Louis The Scooterer: Car Rally - This time I / we got it right

Two-words about my not seeing anything in my previous story is...."bad-luck" ?
 
And NOW some many GOOD-LUCK words about this CLASSIC CARS RALLY, which turned into several major events especially for me.

 
The moment I read about this CAR rally, I began making enquiries, and as soon as the office concerned opened after that weekend, I was given an incredible amount of info.
 
Then...always via emails, Su put me onto Deb who put me onto Dan who supplied me with a route and approx. times of events.. and put me onto Shai who put me onto Ko, who arranged important entrance permission, and a couple of days later he escorted me into the cargo complex at Ben Gurion airport, where the cars were being offloaded onto Israel soil for the Israeli part of the Rally.

So here I saw the cars on loaders and trailers, the 1948 Rolls Royce and the 56 Cadillac and the 32 Duisenberg, and some newest model Mercedes and Audi.

 
Hats off to Richard and Graham and Gordon and Norman who explained much of the logistics and arrangements while all of them constantly busy doing the many jobs that are neverending on such a rally...and Yair who films everything..
and again Ko supplied me with a yellow vest and a gift of a company cap, and then later still, he brought me a lovely packed lunch. 

 
Well, the day was excellent as I saw many of these Classic cars arriving, carried by heavy duty loader machines, and driven into parking bays for a later departure...a lovely red Jaguar that had been converted to a convertible, and some other Jaguars and Porches.
 
Then I met some of the owners and drivers and other participants, all happy and jovial, who arrived to attend to the paperwork through customs and other departments, and a brief chat with El Al people whose cargo planes transported the cars.
 
Don't think for a moment that these owners and drivers are having tons of time to do nothing but drive a relaxing tour ! Their schedules are full and varied, and they have little time for "just hanging around," so I was really happy when some of them gave me a few moments to casual chat.
 
The cars get parked in such a way that the slower cars leave first, but it is not a rally with navigators to plan how fast or slow to drive, and no points get deducted or lost and no finishing time. Who would have thought that the giant Cadillac was among the slower cars. All the cars can get pretty good speeds and the silver Rolls Royce convertible and the tiny Austin Healy...and the old and new Chevrolet Corvettes also get admiring looks from just everybody...even the "assist van" is a good looker ??
 
This special event rally was  put together to celebrate Israel 60th anniversary, and included 2 young men, Aly and Yan who drove the 60 year old Rolls Royce, and who will become Israeli citizens on their arrival..and will remain in Israel at the end of the rally to begin their new lives.

As they left the cargo complex on their next route, I returned home, knowing I would "pick-up" the rally when they departed from Herzliya to drive the final leg into Jerusalem.
 
SO the rally route took them to places like Sderot where they gave the kids rides in these cars, and spent quality time, and then to some places where they would see projects that are being funded by the organisers of this rally..and  to Mitzpe Ramon and on to Eilat, and then to Herzliya...every place with much to see and much to do..and never a dull moment, and driving many magic miles.
 
In the meantime I am advised of some slight changes, and early Weds 4 June, I scooted to the Accadian Hotel in Herzliya and found the cars, had some small chats, and I left to scoot to Jerusalem.

 
I was aware that the Audi overtook me as I recognised the VROOOM, and the Mercedes #19 passed by with the "happy horn" sounding..and other cars also passed me..ha ha ..later I overtook most of them as the traffic slowed, as it always does on entering Jerusalem.
 
Soon they were all ready to enter the complex at the Knesset for an important ceremony and I managed to take some fairly good movies of them entering the gate.

 
I scooted to the center of Jerusalem to City Hall (Safra Square) where later the cars would arrive and park on the open plaza...and add a lot of color

(Here I met a young woman carrying a camera and tripod and bag full of equipment, and she works for a television news company)... and we sat and spoke a while. I pointed out to her where the cars would be entering the square and we walked over and waited. Soon the cars arrived and M took some great footage

She interviewed a few drivers...and within minutes there were many hundreds of onlookers and admirers and many cameras took many pictures. 

 and 

 
(Later I saw her footage on Internet TV  NEWS). The cars were positioned in a figure "40" which can be seen from a higher floor of City Hall
 
http://www.infolive.tv/en/infolive.tv-23596-israelnews-exclusive-celebrating-israels-60th-18-days-bi-annual-london-jerusale
 
I learned a lot from the many people who gave me a short chat, and here I can say thanks for the mountains of information...and the portions that I attended will always be with me...so to all of them I say.. "thanks for the memories".
 
The final "end of rally" party took place at King David hotel later that evening, and the following day (Thursday 5 June ) the cars were driven to the port at Ashdod to be loaded on ship to get back home.
 
For me it was marvellous "many events within a major event"..and I look forward to staying in touch, and wait for the next rally.
 
Please email me louisdrinkingt@013.net 
 
And I look forward to reading your comments.