re just being an ass!”</span>
the first <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">paparazzo</i> hissed with venom.<br />
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After observing the Ferrari tribute parade of mostly modern
Ferraris pass through the gates of Maranello for quite some time, suddenly the
first historic cars appeared. These were cars that I have only ever seen
stationary before or in books filled with black and white photos, so to observe
them passing right before my eyes in full living colour brought a huge grin to
my face. In addition to the cars, some of the drivers even sported classic
racing goggles and other gear from an era long gone. One by one, the cars made
their way passed the crowd, waving and taking various pictures of their own.</div>
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<br />
One especially interesting entry was a 1952 Jaguar C-Type which
was piloted by none other than Williams Grand Prix Engineering’s Patrick Head.
He appeared to be enjoying the attention as his entry passed by where I
was standing and the crowd gave him a big cheer as he was recognised. Stirling Moss fans may recognise this particular Jaguar as the car that the legendary driver used in the 1952 Mille Miglia. In fact, sixty years later, Sir Stirling Moss and former Jaguar chief development engineer, Norman Dewis, were reunited once more and drove the car during the race's first leg in Brescia. At the ages of 82 and 91 years old, the pair showed that their passion is as strong as ever. <br />
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After several hours of watching beautiful cars from several
different positions near the historic factory gates, I happened to look at my
watch and realised that it was very late. I asked a nearby police officer when
the last bus left for <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Modena</st1:place></st1:city>
and where I could catch it and was informed that the last bus had in fact left.
Faced with the sudden issue of how to get home, I left the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mille Miglia Storica</i> and wandered into the city centre to find a
taxi or perhaps book a hotel room for the night. <br />
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In all honesty, I was freaking out a little bit since I had
on me only ten Euros and was not relishing the prospect of hitch hiking or
sleeping in a field! Luckily for me as I passed several shops I noticed a bus
stop where several people were waiting. One of the women told me that the last
bus was due to arrive in two minutes and just as the words came out of her
mouth, the large blue bus rolled around the corner.<br />
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I breathed a huge sigh of relief and assumed position on the
left side; I wanted to see Maranello one more time. As the sun set, the bus
took an unusual route through the town. It wound its way behind the Ferrari
factory where employees usually enter the complex, it passed by people carrying
Ferrari banners as the remaining <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mille
Miglia Storica </i>cars arrived and it drove up the hill that overlooks the
Fiorano circuit. </div>
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As I looked out the window at the miniature cars circulating
around the track below, I felt a huge sense of gratitude for everything that I
have experienced because of Ferrari. Without a doubt I was sad to leave once
again, but I know in my heart that I will be back one day.</div>Danielle Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00770387634241488928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-141587372949480308.post-75994876297445768022012-04-05T15:27:00.001-07:002012-04-06T00:53:21.966-07:00Happy Easter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlQFwPMsZOEZC4M_FgXe2jlcAOEjE_Zac9IemOdjwPcqvDeYVK9oEPDqxICbxbihjug96i64KU5jinJAhy8jFHAi72SP98Ggg1TJzGjPDChMG91wo2FwrQHSAiLKSZp0Kt9-X74fdODm0/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlQFwPMsZOEZC4M_FgXe2jlcAOEjE_Zac9IemOdjwPcqvDeYVK9oEPDqxICbxbihjug96i64KU5jinJAhy8jFHAi72SP98Ggg1TJzGjPDChMG91wo2FwrQHSAiLKSZp0Kt9-X74fdODm0/s640/001.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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Hi Everyone! With Easter approaching I am taking the opportunity to see some more of the country with friends. I won’t tell you where I am going as it may ruin the surprise, but you can definitely expect some beautiful pictures and interesting tales when I return next week! Until then, I leave you with a very embarrassing video of Michael Schumacher…dodgy! <br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylj5CzKPbMQ">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylj5CzKPbMQ</a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
Happy Easter!</div>Danielle Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00770387634241488928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-141587372949480308.post-21723289553405813942012-04-01T10:25:00.001-07:002012-04-01T10:27:08.712-07:00Palm Sunday in Lodi<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimz54duSKbpPtm90ymZ9q8A3QEp6XQFfE8pH6Wkpw731S70wSYPF8Z8kq9Smjj626juBryPFzh_f1Wp2A_CpVKuUSg-OlRcAEnE67nj_NH7TZsrKNvYi9rI22wYgBlL6eCz36Avhe9or0/s1600/094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimz54duSKbpPtm90ymZ9q8A3QEp6XQFfE8pH6Wkpw731S70wSYPF8Z8kq9Smjj626juBryPFzh_f1Wp2A_CpVKuUSg-OlRcAEnE67nj_NH7TZsrKNvYi9rI22wYgBlL6eCz36Avhe9or0/s640/094.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Over the past year, it has become somewhat of a tradition of mine to go for a late morning stroll through <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Lodi</st1:place></st1:city>’s historic centre on a Sunday. Usually many people are out and about and I love the relaxed atmosphere that stresses the importance of family and friends. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Today was no exception and the beautiful April temperatures brought out even more locals than usual. As I wandered down the cobblestoned streets and lanes, I noticed something out of the ordinary. Many people were carrying what appeared to be olive tree branches as they looked in shop windows that have now been decorated for Easter, or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pasqua</i> as it is known in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Italy</st1:country-region></st1:place>. “Ciao Danielle!” I heard a voice ring out over the crowd. It was a friend of mine and I asked her what exactly was going on. “It’s Palm Sunday today!” she replied laughing “Go to the cathedral and you will see for yourself.” I took her advice and headed to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Piazza della Vittoria </i>where the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Basilica Cattedrale della Vergine Assunta </i>is located. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">For those of you who are not familiar with the celebration, Palm Sunday marks the beginning of holy week in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Italy</st1:place></st1:country-region>. It is said to be the day that Jesus Christ rode into <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Jerusalem</st1:place></st1:city> on a donkey and was greeted by hoards of followers. The bible describes how the people lined his path with their cloaks and palm leaves, thus giving birth to the name Palm Sunday. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">When I arrived at the cathedral, many worshipers were entering and exiting the side doors and I decided to do the same. Once inside I saw that there was a service taking place and all of the seats were occupied, with only standing places remaining. I watched from the shadows for one moment, observing the proceedings in silence along with countless others around me. After several minutes, I noticed a large pile of olive branches on the cathedral’s floor. People exiting the church were taking several of them and leaving a small donation in a collection plate that had been placed upon a table near the door. I asked one woman what the olive branches were for and she explained that they had been blessed and that many people would adorn the crucifixes in their homes with them. Apparently they use olive branches in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Italy</st1:place></st1:country-region> because they are easier to obtain than palm leaves. Although I am not religious, I made my offering of one Euro and took a neatly packaged bundle of the branches home with me. Perhaps they will bring me good fortune this year.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">I returned later on in the day to explore the inside of the cathedral for myself without the masses. I figured that since today was a day of religious significance, I might as well immerse myself in all things catholic. While the outside of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">duomo </i>is certainly more impressive than the inside, the cathedral boasts a few beautiful displays. There is also a wonderful museum located up a flight of stairs that houses some of the building’s historic artifacts and sculptures. Oddly enough, although I have lived in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Lodi</st1:place></st1:city> for almost a year now, I had never actually been into the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">duomo</i> until today and the positive experience has definitely spurred me on to check out the insides of more historical buildings in the area.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">After my brush with religion, I elected to explore the Sunday market, which congregates directly behind the cathedral. Although it is not a particularly large market, it is always a fun place to hunt for bargains and to purchase clothing especially. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">On the first Sunday of every month in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Lodi</st1:place></st1:city> there is also an antiques and crafts market which takes place near <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Piazza Castello</i>. This particular market is a treasure trove of oddities and one can spend a great deal of time rummaging through everything from old military helmets to antique furniture. As I strolled at a leisurely pace, greeting various acquaintances of mine along the way, I couldn’t help but feel extremely lucky to be in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Lodi</st1:place></st1:city>. In the background, a band began to play and a man’s voice echoed through the streets. “Summertime, and the living is easy. Fish are jumping and the cotton is high.” He sang with a thick Italian accent. “Your daddy’s rich and your mamma’s good looking. So hush little baby don’t you cry.” It’s moments like these that make you appreciate the beauty of life and pause for just a moment to smell the roses. </span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">While I’m sure that Palm Sunday celebrations may have been more extravagant elsewhere in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Italy</st1:country-region>, the simplicity of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Lodi</st1:place></st1:city>’s observance of the occasion was charming. I love these people’s zest for life and I think that we could all learn a thing or two from the Italians. <o:p></o:p></span></div>Danielle Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00770387634241488928noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-141587372949480308.post-45853258943866556492012-03-30T02:25:00.000-07:002012-03-30T02:25:52.233-07:00Milan: Duomo Rooftop Pictures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The following are some more of my photographs from the rooftop of the gorgeous <em>Duomo di Milano</em>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPfbLbr7bm1BESc7OxcKCDdAwRSlzxq_9-YGa9Ye4YP7fLbpL190FL9Sck0rWfayjefHhY7rO9FGsngRCnxizWrxPJVPR3Jewy98h3jjbRXQFsDdq4LunbAQyOZAgO-zIGdANUYPaY9aI/s1600/092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPfbLbr7bm1BESc7OxcKCDdAwRSlzxq_9-YGa9Ye4YP7fLbpL190FL9Sck0rWfayjefHhY7rO9FGsngRCnxizWrxPJVPR3Jewy98h3jjbRXQFsDdq4LunbAQyOZAgO-zIGdANUYPaY9aI/s640/092.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>Danielle Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00770387634241488928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-141587372949480308.post-55306660615587783862012-03-28T15:58:00.001-07:002012-03-28T16:06:49.955-07:00Milan: The Duomo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFj5O7wxe6S67HDh1CwfWJNIVN-7ZGA7rn4byMDaWIojrd1Kv4EMJzeH864Kbcf7KQdkx0nmN_FK6pD1NlZjsKvIfUHVWqKJAV-9_JIO4xxtIwxL5l2LzC9bdF44tFjLDZiFDoqldPXjc/s1600/021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFj5O7wxe6S67HDh1CwfWJNIVN-7ZGA7rn4byMDaWIojrd1Kv4EMJzeH864Kbcf7KQdkx0nmN_FK6pD1NlZjsKvIfUHVWqKJAV-9_JIO4xxtIwxL5l2LzC9bdF44tFjLDZiFDoqldPXjc/s640/021.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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Things are heating up here in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Italy</st1:place></st1:country-region> all of a sudden. In the past week the temperature has changed from light jacket weather to t-shirt weather and everyone is planning various weekend excursions to nearby cities. As I have mentioned on numerous occasions, <st1:city w:st="on">Lodi</st1:city> is located just outside of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Milan</st1:city></st1:place> and with the cost of a train ticket being less than five Euros, it is the ideal destination for northern Italian day-trippers. <br />
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Amongst all of the highly entertaining things to do in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Milan</st1:city></st1:place> is one landmark that is on every tourist’s must-see list, I am talking about the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Duomo di Milano</i>. Completed in 1965, this gothic masterpiece took almost six centuries to build and is the fourth largest cathedral in the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every year, thousands of people flock to its doors to see what all of the fuss is about for themselves. Last summer, I was one such person. <br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Even though I had heard about the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">duomo</i> before visiting the iconic Italian building, I must admit that I made my way into <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Milan</st1:city></st1:place> on that balmy June afternoon not knowing exactly what to expect. It was my very first time in the city and I had been avoiding it for several weeks because I usually despise tourist traps. Still, many people in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Lodi</st1:city></st1:place> had urged me to visit the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">duomo</i> in particular and I decided that I had to go considering that I live less than half an hour away.</div><br />
As I rode the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Milan</st1:city></st1:place> underground, pretending to be a local, all cool and aloof, I wondered what it was about the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">duomo</i> that made it such a place of interest. I spent several years of my childhood in <st1:country-region w:st="on">England</st1:country-region>, surrounded by the beauty of historical buildings and honestly I couldn’t see how this particular cathedral would be any more spectacular than places like King’s College in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Cambridge</st1:city></st1:place> and Ely Cathedral. <br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Feeling a little jaded as I exited the train at the appropriately named “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Duomo</i>” stop, I made my way through the maze of corridors leading to the exit and followed a sign that pointed up a steep flight of stairs. As I emerged into the daylight that shone on the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Piazza di Duomo</i>, I quickly discovered why the area is so popular. </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9tYRZvPbPemnCmk3bSjmYiylQBfC3xaqBiPxuxDklmqdAqkNBfzy9Ci4CDBBt1b3M01FD2MB9saWSBUGmfSoxtSWlLNglVb7PRwsvYyGsDdvCI6IdR8rYPOiK4r6uS3qb0aTmdVxbMkM/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9tYRZvPbPemnCmk3bSjmYiylQBfC3xaqBiPxuxDklmqdAqkNBfzy9Ci4CDBBt1b3M01FD2MB9saWSBUGmfSoxtSWlLNglVb7PRwsvYyGsDdvCI6IdR8rYPOiK4r6uS3qb0aTmdVxbMkM/s400/001.JPG" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1crCSkeOy_h8IgKUBY9xLynmfLbD4A5-ToqKzMBzxkuzJ-1bTgVUhNZW6Tahyf7rd8nE-9OmJhBrTef5bedHOjoGIna8-6EYZZCxNTiyolYvxx_iISqLi4GpnnSpycoQGM7YR7CmDD4M/s1600/139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1crCSkeOy_h8IgKUBY9xLynmfLbD4A5-ToqKzMBzxkuzJ-1bTgVUhNZW6Tahyf7rd8nE-9OmJhBrTef5bedHOjoGIna8-6EYZZCxNTiyolYvxx_iISqLi4GpnnSpycoQGM7YR7CmDD4M/s400/139.JPG" width="286" /></a></div><br />
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Immediately in front of me, the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">duomo</i> loomed large and hoards of people meandered around it snapping photographs and simply gawking in amazement. Before I could take the view in completely, I was pestered by a man selling birdfeed who promised that he could get several pigeons to perch on my arms should I so desire. I shook my head and scurried away quickly, obviously he was unaware that I have an irrational fear of being licked by a bird. Irrational because birds are certainly not known for their surprise licking attacks, but hey I am sure that there are a lot weirder phobias out there than mine!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxB7Pdh0zAZ9GutheVowysxfoyCaQOx-yMXmxSo7EJK5UQIPpDerEne-VsyerpVzaskn59CV3v2nMc-n9Urpe_L5nUDzdr117ha_Xy3_udldOAsm20a45dlgImZ83nWI2Ea2vX622NjmM/s1600/134.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxB7Pdh0zAZ9GutheVowysxfoyCaQOx-yMXmxSo7EJK5UQIPpDerEne-VsyerpVzaskn59CV3v2nMc-n9Urpe_L5nUDzdr117ha_Xy3_udldOAsm20a45dlgImZ83nWI2Ea2vX622NjmM/s640/134.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">After escaping my near brush with the banes of my existence, I decided to take a closer look at the façade of the building. It is made almost entirely out of white stone and marble and is adorned with literally thousands of intricate carvings. There are statues of interest covering almost every inch of it and it would be impossible to visit the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">duomo </i>and not spot something new regardless of how many times you visit. </div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOTehLlDHrKke3mtx4Au3WSsWnKLb6KBYP-qk6sGImWvK8SxJqINZEQ05FFmVthcZ87FTEHOAFVIT30pYqaZflZzW1qsLSAkp1Km6iPlRdCBj2pSCZED7jekK9JDzAN5jSDVp1yAPXbno/s1600/008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOTehLlDHrKke3mtx4Au3WSsWnKLb6KBYP-qk6sGImWvK8SxJqINZEQ05FFmVthcZ87FTEHOAFVIT30pYqaZflZzW1qsLSAkp1Km6iPlRdCBj2pSCZED7jekK9JDzAN5jSDVp1yAPXbno/s640/008.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Aside from the impressive exterior, one recommendation that Italian friends had given me was to pay the fee and see the roof of the cathedral. Located along the side of the building, the entrance to the staircase that takes you there is hidden away somewhat, but if you ask any of the police officers or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">duomo</i> staff, they will happily point you to the right place. There are two options for visiting the roof; walking up a seemingly endless set of stairs or taking an elevator to the top. The elevator option costs almost twice as much as the stairs and so I decided not to be lazy and challenged myself to the climb.</div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">After paying the fee and passing through a metal detector, I began the ascent up a spiral stone staircase that took me in an anti-clockwise direction. After passing around the corner for the fifth time, I began to feel somewhat dizzy and other tourists around me laughed with one another about the feeling. “Are we there yet?!” hollered one boisterous American woman as she weaved her way around a group of fashionable Japanese youths who had stopped for a breather and asked me to take their picture. Although we were all becoming increasingly exhausted, there was a positive atmosphere in the air and we chatted happily with one another throughout our climb. </div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">When I finally reached the top, I was blown away by the sheer beauty of my surroundings. Never in my life have I see something quite like the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">duomo’s</i> roof. Simply, it was magnificent. It looked like something out of a fantasy novel or one of the “Lord of The Rings” movies. The roof was a treasure trove of white marble statues, each one more stunning than the last. Amongst the statues were white marble staircases that led to various hidden gardens of even more sculptures. I imagined what it would have been like to walk upon the roof as a religious pilgrim several hundreds of years ago. The only word that I could think to describe it was heavenly. In fact, if there is such a thing as heaven, I could picture it looking very much like the roof of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Duomo di Milano</i>. </div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">The various passages and the roof’s twists and turns awakened my curiosity and I longed to explore some of the areas that had been sectioned off from the public because they were deemed too dangerous. Even though I wanted more, I must say that I was extremely impressed with the kind of access that tourists are given. Honestly, for the price of a ticket, you really do get your money’s worth and the views of the city are certainly the best in town. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
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Once I had spent over an hour on the roof, immersed in architecture and history, I decided to take a tour of the inside of the cathedral to complete my<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> duomo</i> experience. As I waited in the line to enter the building, I was thankful that I had worn a cardigan as visitors with bare shoulders, short shorts and mini skirts were being turned away by security personnel at the door. The signs posted inside the building stated “no photographs” but when I finally was allowed inside, I noticed that many people were simply ignoring that rule. </div><br />
Compared to the roof, the inside was nothing spectacular and yet in terms of sheer enormity, the building’s interior was impressive. In particular I enjoyed the large stained glass windows that are located in the south of the cathedral and cover almost the entire wall in a kaleidoscope of rich colour. I also enjoyed peering into the crypts below through small windows on the main floor. These somewhat hidden rooms conjured images of secret meetings and intrigues and stirred the creative writer within me. <br />
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Overall I have to say that the <em>Duomo di Milano</em> is absolutely one of those places that cannot be missed. I started off the day being jaded and dubious and ended it as a wide-eyed tourist with a huge grin on my face. If you only have one hour, go and see the roof and if you have all day, spend it exploring the<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> duomo</i> and the nearby <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Galleria Vittorio Emanuelle II.</i> You may think that you will be bored of the area after several hours, but trust me you need the whole afternoon to really appreciate this architectural gem. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH-Rc3BiGpWBbmW_KtfUhTWgkDGZJOS8pjG3mPQYmMpCL1Cx3sJEBxuM_u-Zq0JzMAFRxARnmgC3ULkkF8TiWz7kBK0ok8iZ_HzssD7q1Bt14M0gqZP8QDPaVKxfjkc5kiDCWugloQJq0/s1600/118.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH-Rc3BiGpWBbmW_KtfUhTWgkDGZJOS8pjG3mPQYmMpCL1Cx3sJEBxuM_u-Zq0JzMAFRxARnmgC3ULkkF8TiWz7kBK0ok8iZ_HzssD7q1Bt14M0gqZP8QDPaVKxfjkc5kiDCWugloQJq0/s640/118.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>Danielle Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00770387634241488928noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-141587372949480308.post-38585922157646596802012-03-26T03:35:00.003-07:002012-03-26T04:11:51.970-07:00Italy’s Gazzetta dello Sport Announces that Alonso is a WizardMaybe it’s just me, but the atmosphere in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Lodi</st1:place></st1:city> today is simply electric. People are walking around with an extra bounce in their step and Ferrari’s thrilling victory in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Malaysia</st1:country-region></st1:place> is on the tip of everyone’s tongue. <br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">I happened to bump into a friend of mine who used to work for Ferrari while on the way to purchase today’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Gazzetta dello Sport</i>. Although she no longer is with the team, she still is very passionate about them and always speaks extremely fondly of her time in Maranello. She beamed at me broadly when she saw me wearing my Ferrari piquet polo shirt and we proceeded to chat excitedly about the race. She had been on the edge of her seat cheering on Fernando Alonso, just as I was and was very happy for the team. When I asked her about Felipe Massa, she replied that she couldn’t see him being replaced before the end of the season. Apparently <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Massa</st1:place></st1:city> is very well liked at Ferrari and even though he is not performing, he still has many friends within the team. </div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">After our very interesting conversation, I grabbed myself a copy of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Gazzetta dello Sport</i> and anxiously rushed home to read it. For those of you who have never heard of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Gazzetta</i>, it is Italy’s favourite daily sports newspaper and often publishes articles about Ferrari that range from celebratory to inflammatory within its light pink pages. Want to know what most Italian <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">tifosi</i> are talking about? Pick up an issue of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Gazzetta dello Sport</i> and read about it. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">An interesting fact about the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Gazzetta</i> is that one Enzo Ferrari even published an article for the newspaper in his youth. After his initial dream of becoming a famous opera singer failed as Enzo simply did not have the talent for the profession, the passionate Ferrari founder began perusing a career in sports journalism. At the tender age of sixteen, he wrote an article titled “Inter <st1:city w:st="on">Milan</st1:city>-<st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Modena</st1:place></st1:city> 7:1” which was published in the famous newspaper. In addition to this, in 1924 Ferrari’s love of journalism saw him become one of the founders of the sporting newspaper <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Corriere dello Sport </i>in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bologna</st1:place></st1:city>. I am always amazed and inspired when I think about Enzo Ferrari’s many accomplishments, he was truly a remarkable person.</div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Back to the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Gazzetta dello Sport</i>, today’s headlines were naturally written in a triumphant tone. “Mago Alonso” or “Wizard Alonso” proclaimed the front page with a picture of a jubilant Alonso celebrating on the podium. Inside the newspaper, amongst the race analysis was an article about Sergio Perez’s remarkable drive. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Il Futuro <span style="color: #eeeeee;">è</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13pt;"> </span>suo</i>” it read, “The Future is his”. </div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">When Perez turned around to look at the Mexican flag as it was being raised on the podium yesterday and then looked out at the crowd with an innocent smile, I couldn’t help but wonder what the future has in store for this talented young man. It seems almost certain that he will be wearing red sometime soon and it is my hope that his drive in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Malaysia</st1:place></st1:country-region> is just the first of many trips to the podium that he will be taking this year.</div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">As for today’s newspaper, I plan on keeping it as a memento of this victory. It now joins my pile of old newspapers that includes headlines such as Jacques Villeneuve’s World championship in 1997 and Rubens Barrichello’s maiden win in 2000. I know that one day I will take it out, dust it off and smile when I relive this wonderful day. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Forza Ferrari</i>!</div>Danielle Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00770387634241488928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-141587372949480308.post-72758961981551998022012-03-25T12:27:00.000-07:002012-03-25T12:27:47.088-07:00Malaysian Grand Prix: Red RevivalToday is a day that will surely live on in the hearts of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">tifosi</i> all over the world for many years to come. Fernando Alonso has emerged as the surprise victor of a chaotic Malaysian Grand Prix that was run in changeable conditions and Sauber’s Sergio Perez has claimed the very first podium finish of his career.<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Ferrari started out the weekend with the same form that they displayed in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix. After Friday’s two practice sessions, Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa could only manage to finish the day in sixth and sixteenth places respectively. Qualifying was a similarly depressing affair, with <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Massa</st1:place></st1:city> failing to reach the final qualifying round for the second weekend in a row and Alonso only able to achieve ninth on the grid. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">It was a telltale sign that the team is experiencing problems with their radical F2012 when Felipe’s engineer, Rob Smedley, reassured his driver over the team radio after Saturday’s session that he had done a decent job, despite only managing to set a time that was good enough to claim twelfth spot. When the field lined up at the start of the race, both McLaren drivers occupied the first two positions and another silver victory looked to be on the cards.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Thankfully the brutal Malaysian weather had other plans for the duo and after the race was initially red flagged due to a torrential downpour, Alonso ended up in first position after some quick work in the pits from his Ferrari team and some bad luck for Lewis Hamilton. Other potential challengers for the win, such as Jenson Button and Sebastian Vettel, suffered minor collisions that put them out of contention for victory. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Alonso led the field for the remainder of the race but not without intense pressure from Sergio Perez. In the final laps, Perez, who had at one point been six seconds adrift of the Spaniard was able to close up right behind the Ferrari. Unfortunately for the little Mexican, it was not to be his day and after making a slight error that caused him to run wide off track, the Sauber driver had to settle for second place. Although they would have preferred the win, the team was ecstatic with the result and Peter Sauber shed tears of joy on the pit wall. Sauber was joined by a very relieved Ferrari crew, who after a week of intense scrutiny in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Italy</st1:place></st1:country-region>, were able to relax if only for a brief moment.</div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">When he was interviewed after the race a calm and collected Stefano Domenicali insisted that the team has a great deal of work to do before they can truly compete with the front running teams. Although he was still drenched in victory champagne and the team was celebrating all around him, the Ferrari team principal was very aware that if the Maranello squad is to keep their newly acquired lead in the driver’s championship they cannot afford to rest on their laurels. </div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Aside from Ferrari’s epic win, here are some of the day’s other stories that caught my eye:</div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="background-color: red;"><span style="color: white;"><st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">1. Massa</st1:place></st1:city> under pressure.</span></span> After Fernando Alonso’s hard won fifth place at last weekend’s Australian Grand Prix, many <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">tifosi</i> began asking exactly where <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Massa</st1:place></st1:city> had been and when we could expect to see his replacement arrive at Ferrari. Despite the intense media scrutiny, Massa maintained that he wasn’t bothered by all of the negative attention and Ferrari decided to ship out a new chassis for him this weekend directly from Maranello as he was sure that the problems of balance that he is said to have experienced in the inaugural race were related to his specific car. “We really think it’s the right thing to do.” The Brazilian stated. “Every time I drove this car, I never had the problems that I had in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Australia</st1:place></st1:country-region>-I could not drive after the first lap.” </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">This weekend, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Massa</st1:city></st1:place> has blamed his fifteenth place finish on tyre degredation and after Sergio Perez challenged for the race win against Alonso, he became one of the most-wanted men in the Formula 1 paddock. It is no secret that Perez has close Ferrari links and he is the favourite to take <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Massa</st1:place></st1:city>’s seat for the 2013 season. Now there is even more speculation that Perez could jump into an F2012 as early as the next race in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">China</st1:place></st1:country-region>. Stefano Domenicali denied the rumour directly after the race and yet I really can’t see how <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Massa</st1:place></st1:city> can carry on this way. I love Felipe and everything that he has achieved for Ferrari in the past. I love his character, his commitment and his passion. Still, all of these things alone are not enough to keep a seat in the competitive world of Formula 1 and Ferrari cannot afford to be overly sentimental during times of desperation. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="background-color: red; color: white;">2. Karthikeyan the cucumber.</span> The HRT team started off the Malaysian Grand Prix weekend by obtaining a dream result by their standards when both of their cars qualified for the race on Sunday. For the habitual back markers, the situation became even better, when an inspired decision to put both cars on wet weather tyres instead of intermediates saw Narain Karthikeyan running in tenth position when the race was red-flagged on lap nine Unfortunately for the Spanish team, points were not on the cards as Pedro de la Rosa suffered issues off the line and Karthikeyan became involved in collisons with several other drivers. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">One of Karthikeyan’s collisions involved Sebastian Vettel, who is no stranger to being adversely affected by the sluggish Indian. In the aftermath of the race, the World Champion slammed the HRT driver in an interview with German television. “Some people need to look more where they are going” He explained. “As in real life, there are a few cucumbers on the road.” The FIA agreed with Vettel’s assessment and penalised Karthikeyan twenty seconds after the chequered flag was dropped. Although disappointing, the result should not deter HRT, who can gain some satisfaction from their improved performance this weekend.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="background-color: red; color: white;">3. Kimi’s nap.</span> Those of you who read my blog regularly will already know that I have a fondness for Kimi Raikkonen and his sometimes dim moments. Today, at the very place where the world first became aware of his love of ice cream, Kimi Raikkonen admitted that he was taking it easy during the race. For the Finn, it was his very first time driving on intermediate or wet tyres and rather than race full out to make up positions, Raikkonen instead concentrated on keeping his car on the road. “I didn’t have any experience driving on the inter tyres or the wet tyres.” He stated. “We’d only done one installation lap and it was a bit odd feeling to go in the race directly with tyres we haven’t run. But I just tried to stay behind the others, stay on the circuit and then push harder and harder. In the end it took a few laps for me to pick up the speed when I changed for the drys but after that it was okay.” </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Raikkonen ended the day in a solid fifth position and brought his points tally for the season up to 16. In contrast, his unlucky team mate, Romain Grosjean, has failed to score a point despite looking very quick in the Lotus. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="background-color: red; color: white;">4. Formula 1 Gazebos.</span> Did anyone else notice the Gazebos that teams such as McLaren, Mercedes and Ferrari erected on the grid when the red flag was waved on lap nine? The colourful tarps sprung up quickly in the torrential rain as team personnel scrambled to protect their precious machinery from the Malaysian downpour. While McLaren and Mercedes had managed to set their mini-fortresses up seemingly instantly, Ferrari took several minutes to figure theirs out. “Ferrari is even slow at erecting gazebos.” Remarked my boyfriend Luca cheekily. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Actually, it really only seems to be the F2012 and Felipe Massa who look slow at Ferrari this year as the team has been fierce in the pits especially. At the Australian Grand Prix, Ferrari had the fastest pit stops of the weekend and today their sound strategic decisions and quick tyre changes enabled Fernando Alonso to take his first win of the season! Good job guys!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Now that the Malaysian Grand Prix is over, the teams will head back home for a short while before travelling to <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Shanghai</st1:place></st1:city> where they will start another Grand Prix weekend in three weeks time. Until then Ferrari can hold their heads high once more, knowing that their driver is leading the world championship and work to make up the performance gap to teams like McLaren and Red Bull. If the season’s first two races are any indication as to what the rest of the year will be like, we are certainly in for a thrilling championship.</div><br />
<span style="background-color: red; color: white;">**Photographs for this post were provided by Gianluca Martini**</span>Danielle Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00770387634241488928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-141587372949480308.post-85824677966776757162012-03-22T16:58:00.002-07:002012-03-22T17:03:47.262-07:00Teaching English as a Foreign LanguageIf you’ve ever lived in a foreign country where the majority of the population do not speak your native language, you understand that finding employment as an outsider can be an especially tricky process. If your language skills are less than perfect, the task ceases to be merely difficult and instead enters the realm of the virtually impossible. <br />
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Thankfully if you are an English native speaker, there is one type of job that you will instantly be able to find, even though you may not feel particularly qualified to do it. No, I am not talking about fruit picking for below average pay, I am of course referring to becoming a language teacher.<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">I was first introduced to language teaching earlier this year when a friend of mine told me that her husband was looking to improve his English. At first I was a little bit apprehensive but after several lessons and once I got into the swing of things, I became hooked. I love the idea that I am enriching someone else’s life and in my case, also improving my Italian. Even though for me teaching is only a hobby that I share with Italian friends of mine, from what I have observed if you are looking to make money teaching in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Italy</st1:place></st1:country-region> there are many opportunities to do so.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBUPM6qQzUySIs3fTwwZxjPNIKylpO6vOh8i5iVzzPVtwXYFlKleRVpXB6_4A5l_yLrtG3hx_arF2mI7bYGzUPVwaxfb1k6PZvx1VlW8faEb4F0oWBPfIVoMrMAAWuWj85dYNbBpUl4tE/s1600/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBUPM6qQzUySIs3fTwwZxjPNIKylpO6vOh8i5iVzzPVtwXYFlKleRVpXB6_4A5l_yLrtG3hx_arF2mI7bYGzUPVwaxfb1k6PZvx1VlW8faEb4F0oWBPfIVoMrMAAWuWj85dYNbBpUl4tE/s640/002.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">The following are therefore some of my recommendations for teaching English as a second language:</div><br />
<span style="background-color: red; color: white;">1. Have a plan.</span> I remember when I was younger and first moved away from <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Montreal</st1:city>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Canada</st1:country-region></st1:place> where I am originally from. My mother hired a French teacher to come and speak with me once a week. It was her hope that I would be able to maintain my fluency in the language despite no longer being exposed to it on a regular basis. Unfortunately for me, the teacher was unprepared and never had a plan. As a result my French suffered and I am sad to say that it is now even worse than my German! The lesson that I learnt from this experience is to always have a decent lesson plan. I usually type my plans up on paper because they look more organised that way and also so that my students have room to make notes about the things that we have discussed. <br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="background-color: red; color: white;">2. Communicate.</span> A thirteen year old girl will not want the same kinds of lessons as the forty five year old C.E.O of a multi-national company. Make sure that you get to know your student before making lesson plans and check in after every lesson. I usually spend about five minutes at the end of a session talking about potential subjects of interest and also which particular activities the student found especially helpful.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="background-color: red; color: white;">3. Mix it up.</span> Nobody likes to do the same boring thing day in and day out. Instead of being predictable, challenge your student by constantly thinking of new activities that stimulate your student’s senses. The quickest way to fluency is to immerse yourself in a language and your student will absorb far more information if your lessons are interactive as well as informative. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="background-color: red; color: white;">4. Be punctual and professional.</span> I know that this sounds like a given, but you would be surprised how many people comment about my punctuality. Apparently a good English teacher is hard to find. Always show up to your lessons five minutes early and don’t clock watch. Be patient, understanding and respectful of your student at all times no matter how many mistakes that they initially make. Always dress conservatively for lessons, no cleavage bearing tops or ultra short skirts. Don't be overly casual even if you are just participating in a language exchange.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="background-color: red; color: white;">5.Have fun.</span> If you are sitting across from your student twiddling your thumbs and yawning for the majority of the lesson, your lack of enthusiasm will rub off onto him or her. Show passion for your language and don’t be afraid to improvise from time to time. If you see teaching a language as a job, chances are your student will see learning a language as a chore but if you see it as an opportunity to get to know some wonderful people, everyone will have a fun and educational time! </div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">I hope that these tips have helped you. Like I said, I am not a professional language teacher and I do not earn a living from teaching. Instead I have forged some wonderful friendships and learnt a language along the way. Knowledge is an amazing thing and there is no better feeling in the world than when you empower another person with it. Good luck!</div>Danielle Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00770387634241488928noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-141587372949480308.post-77434299831192140662012-03-21T16:12:00.002-07:002012-03-21T16:23:05.466-07:00Ask Gianluca: MelbourneGianluca Martini is a rare type of enthusiast. He is one of the biggest Ferrari fans that I have ever met and yet his passion for motorsports and Formula 1 in particular mean that he values good racing over results. With more than thirty years of Formula 1 viewing under his belt, the <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Melbourne</st1:place></st1:city> native has been enamoured with cars for as far back as he can remember. Add to that an engineering degree and you get one extremely well-educated fanatic. Since getting to know him, I have come to view Gianluca as an invaluable source of both information and witty commentary. He has a talent for picking drivers who will be the next big thing and for remembering obscure facts that most of us have long forgotten. <br />
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<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;">This past weekend, Gianluca was fortunate enough to attend the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne and with Albert Park also being his home circuit, I decided that he would be the ideal person to give me the inside scoop on the Australian Grand Prix. Earlier today I asked him some questions about what the event was really like.</div><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: blue;"><strong>Danielle:</strong> As you know, I’ve never been to Albert Park during a Grand Prix Weekend before. What is the atmosphere like throughout the event?</span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg88VsDVhbNThz3E91r-UiWCd7ho6LkeOI_xhFiP11OoH_oVbSQ0IIEER9jk1kYf6VVvDKe2WRxgSC9zbisslcmnFXf3lbYvFmKJzTHsuSRo5pl2Y2ggi8VrCZtVy4ssjjDHjAhgY8Q04Q/s1600/422.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg88VsDVhbNThz3E91r-UiWCd7ho6LkeOI_xhFiP11OoH_oVbSQ0IIEER9jk1kYf6VVvDKe2WRxgSC9zbisslcmnFXf3lbYvFmKJzTHsuSRo5pl2Y2ggi8VrCZtVy4ssjjDHjAhgY8Q04Q/s640/422.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;"><strong>Gianluca:</strong> It’s a good atmosphere but generally speaking people aren’t Formula 1 enthusiasts. They’re present more so because it’s a big event. In terms of knowledge I would say that it’s average which is slightly disappointing really. It doesn’t compare to <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Monza</st1:place></st1:city> for instance, where you know that most of the crowd are motor-racing enthusiasts. In <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Melbourne</st1:place></st1:city>, I feel the race is seen more as a social event than a motor race.</div><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: blue;"><strong>Danielle:</strong> Are you saying that there are no Formula 1 fanatics in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Melbourne</st1:place></st1:city>?</span></span><br />
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<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;"><strong>Gianluca:</strong> Not at all! There are some die-hard Formula 1 fans definitely, but not like in <st1:place w:st="on">Europe</st1:place> where the majority seem to know what they're talking about. This weekend for instance, I had to explain to a guy sitting in front of me that Michael Schumacher made his come back in 2010, not this year!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpcY7BKLuHvPrzj5RQ4CFwW7ecpfk_FCdLjI8rFdhc7mKLRR7wt-Nv4efws0QkvtTrWz5mLnkSbe1dj81s7CJWbRAdT_U34-flTeLtS3wyZL8dvhKQRv8LOWivNQIFrlT2awi9Q-6GBqQ/s1600/Askluca3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpcY7BKLuHvPrzj5RQ4CFwW7ecpfk_FCdLjI8rFdhc7mKLRR7wt-Nv4efws0QkvtTrWz5mLnkSbe1dj81s7CJWbRAdT_U34-flTeLtS3wyZL8dvhKQRv8LOWivNQIFrlT2awi9Q-6GBqQ/s640/Askluca3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;"><br />
</div><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: blue;"><strong>Danielle:</strong> So tell me more about your personal experience. Where were you sitting?</span></span><br />
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<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;"><strong>Gianluca:</strong> I was sitting on the start/finish straight directly in front of seventh position on the grid.</div><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: blue;"><strong>Danielle:</strong> What was that like?</span></span><br />
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<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;"><strong>Gianluca:</strong> It was great for the start of the race and the pit stops. It was also exciting to see the beginning of a slipstream manoeuvre. Specifically Alonso would get sooo close to the car in front a few times I thought he was going to fly over his back wheels, the precision was extraordinary. All of the aircraft displays and action are centred around the start/finish straight, but in terms of seeing Formula 1 performance, apart from at the start, it’s probably not the best place.</div><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: blue;"><strong>Danielle:</strong> So if you could sit anywhere on the circuit, where would you sit?</span></span><br />
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<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;"><strong>Gianluca:</strong> At turn eleven/twelve, which is a fast chicane where the apex speed is around 220kph. Turns one and two is also a good position to sit, drivers tend to get greedy under brakes and more often than not drift wide across the Astroturf or gravel trap - I think it must be the most used run-off area in the whole Formula 1 calendar!</div><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: blue;"><strong>Danielle:</strong> Friday must have been brutal with the weather being so changeable. How did you manage to keep dry?</span></span><br />
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<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;"><strong>Gianluca:</strong> Huddled under a plastic poncho that I brought with me to the track. As a Melbournian I know that it can rain at any given moment regardless of what the weather forecast is or what the sky currently appears to be!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaWeQ20Z5dIJalORaxhQwcQGumUjBFDA7rh57g1kt5Z1O0DHmcUqhN5kdLUT6902X_wbkLNBo6Xu6Z2IWsD9URhhU8mQjhB514aYbUpHnAfNEgx3RVIGeokFu-3CBLv-c4lNJhGOCrRO0/s1600/Askluca4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaWeQ20Z5dIJalORaxhQwcQGumUjBFDA7rh57g1kt5Z1O0DHmcUqhN5kdLUT6902X_wbkLNBo6Xu6Z2IWsD9URhhU8mQjhB514aYbUpHnAfNEgx3RVIGeokFu-3CBLv-c4lNJhGOCrRO0/s640/Askluca4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;"><br />
</div><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: blue;"><strong>Danielle:</strong> What about what other people were wearing? What was the funniest fan outfit that you saw all weekend?</span></span><br />
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<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;"><strong>Gianluca:</strong> There was a woman in my grandstand who was wearing a Ferrari cat hat, it had two ears and a cat's tail. I’ve never seen a Ferrari cat hat before and I have no idea what a cat has to do with Ferrari. It was certainly unique; I’ve never seen them sold anywhere.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP-DJHibcECmGPQD7BQtR2h_qEHJCTa5a2S1nWQsosuesvigzZLppzu3QnLi0z-5-sVWx3sqHgWfSqh8MqzO1uW66Of2p_PNzPS1H1jNXv5Tf9bG0EdKYgCW8urukr2yUxnLxZYm1NmX8/s1600/Askluca2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP-DJHibcECmGPQD7BQtR2h_qEHJCTa5a2S1nWQsosuesvigzZLppzu3QnLi0z-5-sVWx3sqHgWfSqh8MqzO1uW66Of2p_PNzPS1H1jNXv5Tf9bG0EdKYgCW8urukr2yUxnLxZYm1NmX8/s640/Askluca2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;"><br />
</div><div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;"><span style="background-color: blue;"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Danielle:</strong> If you had to guess, what would you say that cats have to do with Ferrari?</span></span></div><strong>Gianluca:</strong> Maybe she’s a <st1:city w:st="on">Massa</st1:city> fan and believes that <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Massa</st1:place></st1:city> deserves nine lives. At the current rate, he'll need 20 though, one for each race haha. She was clearly a Ferrari fan; she had the jacket, the t-shirt and clearly the quintessential Ferrari cat hat!<br />
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<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: blue;"><strong>Danielle:</strong> Aside from people wearing strange outfits, did you notice anyone else who was interesting at the track? What about celebrities?</span></span></div><strong>Gianluca:</strong> I saw plenty of drivers and team personnel because I was sitting right in front of the pits but one that stands out in my mind is Lenny Kravitz. He looked absolutely ridiculous with his beanie and dark sunglasses even though it was nearly night time and pissing down with rain. Then he mentioned something about not knowing anything about Formula 1, yet he got a personal garage tour of McLaren and I had to sit out in the rain! Yes I’m a disgruntled fan…damn you celebrities!<br />
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<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;"><span style="background-color: blue;"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Danielle:</strong> Let’s talk about the actual racing itself. Was there anything that you noticed that people watching the race on television might have missed?</span></span></div><strong>Gianluca:</strong> Kimi Raikkonen’s start! It was fantastic because he just shot between two cars. People watching on television would have probably been concentrating on the front of the grid as opposed to eighteenth position. Vitaly Petrov also stopped right in front of me when he had his steering problem. And of course Alonso's millimetre perfect overtaking moves, unfortunately mostly on lapped cars!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaj3ehacvWnHsR5W4Yl7XiSvihio1KgCVQo7cEOexfIEieg9fWG-1v3zAvhECLWmSyf-UUGW_unB-7ZXVbqX8zgg5A9Q4Fg9IF4z18hHITJJ3qcsEP8pA4glhaKCkFy8ayDSp5XXGUAx4/s1600/Askluca6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaj3ehacvWnHsR5W4Yl7XiSvihio1KgCVQo7cEOexfIEieg9fWG-1v3zAvhECLWmSyf-UUGW_unB-7ZXVbqX8zgg5A9Q4Fg9IF4z18hHITJJ3qcsEP8pA4glhaKCkFy8ayDSp5XXGUAx4/s640/Askluca6.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: blue;"><strong>Danielle:</strong> What about the cars themselves, did you notice anything that was of particular interest to you?</span></span></div><strong>Gianluca:</strong> I spent a fair bit of time trying to work out how the DRS F duct stalls the front wing of the Mercedes.<br />
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<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: blue;"><strong>Danielle:</strong> Did you manage to work it out in the end?</span></span></div><strong>Gianluca:</strong> Schumacher spun in free practice three and got stuck in the gravel. The crane had to lift his car up and he was standing in front of the front wing to block any views of this DRS F Duct device. You could tell that he was trying to block it because he was spreading his arms out and ensuring the car wouldn’t be lifted too high so nobody could see under it. Obviously that means there is something to the rumours and that the system exists because thus far it has only been speculation really.<br />
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<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;"><span style="background-color: blue;"><span style="color: white;"><strong>Danielle:</strong> What about HRT? Exactly how bad is their car in person?</span></span></div><strong>Gianluca:</strong> I actually really like the car! I think it’s one of the best looking cars on the grid in terms of the shape and the minimalist colour scheme is classy but it’s visibly slow, even in a straight line.<br />
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<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: blue;"><strong>Danielle:</strong> What was your favourite support race category this year?</span></span></div><strong>Gianluca:</strong> Australian V8 Supercars. They have probably the best set of drivers outside of the Formula 1 grid at Albert Park and usually produce close racing along with a fair bit of commotion.<br />
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<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: blue;"><strong>Danielle:</strong> Was there anything about this year’s V8 events that stood out to you?</span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span></div><strong>Gianluca:</strong> The stupid rules that they trialed. First there’s a qualifying 'race' and every three laps the last three cars are eliminated until there are ten cars left. At this point, if the ten cars are too far apart they call out the safety car to bunch the field up and then restart the race for the remaining 8 odd laps.<br />
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<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: blue;"><strong>Danielle:</strong> That’s one way to force competition. It makes DRS look tame.</span></span></div><strong>Gianluca:</strong> Yes, it makes DRS almost seem like a good idea doesn’t it? To be honest I’m not entirely sure that I dislike DRS. What I don’t like about it is that it gives only one car the opportunity to use it at a time. The driver who’s the faster car is in front but with DRS, he’s disadvantaged by being in front which is against the whole point of motor racing. In terms of overtaking though it’s no different to the turbo boost button they had back in the 1980s although then you could also use it defensively too.<br />
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<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: blue;"><strong>Danielle:</strong> Imagine if DRS had been around when Gilles Villeneuve was driving. It would have certainly altered his legend.</span></span></div><strong>Gianluca:</strong> Yes, he’d have been in trouble. One of the skills of motor racing is being able to defend your position. With DRS, and if both cars have similar performance, you almost have no chance.<br />
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<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: blue;"><strong>Danielle:</strong> Alright, time for a conclusion. What is the most annoying thing about Albert Park as a venue?</span></span></div><div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;"><strong>Gianluca:</strong> I don’t particularly like the layout of the circuit. There are too many chicanes and left/right or right/left combinations. It doesn’t have a nice flow to it, not until the last sector anyway. The other thing would be vantage points. It’s not like Sepang for instance, where you can sit in one spot and see most of the track. All the views are pretty limited.</div><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: blue;"><strong>Danielle:</strong> I know what you mean, <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Canada</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s like that too.</span></span><br />
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<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;"><strong>Gianluca:</strong> Yes, because they’re both street circuits essentially, surrounded by concrete walls and trees.</div><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: blue;"><strong>Danielle: </strong>Finally, what is the best thing about Albert Park as a venue?</span></span><br />
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<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;"><strong>Gianluca:</strong> The organisation is excellent, you'd have to try really hard to get lost going to/from the circuit or making your way around it. It’s a four day event and the programme is filled with so many things to see and do, both off and on the track. There are historic parades, car shows, aircraft displays, stunt motorcycle displays, concerts, 'jet pack man' and a massive support race program including V8 Supercars and the Porsche Carrera Cup. It’s pretty impressive, there is something going on all the time. There’s almost too much choice, you literally could not see everything.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz2bx8unXYKULIo4qbPKrjyXMo2CnIbOCy3VtUV8l8NhOorhvr_HW93eLeAX64goXN8qv6BzIfe5oF4QQ0gYwO-ILTYLEiwvmxuME6y16e-v6mVBOZ4CmBizahm3ncLr2QWemol4-uI4Y/s1600/Askluca1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz2bx8unXYKULIo4qbPKrjyXMo2CnIbOCy3VtUV8l8NhOorhvr_HW93eLeAX64goXN8qv6BzIfe5oF4QQ0gYwO-ILTYLEiwvmxuME6y16e-v6mVBOZ4CmBizahm3ncLr2QWemol4-uI4Y/s640/Askluca1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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</div><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: blue;"><strong>Danielle:</strong> Did you say 'jet pack man'?</span></span><br />
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<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt; tab-stops: 36.0pt;"><strong>Gianluca:</strong> Yes, he’s basically a guy with a jet pack who flies for a pretty short amount of time, like 10 seconds, until his fuel runs out. There’s a video of him on Youtube actually.<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VL4Hfr2v64c" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VL4Hfr2v64c</span></a> He was on the pit straight and trying to fly over a bridge, it was bloody loud. Unfortunately one of the days he couldn’t do it because he had a problem with his jet pack and only hovered a metre off the ground - understandable as you don't want to be falling from a 20 metre height with only your legs cushioning the landing!</div><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: blue;"><strong>Danielle:</strong> Sounds epic. What was his name?</span></span><br />
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<div class="ecxmsonormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 16.2pt;"><strong>Gianluca:</strong> Jet pack man…literally.</div><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: blue;"><strong>Danielle:</strong> I love Australians!</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: red; color: white;">**Photographs for this article were generously provided by Gianluca Martini**</span>Danielle Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00770387634241488928noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-141587372949480308.post-46071816314483156702012-03-19T03:50:00.003-07:002012-03-19T03:57:41.521-07:00Recco Part Two: Basking Amidst Beauty<span style="color: #f3f3f3;">As I mentioned in my blog post last Tuesday I was fortunate enough to get to spend several days on the beaches of Recco this summer. After an initial day that was filled with rain and produced some quite dramatic photographs, I went to bed hoping for sunshine and an authentic taste of Italian beach culture in the morning.<o:p></o:p> </span><br />
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3;">When I awoke the next day my prayers had been answered. The sun shone brightly, people wandered about wearing shorts and dresses in the streets below my hotel and there was not a cloud in the sky. After eating a very relaxing breakfast on my hotel’s terrace, I changed into my bikini and a sundress and set off for the closest beach, which was located only a few steps away from the Hotel Elena. Once again the hotel’s receptionist proved to be helpful and gave me the advice not to pay the twenty Euros that it costs to visit one of the tourist beaches but instead to bring a towel and set myself up beside them for free. She also offered me a massive beach umbrella, which she said that the hotel would normally charge for but that because I was staying multiple nights she would allow me to have at no cost.</span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">When I arrived at the beach, the atmosphere was very laid back. It was still fairly early in the morning and there were only a few locals sprawled out on their towels, basking in the sun. I put my towel down on the rocks and lathered myself in sunscreen because I am insanely pale and always manage to get myself burnt if I spend more than several hours outside. Although the rain had stopped, the current was strong and the red caution flags that I had first noticed on the previous afternoon still warned potential swimmers that the water was far too dangerous to frolic in. I am a very strong swimmer and in my youth even competed at a high level so I decided to try and wade out to see what the water was really like for myself. Almost immediately I discovered that swimming was going to be impossible as the current pulled me out into the ocean and I struggled to make it back onto land. When the Italians say that the water is dangerous, they really aren’t exaggerating!<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">After my escape from the abnormally strong waters, I elected to follow the example set by the locals and attempted to cultivate one of those beautiful golden brown Italian tans that many of them sport. Almost as soon as I had assumed my relaxation position, a tall man was standing in front of me, blocking the sunlight. He had with him a massive collection of handbags and spoke with an accent. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Ciao bella, la borsa!”</i> he exclaimed, which made me laugh because I couldn’t imagine who would want to buy a designer knock-off purse while attempting to sunbathe. The whole thing was a little bit strange but I never felt threatened and once it became clear that I wasn’t interested in anything that he was peddling, he moved along. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">After lying out there for a few hours and eating several popsicles and a hotdog, I decided to go for a walk and explore the coast in the daylight. As I made my way up the hill towards the cliffs that I had seen on the previous night, I noticed something very funny and amazing. Nestled amongst the rocks was a small bar that was serving alcoholic beverages. It was a beautiful setting and I’m sure that it gets a lot of business, but I also couldn’t help but think about how extremely dangerous it was. Considering that there were no barriers and one could simply wander off the cliff and onto the jagged rocks below if they were not careful, I definitely don’t think that I would choose it as a drinking destination. Still, there were many locals out on the high rocks, with the waves crashing below them, baking in the sun and laughing with their friends.</span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">After marvelling at the Italians and their easygoing attitude, I found my way onto a little rock beach where many people had congregated. This was definitely no tourist destination and the only language that I could hear around me was Italian. While most people applied sunscreen and worked on their tans, a few were sitting out on the large rocks, with their feet dangling in the water, I decided to join then. Almost immediately when I sat down, a friendly local struck up a conversation. She was retired and had chosen to live in Recco because it was lovely place that was close to her family in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Milan</st1:place></st1:city>. When I asked her about the weather and horrible water conditions, she replied that it was extremely abnormal not to be able to swim in the water and that usually many people swim far out onto rocks that are located off shore. It was a real shame and I absolutely longed to have an experience like that. Still, the crashing waves, that splashed cooling water onto my body every few minutes, were refreshing and I had a wonderful day.</span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3;">Overall Recco is a brilliant place to have a vacation but just keep in mind that it can be a bit of a rip-off if you go to the more touristy places. My recommendation is to explore the area a little bit before picking your final sunbathing spot and to ask the locals about their favourite beaches if you are in doubt. Hopefully I will get to visit the area again in the near future, when the weather is a little bit better and I am able to swim in the water.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB7AmDtystlm4egfrEFG0B95JFGtQlNKG89zy8DRCzJIY7V6-oHbtr1bwFeUOxhQNifst6Ml4-xRB4bDM5z6g5DO3_jK6KAD6wEGuwFQ-5pPgsN3FiQWqaTbMUegsABqMtc6Et1DhN3ZA/s1600/095.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB7AmDtystlm4egfrEFG0B95JFGtQlNKG89zy8DRCzJIY7V6-oHbtr1bwFeUOxhQNifst6Ml4-xRB4bDM5z6g5DO3_jK6KAD6wEGuwFQ-5pPgsN3FiQWqaTbMUegsABqMtc6Et1DhN3ZA/s400/095.JPG" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF7YLqYC4iZwADAiohnkG_QoS82ggsZUU8k-mAVywri1AJrFg6MzRpTgr7J7d8nIOScgzIItjTZcNAgiVXNSFBOZIvtB2dxO6ShCa39U4WgcN4Hh3rF-PB4OML3T0EaumQUIIu3bbQ7yI/s1600/104.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF7YLqYC4iZwADAiohnkG_QoS82ggsZUU8k-mAVywri1AJrFg6MzRpTgr7J7d8nIOScgzIItjTZcNAgiVXNSFBOZIvtB2dxO6ShCa39U4WgcN4Hh3rF-PB4OML3T0EaumQUIIu3bbQ7yI/s400/104.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>Danielle Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00770387634241488928noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-141587372949480308.post-56091731316126088022012-03-18T14:39:00.003-07:002012-03-19T16:40:41.741-07:00Australian Grand Prix: Race ReportMcLaren’s Jenson Button has won a thrilling Australian Grand Prix ahead of Sebastian Vettel and the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Scuderia</i> Ferrari has achieved its goal of finishing the first race of the season in the points, much to my great relief. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcsJc-UHzW_i7A89PjBoWOkNKV8erXpReCllS5wCp7vCXDysb4sAUCZGzvzkopwUmCQOyLaSp2ZDXP7zGCPUArXalEvsLuhaq-DjJsA1A1-be2H0OfuVQIvklGijKLenpupr7gSGe1Huk/s1600/Aussiegp11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcsJc-UHzW_i7A89PjBoWOkNKV8erXpReCllS5wCp7vCXDysb4sAUCZGzvzkopwUmCQOyLaSp2ZDXP7zGCPUArXalEvsLuhaq-DjJsA1A1-be2H0OfuVQIvklGijKLenpupr7gSGe1Huk/s640/Aussiegp11.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw8PaneEBSKQ_LnhZ7XMXdGuZl1EIEM-cMX9J-QVVVCbbplOl3prGaAwyV8AjjEjgjMdetjgxyxtIidUb-APfBjgPj5k8v5sIswSMT1LYrr5MikLDGQYdVeDqPKjQ96-zcB4ib1StL0iE/s1600/Aussiegp9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw8PaneEBSKQ_LnhZ7XMXdGuZl1EIEM-cMX9J-QVVVCbbplOl3prGaAwyV8AjjEjgjMdetjgxyxtIidUb-APfBjgPj5k8v5sIswSMT1LYrr5MikLDGQYdVeDqPKjQ96-zcB4ib1StL0iE/s400/Aussiegp9.jpg" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTUK08ZCBGy4GKYqh13bg2eAldaKn5xsP9gu5SSL8LlmNMd35R2_p0X49OCJs1QWNtWU8Nu_fWKNpJQFENy1tGNVYgtFEvWyISS1cyEhV7SAxwRaxeFPmnMou627W6csLCuFWRUvR6fZQ/s1600/Aussiegp12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTUK08ZCBGy4GKYqh13bg2eAldaKn5xsP9gu5SSL8LlmNMd35R2_p0X49OCJs1QWNtWU8Nu_fWKNpJQFENy1tGNVYgtFEvWyISS1cyEhV7SAxwRaxeFPmnMou627W6csLCuFWRUvR6fZQ/s400/Aussiegp12.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />
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A few years ago, I would have been incredibly disappointed if Ferrari had only managed to achieve ten points at the season opening Grand Prix and would have most likely been ranting and raving about what an epic disaster it was on this very blog…my how things change. With the way that the F2012 has been performing and after yesterday’s dismal qualifying session, I am viewing Fernando Alonso’s fifth place finish today as a minor miracle. <br />
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The brilliant Spaniard, who began the race with one of his trademark position-gaining starts, managed to take his Ferrari from a lowly twelfth place on the grid and salvaged somewhat of a decent result. In fact, in his hands the Ferrari did not look bad at times, largely thanks to an inspired team decision to switch to medium tyres at the first pit stop. Alonso put in a handful of fast laps and ran as high as fourth position before tyre degradation meant that he came under pressure from the Williams of Pastor Maldonado in the later stages of the race. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicSTWfaLIeXtYmGN-ht63tJI_JXr8rqflLRyqhmFsw0nPjiBwMbgHbEDyIPdeu0lX4Zs_y_urP-GmGVb6GGqJE8fyjhds3lK5FH98FdYGFcH_QnxB4k28uZgo9wzlQPAbFJAdCe1mjP3A/s1600/Aussiegp5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicSTWfaLIeXtYmGN-ht63tJI_JXr8rqflLRyqhmFsw0nPjiBwMbgHbEDyIPdeu0lX4Zs_y_urP-GmGVb6GGqJE8fyjhds3lK5FH98FdYGFcH_QnxB4k28uZgo9wzlQPAbFJAdCe1mjP3A/s640/Aussiegp5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">In contrast to Alonso’s performance, Felipe Massa had a lacklustre race, never featuring amongst the leaders and running outside of the top ten for the majority of the day. When Bruno Senna attempted to pass his countryman on lap 48, the pair collided, ending <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Massa</st1:place></st1:city>’s disastrous opening weekend.</div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">In the aftermath of the race, the Ferrari driver blamed his woes on tyre wear, resulting from the F2012’s poor balance. After having a terrible season last year, however, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Massa</st1:city></st1:place> has used up all of his get out of jail free cards and it seems as though the writing is on the wall for him. Sauber’s Sergio Perez, who is also part of the Ferrari Driver Academy, put in a fine drive today to reach an eventual eighth place and there is no doubt in my mind that speculation will begin shortly about exactly when he will usurp Massa’s position within Ferrari.</div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Aside from Ferrari’s race, there were of course many other highlights from the afternoon and the following are just five of my favourite talking points from the day:</div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><strong><span style="background-color: red; color: white;">1. Kimi’s confusion.</span> </strong>After starting his return to Formula 1 off with a disappointing eighteenth position on the grid, Kimi Raikkonen was keen to prove exactly why he is a former World Champion in the Lotus. The sometimes too relaxed Finn, who is known as the iceman, put in a solid performance to end the day in seventh position. While weaving his way through traffic, the thirty two year-old came across several blue flags which were meant to warn backmarkers to make way for the leaders. Instead of ignoring them, however, a confused Raikkonen radioed his engineer, Mark Slade frantically asking what they were there for. “Blue flags are for cars behind Kimi, they’re not for you.” Was Slade’s somewhat amused answer.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: blue; color: white;">2. The safety car.</span></b> Being the first race of the season, there was always bound to be at least one safety car period for the drivers to contend with. Even though the majority of the field were fairly well-behaved in the early stages of the race, the stewards were forced to call the safety car out on lap 37 when Vitaly Petrov’s Caterham ground to a stop on the start/finish straight. The timing played right into the hands of Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel as both McLarens, who were at the time running in first and second position respectively, had pitted on the previous lap. Vettel was able to use the safety car to his advantage as his rivals circulated slowly around Albert Park and emerged from the pit lane in front of Lewis Hamilton. This year the FIA have reintroduced the rule where lapped cars are allowed to unlap themselves during a safety car period. In my opinion this is a fantastic thing as it ensures a straight fight between the main contenders once the race is restarted. Critics of the rule say that it adds to the time that the safety car remains on the circuit and that overtaking backmarkers should be a part of any racing drivers skill set. What do you think about it? <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNmH1ZUBK3vQs48FCbEq7koCKvDKnpKbTyDPQnqfADOIwyIwGSpTyELrvYiZp1Pr-1pp5atM3wUBSJfdTOO-gfEPb8D-5PguHv52X0P5npxC8cFkVcR7AO6459HQXF1TUp6ZrNL4tFsbo/s1600/Aussiegp7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNmH1ZUBK3vQs48FCbEq7koCKvDKnpKbTyDPQnqfADOIwyIwGSpTyELrvYiZp1Pr-1pp5atM3wUBSJfdTOO-gfEPb8D-5PguHv52X0P5npxC8cFkVcR7AO6459HQXF1TUp6ZrNL4tFsbo/s640/Aussiegp7.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="background-color: red;"><span style="color: white;"><strong>3.</strong> </span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: red; color: white;">A resurgent Williams catches an unlucky break.</span> </b>Poor Williams. After impressing throughout the weekend, somehow the former championship winning squad managed to leave <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Melbourne</st1:place></st1:city> without a single point to their name. It looked as though Pastor Maldonado was about to finish the race in sixth position when he made a silly mistake and slammed his car quite violently into the wall. Perhaps in that moment Frank Williams lamented his decision not to keep Rubens Barrichello on for one more season. Still, Williams can gain some comfort in the knowledge that their new chassis is clearly a great deal more competitive that last year’s beast, the FW33 and surely the team’s first points of the season will come sooner rather than later.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: blue; color: white;">4. Australian drivers perform on home soil.</span></b> Australian natives Mark Webber and Daniel Ricciardo both started off their seasons with solid drives in front of their home crowd. For Webber, his fourth place finish was the highest that he has ever achieved in Australia and Ricciardo took the ninth spot to complete a dream weekend for him that saw him make the final part of qualifying for the first time in his career. No doubt there will be more to come from the young Toro Rosso driver.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="background-color: red;"><span style="color: white;"><strong>5.</strong> <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Hamilton</b></st1:place></st1:city></span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: red; color: white;"> eats his words.</span> </b>Am I the only one who dislikes the way that Lewis Hamilton clearly thinks that he is a better driver than Jenson Button? Probably not. Before the season began, <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Hamilton</st1:place></st1:city> was quoted as saying that he wasn’t concerned about finishing last year with fewer points than Button and implied that the result had to do with his own mistakes rather than a particularly brilliant performance from his team mate. When the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Britain</st1:place></st1:country-region> put his McLaren on pole position yesterday it seemed as though there may have been some truth to his words and that we were about to experience a dominant win from the former champion. Good thing that his team mate was having none of it. When Button was interviewed by Martin Brundle on the grid, he seemed calm and confident and after the lights went out in Albert Park, he carried that attitude through into the race. Button’s driving was reminiscent of the kind of form that saw him win the 2009 World Championship with Brawn GP and he proved today that his wonderful season last year was no fluke. He is certainly far too much of a gentleman to say this himself, so I will say it for him…ha ha! <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Now that the inaugural weekend of the 2012 world championship is over, the teams must quickly pack everything up and make their way to <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Malaysia</st1:place></st1:country-region>, where the Formula 1 circus will reconvene in less than one week’s time. Until then I leave you with Kimi’s conversation with Mark Slade: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDfOmEIt_As"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDfOmEIt_As</span></a></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="background-color: red; color: white;">**Photographs for this blog post were generously provided by Gianluca Martini.**</span></div>Danielle Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00770387634241488928noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-141587372949480308.post-20637798679645553902012-03-18T06:37:00.001-07:002012-03-19T16:29:06.071-07:00Australian Grand Prix: Qualifying<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Yesterday in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Melbourne</st1:place></st1:city>, the twenty four cars that normally make up the Formula 1 grid took to Albert Park to find out once and for all where they stand after a long winter of testing and development. When the lights turned green for the first part of the inaugural race’s qualifying session, teams scrambled to get their cars out on track in the glorious Australian sunshine after poor weather limited their running yesterday. </div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Almost immediately, Narain Karthikeyan proved to be an irritation in his troubled HRT. The Indian driver played the part of mobile chicane, blocking both world champion, Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, causing the pair to wave their fists angrily as they finally made their way past. After qualifying well outside the 107 percent rule, both HRTs were refused permission to race from the stewards and will have to hope that they can find a spot on the grid in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Malaysia</st1:place></st1:country-region> next weekend. Karthikeyan was, however, sceptical that the team could improve the car before then. “It’s going to be a lot hotter and we have cooling problems already, so it’s going to be hard.” He told the media after the session. “We don’t want to bullshit ourselves; it’s going to be very difficult.”</div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">The major surprise of qualifying one was the loss of former World Champion, Kimi Raikkonen, who made his return to Formula 1 in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Australia</st1:place></st1:country-region>. Even before the session began there were rumours circulating within the paddock that as the rain fell during Friday’s second practice session, Kimi simply declared to his team that he did not feel like going out on track. This caused several commentators to revisit the major pre-season debate of whether or not Raikkonen is motivated and ready to race. When, in the dying moments of the first session, the Finnish driver made a mistake and could do no better than eighteenth position on the grid, their scrutiny seemed to be legitimized. Afterwards Raikkonen explained that a miscommunication meant that he thought he had time for another lap and therefore slowed as the minutes counted down to zero. “We had plenty of speed and I just ran wide in turn twelve and we were supposed to have one more lap and that’s why I slowed down.” He explained. “Probably if I’d just kept going we would have been fast enough to go through. I was supposed to have one more lap and I was just speeding up through the last corner when the red lights came on…It was close but I just missed my last lap.”</div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Whatever the reason for Raikkonen’s poor grid position, it was made to look even worse by his teammate Romain Grosjean, who not only made it through to the final part of qualifying, but managed to put his Lotus in third position for Sunday’s race. For Grosjean, it was a dream start to his season and he must have felt a little bit vindicated after his previous spell in Formula 1 ended so badly. “Very few people still had faith in me after my first life in Formula 1, but we’ve all worked very hard to start a new adventure and I’m very happy to be able to put a great performance in right from the start of the season.” The reigning GP2 champion stated. “This third position shows one thing: you must believe in your dreams and hold on to them, whatever happens.”</div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Ferrari’s dreams of hoisting this year’s constructer’s championship were dealt a solid blow when the team had their worst qualifying sessions in recent memory. Felipe Massa barely managed to make it out of the first qualifying session and both of the F2012s failed to make the top ten, with <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Massa</st1:place></st1:city> qualifying in a lowly sixteenth position. That isn’t to say that Fernando Alonso didn’t look capable of making it into the final shootout for pole position. The Spaniard touched the grass while heading into turn one and ended up beaching himself in the gravel, bringing out red flags in the process. After the disappointment he assured Ferrari fans worldwide that he would still be fighting for points on Sunday’s Grand Prix and assured the media that the team would give it their all to make up the deficit in the coming races. “We have to work and I’m sure we’ve worked 24 hours a day before this race, now we need to work 25 and it’s the only way to improve the car and to win races soon.” He summarised. Although, as a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">tifosa</i>, it was a very bad day for me, Fernando’s lost-in-translation comment brought a smile to my face. Surely he didn’t mean to imply that winning races would be impossible for the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">scuderia</i> this year and as I chuckled to myself, I relaxed and decided that Sunday could still go Ferrari’s way.</div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">At the sharp end of the grid, McLaren, Red Bull and Mercedes all looked more than capable of challenging for pole position. There were also fantastic performances from Pastor Maldonado, who drove his much improved Williams Renault to eighth position on the grid, and Daniel Ricciardo, who earnt a spot in the final qualifying session for the first time in his career, much to the delight of his home crowd. </div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">In the end it was the McLarens who occupied the front row, with Lewis Hamilton just edging out Jenson button by 0.152 seconds. Red Bull was also caught off guard by Mercedes as Michael Schumacher grabbed an impressive fourth spot on the grid and his countryman, Nico Rosberg ended up in seventh. Sebastian Vettel blamed his sixth place on a mistake made during his final lap. “I wasn’t entirely happy with my final attempt; I did a mistake at the beginning of the lap so I should have been higher up.” He admitted before adding. “But I think McLaren was out of reach today so congratulations, they were really quick.” Vettel’s team mate Mark Webber qualified just in front of him ahead of tomorrow’s race and Nico Hulkenberg brought his Force India towards the front of the grid, when he finished the day in ninth. </div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">With more than one driver out of place for the race, the Australian Grand Prix promises to be even more exciting than qualifying. Look out for Kimi Raikkonen to prove his worth as well as both Ferraris to try and make their way further up the field. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7YyoDLgyX0t77J0uzE14PlfdtKFrNeJj-LDDF69W4xa7CkeCLR_VV8VU4zCsIvdDsZGf5CEdHCqqlSwwprD8C0I-DVEQEYg3PkU2UQjDJ6q3kCmuzROu7MMQZfl2LF1qxYhS4m9qdvGA/s1600/Aussiegp13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7YyoDLgyX0t77J0uzE14PlfdtKFrNeJj-LDDF69W4xa7CkeCLR_VV8VU4zCsIvdDsZGf5CEdHCqqlSwwprD8C0I-DVEQEYg3PkU2UQjDJ6q3kCmuzROu7MMQZfl2LF1qxYhS4m9qdvGA/s640/Aussiegp13.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div><br />
<span style="background-color: red; color: white;">**Photographs for this blog post were generously provided by Gianluca Martini**</span>Danielle Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00770387634241488928noreply@blogger.com0