Would we do it again ;

a) immediately after we finished? - NO WAY

b) two days later? - ABSOLUTELY

See our video below

Some memories of the experience -

* The towns and villages - fantastic and historic. Beautiful driving through normally pedestrian-only narrow cobbled streets lined with hundreds, possibly thousands, of flag-waving, cheering crowds. Streetside restaurants packed with revellers offering a cold beer to a car with over 100 degrees and struggling to keep going sat in a hot queue of exotic old cars, all being tested in the same way.

* Traversing some of the most beautiful countryside in the world with fields and vineyards scattering the slopes of hillsides, many with tiny towns perched on top.

* The old city centres, again mainly pedestrianised with proud officials receiving us, placing gifts through the car window and sending us off from check-points with a genuine proud wish for the race.

* The hilltop villages where time-checks are placed and you have to drive almost vertical roads in an overheated complaining car. Failure to reach the summit being an automatic end to your ability to finish the event.

* The mountain section through snow and ice at the roadside and vertical drops by the side.

* The wonderful,wonderful police motorcycle outriders who lead and escorted us through busy city traffic ignoring red traffic lights. Along the wrong side of the road in the countryside, bypassing the fleets of private cars, all trying to piggyback the event, some with lookalike roundels on their cars to confuse them.

* The fleets of support cars particularly from BMW, Mercedes and Audi who weaved in and out of our classic car groups and the sheer abandon of the driving from some of the competition cars in the event.

* Of Mika Hakkinen power-sliding his Mercedes through a mountain road waving as he passed us at a roadside fuel pitstop, no helmet just hair flowing in the wind leaning forward in extreme concentration and peering through his shades on a twlight evening. AWESOME!!!!! And the exhaust noise - DOUBLE AWESOME.

* The five car fleet ogf Mercedes SLR McLaren 'Stirling Moss' driven by spacemen fully helmeted as they weaved infront of us about three times a day as we plodded on and they stopped regularly for fuel, lunch and PR with Mercedes corporate clients. BIZARRE.

* And the finish. Waving family and Emblem team members who braved the thunderstorms to wait up for us arriving at 1.30am.

* WE FINISHED - an absolute victory in our view. Some 84 of the 375 entrants failed to do so.

Bearing in mind we have never completed a rally and only on the 3rd day realised the intracasies of how the points system worked and how to 'work the system' we were exceedingly pleased with our overall position of 243.

We would not have been able to finish without the incredible support from Tim and Darren who followed in the company van which kept up with us through some very tricky roads. They were always first up in the morning preparing the car for the day, getting an average of only two hours sleep each night. The driver and co-driver by comparison enjoyed the luxury of three hours!!! Currently suffering a mega hangover but not a drop of alchohol consumed.

The farewell lunch in the Mille Miglia Museum found us sharing tables with the head of the police motorcycle teams and his colleagues. Great banter, humour and typical Italian arm waving. They seemed to have loved the freedom to 'go fast' darting in and out of traffic as much as we did following them.

AWESOME!!!