After not sleeping much for another night, we pack and get ready to be picked up by a medical transport arriving directly from Switzerland.
I was expecting them to arrive with Swiss precision at 11am sharp…Which they didn’t because of heavy traffic around Milan that morning – my insurance called me around 9am and apologized profusely for the delay and inconvenience caused 🙂
This delay wasn’t an inconvenience at all – Felice insisted on making me a quick-fix Italian favourite: Spaghetti all’Amatriciana since it would be unacceptable for me to drive to Switzerland and arrive famished.
When the medical transport arrived I was pleasantly surprised – wiry ex. ambulance drivers with an aura of don’t-worry-all-will-be-fine efficiency and communication based on short but very precise questions and answers. The car was an extremely luxurious version of a Mercedes GLK 350/V6.
As on my many trips with TW560 travelling on trains, I was very happy to be able to direct the efforts of these two men to ensure that TW560 would arrive back in Switzerland unharmed i.e. telling them that it wouldn’t be a good idea to strap it on the trailer backwards.
As always, not all parts of such a transport are geared towards three-wheelers:
Eventually, my TWIKE found its place on the trailer and with just a few minutes work by the drivers was secured for the trip back to Switzerland.
I get an extremely spacious front seat with more than enough leg room for me to be comfortable and a reclinable seat similar to one in a business class cabin in all aspects except for the *VERY* soothing massage function I discovered whilst browsing the seat’s own menu item on the on-board computer. Every square inch of the interior was either leather or very nice wood.
Why, I asked, is this such a luxurious car? Answer: My insurance distinguishes between two types of vehicles: Those that can go on a normal car transporter truck and those that can’t. The vehicles that can’t go on a normal truck are either a) too expensive or their insurance prohibits it or b) cannot be transported that way due to technical reasons (e.g. TWIKEs). The driver told me that in 99% of the cases they drive across Europe to pick up stranded supercars with drivers that sustained minor, non-acute injuries. (sounds like me! :)) And… the insurance wanted to make sure that these people would travel in the luxurious style they are accustomed to, obviously…which includes them having a selection of chilled beverages on board and stopping to get me my last piping hot Italian coffee just before we cross back into Switzerland.
The trip itself was utterly uneventful, except for us to be constantly tail-gated by a TWIKE. 🙂
Good weather in the Canton of Ticino reminded me that it was time for me to go there again, soon.
From time to time (and especially after some stretches of very bad tarmac … in Switzerland) we would stop to check on all the ties holding TW560 down.
After dark, we arrive at my home – my wife greets us and helps unload the TWIKE. I remain in the car, since my destination for today is a hospital nearby.
20 minutes later, my trip for today and TDIN2016 comes to an end – waiting to be admitted for some first tests.
At least here, within 45 minutes I get some good news, before being sent home for the night: All 3 major tendons are ok. My muscle is certainly torn, and there are some smaller tendons that might be detached but this isn’t something that needs immediate attention tonight. – Good news! I return home with an appointment for the next morning.
Thank you for reading about TDIN2016 – my daughter and I are definitely planning on attempting this trip again sometime early 2017!
