"Scootering is not a fashion!"
Moni and I planned a relaxed summer holiday. What we got was nearly 6,500 km of broken ribs, holed pistons, 21-hour death rides and a carburettor jammed at full throttle inside an Alpine tunnel. I would not change a single kilometre.
Finale Ligure, Italy — The Asphalt Kiss I went down in a oil-covered roundabout in pouring rain. Madalina got scratches. I got a broken rib. We kept riding.
Camargue, France — The Holed Piston Madalina blew a hole in her piston somewhere in the Camargue. We were stranded for three nights on the car park of an abandoned winery, waiting for spare parts. I repaired the engine roadside when they finally arrived.
The 21-Hour Death Ride Three nights lost in the Camargue meant we were seriously behind schedule. To reach Vespazahar in time, we rode the final leg to Castellón in a brutal 21-hour sprint with almost no breaks. We made it.
Felbertauern Tunnel, Austria — Full Throttle Horror On the way home the carburettor jammed at full throttle inside the Felbertauern tunnel. I was flying toward the tunnel wall and oncoming traffic before I managed to kill the engine. One of the scariest moments I have had on a scooter.
Despite everything — and there was a lot of everything — this tour gave us moments I still think about:
What is Vespazahar? An international Vespa rally held in Castellón de la Plana, Spain — one of the biggest Vespa events on the Iberian Peninsula.
Did the broken rib stop the tour? No. I rode nearly 6,500 km across 7 countries with a broken rib. That is La Vida Vespa.
What happened to Madalina in the Camargue? A holed piston — complete engine failure. Three nights stranded on an abandoned winery car park, then a roadside repair when the parts finally arrived.
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