The night before we'd been given a talk by Tim Houlding — a well known and respected Bentley enthusiast and historian. He tells us that W.O. courted his future wife Margaret in this car and was so blown away by her that he messed up all the gear changes. Sadly my Mr. Bentley seems pretty good with the gears… Damn...
We drive through an unspoilt, beautiful part of Europe; forests, valleys and lakes pass us by with wild blue and purple lupins dotted along the side of the road adding summer colour.
"When a Bentley is set up right, it's bullet proof" Mr. Bentley tells me "This car’s handling is superb, it has real precision. Just imagine... I am sitting where W.O himself sat!"
In the late afternoon we park in St Blasien in front of its church. For such a small town hidden away in the Black Forest, the church with its enormous dome is quite something. As the cars attract an enthusiastic crowd outside, we are inside a vast serene space of white marble. We hear about its construction and then listen to a magical organ recital by Eiko Yoschimura. She is so petite I cannot see her when she sits down to play but the noise is tremendous – a treat for us and those who happily happen to be visiting at the time. |
