SIP Scootershop Vespa Road Trip 2013 France
A bohemian ride out
The Vespakult inspires and connects people not only in Europe, but worldwide. There is no doubt about that. Some Vespisti take it to the extreme... they get on a plane in Asia and fly halfway around the world just to accompany the SIP Scootershop squadron on their impressive and certainly somewhat crazy journey.
Highly motivated, we started the trip in mild temperatures in Landsberg am Lech. It took us along the motorway past Lake Constance towards Chur, over the Oberalp and Furka Pass in the rain and ended for the time being in Münster in Switzerland. A young dog - in his God-given playful mood - suddenly jumped onto the road in a tight bend. An unsuccessful evasive manoeuvre caused one of our scooterists to fall. The shock was still deep in his bones, but fortunately they remained unbroken and after a visit to the X-ray cabin, the journey could continue despite a bruised foot and minor injuries. Until we reached a small mountain hut at 1700 metres above sea level, which offered us shelter. Incidentally, the animal lovers among you can also breathe a sigh of relief: the dog remained unharmed.
The next morning surprised us with a marvellous view of the valley, which had remained hidden from us during the night's journey. Freshly refreshed, we continued on to Rocco's Vespastore in Martigny. While the accident vehicle's last aches and pains were being sorted out there, we were able to visit Rocco's new Vespa museum, where he presented a model of almost every series ever produced in O Paint. Crazy http://www.vespastore.ch/
Mont Blanc remained hidden from us due to the fog, but we continued on through the Olympic town of Albertville. There are marvellous bumps that shake innocent Spark Plug Resistor Caps out of their holders and break in the middle like crispbread. Motorways are the most fun at 40° and we ride through Grenoble towards our destination in shorts, a T-Shirt and flip-flops. We're still not sure whether it was our highly sensitive protective clothing or the threatening squadron formation that triggered the sometimes violent emotions of the lorry and car drivers, ranging from piqued to Horn-cheering.
Leaving the motorway behind us, we followed in the footsteps of the Tour de France to Mormoiron. To the meeting of the Scooter Club de Sud Est and to the estate of our friend Henry, situated in the middle of the vineyard, who welcomed and accommodated us very hospitably, as he had done on our last visit. Vive le President!
The next two days were relaxed. We attended the successful meeting, went on the local joyride, marvelled at the skills of Nicola "l'Impennatore" Campobasso and relaxed by the pool. Of course, the obligatory wine tasting at Tonton was not to be missed and we tasted plenty, but with caution.
The decision not to continue the tour across to Nice, but to take the slightly longer route to the Côte d'Azur (Marseille to be precise) was a spontaneous one. Coffee at the tranquil harbour, on to Cassis. Arse dive into the sea, on to La Ciotat. Dinner at the best address. The last item on the programme and the overnight stay would probably have been a little less enjoyable if chance and the outstanding hospitality of the French hadn't had a hand in the game. Vespa connects and so Arnaud, the boat builder and windsurfer we had met at the meeting in Mormoiron, and his wife offered us their home as a base for the night. Merci beaucoup, Arnaud!
The next day we were supposed to continue on to Genoa via Cannes, Nice and San Remo. Unfortunately, we only reached Menton. An Oil Seal had come loose and was not only causing the Engine of the affected PX to snorkel out the wrong air, but had also worn out the Seat in the Crankcase to such an extent that it initially seemed impossible to fix the problem. Nevertheless, we dared to carry out the operation. We grained, clued, prayed and... after just three hours, we got the vehicle back on the road to San Remo, where we spent the night.
The country road led us past Genoa towards Piacenza and along Lake Garda, where we ended up in the Speck Stube near Malcesine in the early evening and toasted the successful day in the Winds Bar. The rest of the route was routine. We didn't continue on the A22 motorway via Trento to Bolzano, but took a highly recommended route over the Penser Joch to Sterzing. From there - in the rain - via Innsbruck, Zirler Berg and Garmisch-Partenkirchen back to the SIP Scootershop headquarters in Landsberg am Lech, where the engines finally fell silent.
When asked why people do it, travelling 2600 km in 7 days on 30-year-old crates across southern France and northern Italy, I can only think of one counter-question and answer:
Why do people jump out of aeroplanes hanging from small parachutes? Because they think it's cool!
Riding a Vespa brings people together. There are people all over the world who live the Vespa myth and we realise how easy it is to find like-minded people everywhere. Whether you're a racer or a nostalgic, an everyday user or an accidental owner, we all love the wasp made of Plate.
Keep on rollin'
Christian Seidl, SIP Scootershop.
Oh yes, while writing these lines we received some bitter news: the supposedly bruised foot turned out to be a complicated splinter fracture. Immediate surgery, 6 weeks in plaster, 6 months of rehab. He would never have travelled home by train!
