Speranza almost spoiled yesterday. Her 'engine management system' was out of sorts and went into the Ferrari equivalent of Windows "safe mode." This switched off her automotive awesomeness so that, for a while, it was like driving a pretty Reliant Robin.
I reset the system. The error message recurred but without the safe mode. I called Joe Macari in London from the National Trust Scotland Glencoe Visitor Centre, where there was some approximation of a mobile phone signal. My guy there suggested she be recovered to the nearest dealer – in Edinburgh. I could continue the week in a courtesy car while technicians work out which of more than 100 sensors is signalling (probably falsely) a fault.
I continued my planned run through Glencoe as a shakedown exercise to flush out the various error messages and note them more carefully before calling for a recovery truck. Mechanically everything was fine and the drive was exhilarating. The Scottish weather, unusually, was pleasant enough to put the roof down. The error message returned as expected, promptly followed by a new one – "System not programmed". Then everything electronic reset (including the trip computer) and we were back to normal. I had a wonderful run through Glencoe, took some photos and turned around to head to my next destination.
Long-time readers may recall that in past years I have spent (most would say wasted) some time in Second Life – a virtual world where users create their own environments. My 'home' there is a reconstruction (by a far cleverer SL builder than me) of a Scottish castle. In real life it's in ruins. In Second Life it's intact. My final destination for the day was the real life original.
It is in the beautiful grounds of a charming hotel, where – after viewing the ruins – I dined on my first nouvelle cuisine Scottish meal; pleasant but frugal.
More pictures can be seen here. The map of the tour can be seen here.
The Last Ditch by Tom Paine 
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