‘The Art of Riding the Vespa’
In Italy, as in all of Europe, the moped is a very popular vehicle. It’s a lot cheaper than a car, probably a lot better on gas, and when there’s a traffic jam you can maneuver through everything and get where you’re going a lot quicker. Mopeds are a new concept to me, as my dad has a Harley Davidson and I’m used to having to get really suited up to go on a ride, and I’m more accustomed to the size and strength of the Harley.
At one point this summer, my goal was to ride on a Vespa – that’s all I wanted to do, was hop on the back of some cute little moped with a cute guy and fly through the city. Well, it finally happened! The guy I met in Gaeta, Mario, had his car with him but he also had a Vespa and we rode it everywhere. In a little sundress and sandals, usually without a helmet, we’d fly along the coastline going from bar to bar. On my last night in Gaeta I had an extremely embarrassing moment: we were leaving a bar to head home and as I was climbing onto the back of Mario’s Vespa I lost my footing and FELL. Not just a stumble, but literally fell straight onto my back, in the street, giving everyone a nice little view up my dress. And no, I was not drunk, as in Italy it is not normal for a girl to have more than two drinks in one night. I was absolutely mortified but Mario kept reassuring me, telling me it’s more common than you might think. And of course, I had my little Vespa accident while in Florence with my parents. You can read all about it in my last post!
I’ve noticed some pretty crazy things on mopeds while I’ve been in Italy. You would think you would only see one or maybe two people riding on a moped. Oh, no. It gets a lot more advanced than that. Try 3 people at one time. Or dad driving the moped with mom on the back, holding the newborn baby. Or mom driving the moped and dad on the back with their two toddlers sandwiched in between. Or businesswomen driving mopeds with briefcases and purses balanced on their lap. Or an old guy driving a moped with another guy on the back, balancing a huge piece of plywood or glass. Or someone driving their moped with their dog in their lap, paws on the handlebars. Every day I see a moped fly by and think, “Well, that’s a new one!”.
To experience the thrill of riding a Vespa through Naples, check out this video
Me on the Vespa in Florence
No comments:
Post a Comment