Tin companions: Tuscany with the Vespa
A guest post by Timo:
Traditionally, the Tin Companion Tour takes place every year in spring, and this time we took the Vespa World Days in Pontedera as an opportunity to explore Tuscany by Vespa. Here is the week-long diary of an unforgettable trip by Tobias, Felix, Julian, Christian, Nils and Timo.
The planning
A few months ago, the decision was made between Sweden and Italy in favour of the latter country, and we were finally able to start planning! We booked a villa in the immediate vicinity of the Vespa World Days 2024 venue quite early on and knew that we would play it safe and travel with a van - a Sprinter, Movano or similar. After a few weeks, we saw each other for the first time via Zoom: six Vespa enthusiasts with a common goal - to explore Tuscany by Vespa and enjoy cappuccino every day. A real Italian cliché in spring! Let's go.
Day 1: Sunday/Monday
We met up on a Sunday to load the rented Opel Morano, which we were all unconvinced would survive the journey. Spoiler: It did, apart from a small light bulb change. Our luggage included a Vespa PX Lusso, a Vespa GTS 125 and another PX Lusso. Stop! At the last minute, Timo decided to leave his PX at home and take his Vespa GS4, which had only been test ridden for 5 kilometres and was in its original condition, with him instead. A risky decision? Only time will tell. Another Vespa GS4 from Felix and a Vespa GTR lent to Julian completed our load. More than five Vespas simply wouldn't fit in the car, so Christian had to change cars and switch to the Candy instead of the chic saloon.
On our journey south, we made a stopover in Landsberg am Lech at SIP Scootershop. We booked some really great and reasonably priced accommodation nearby. Some of us had never been here before and were all the more impressed when Jesco hospitably showed us around the shop, including the Bearing and offices.
The day, although wet and cold, ended wonderfully and we were pleased that our lashing technique held up and the mood in the group got better and better.
Day 2: Tuesday
We set off early so that we could arrive in Pontedera in the afternoon and still have time to ride our Vespas. We had a long seven-hour car journey ahead of us. We crossed the Brenner Pass in the snow, but the sun was shining like magic on the other side of the Alps - always a pleasure. The first Italian cappuccino was enjoyed at a service station. Some of our group members who had never been to Italy before were particularly impressed by the landscape and culture.
We arrived at our accommodation and were immediately surprised by its location and size. Less than an hour later, we were already sitting on our Vespas. Our "navigator" simply said: "We're going to the campsite..." Nodding, we set off, purposefully, but without knowing exactly where we were going. Timo's GS4 wasn't quite running smoothly yet, but it was rolling. Our route took us straight through Pisa to the hotspot: the Leaning Tower of Pisa. A must-see on our tour, of course, so we took a break for a few photos. Thoughtfully, we drove on in search of a pizzeria - found without Google Maps or TripAdvisor. We settled down in a lovely restaurant and enjoyed our first Italian pizza. It was a dream.
We headed back to our accommodation in the dark. This is where the bright Light of the GTS 125 paid off. Exhausted from the car journey, but still euphoric from the impressions, we planned the next day.
Day 3: Wednesday
Before the Vespa World Days (VWD) officially started, we wanted to gain an insight into the Piaggio Museum. In consultation with the VWD organisers, we were allowed to shoot a short film in the museum and move around freely. It was impressive to see the variety of Vespas and other vehicles on display there - definitely worth a visit. After waiting out the first rain shower of the day under a driveway together with other Vespa riders, we moved on to the sea. Bright sunshine and some very friendly Vespa clubs awaited us at Marina di Pisa, either dipping their feet in the Mediterranean or simply enjoying a cool beer at the beach bar. This is pure holiday.
We decided to drive on. Despite it being late in the afternoon, we didn't miss out on a recommendation from Jesco and visited the city of Lucca. We reached it in the twilight and realised that we would have to cycle the 30 km back to our accommodation in the dark again. What we didn't realise was that the next thunderstorm front would arrive just as we were paying our bill. So we drove back to the accommodation in 10 degrees, heavy rain and darkness in the Headlight Unit of the GTS headlights. But that is also part of the experience and remains unforgettable.
Day 4: Thursday
The day started off sunny, but just in time for the opening of the VWD on the event site, it began to pour with rain. By then, however, we had already completed a marvellous mountain tour. We rode north past Lucca into the mountains and were then able to roll almost all the way down to Pontedera. The impressions along the way were fantastic - it almost felt like we were in a rainforest, only the houses and town signs gave away the fact that we were in Italy. Seating was great and the off-road tour will remain unforgettable.
Access to the VWD site turned out to be somewhat chaotic. The press ticket promised to us didn't seem to exist, and it was only through our persistence that we finally managed to get through the controls and film - unfortunately in the rain. We couldn't really get to grips with the event that day and had soon gathered enough impressions. We had to split up our group so as not to leave our Vespas alone at a petrol station. We quickly realised that we wanted to drive. We wanted to explore Tuscany further instead of taking part in a parade and simply parking our Vespas to sit in our tents. So we set off, right between two rain fronts, and arrived home dry.
Freshly showered, we sought out the best pizzeria in the neighbourhood. After a humid evening, the weather could only get better on the last day of the trip!
Day 5: Friday
And indeed, the weather forecast seemed to have been made just for us. Bright sunshine and a pleasant 20 degrees awaited us. Today, "Volterra" was roughly on the programme. We set Tobi's sat nav to "extra curvy" and set off. Incredible panoramas unfolded before us. The hilly landscape of the hinterland was breathtaking. We passed through small villages, travelling on cobbled paths flanked by cypress trees on either side. We stopped to talk to locals and take in every viewpoint we could. Indescribable impressions that are hard to put into words.
Once we arrived in Volterra, we noticed that it was a bit crowded and encountered the first organised Vespa parade. After an extensive lunch, we made our way home. An unplanned turn-off led us onto a country lane, and our navigator commented: "That way too!". After numerous photos and video recordings, we drove on and met a nice group of Vespa riders at the last vantage point of the day, who accompanied us to dinner.
Day 6: Saturday
The group was unanimous: we had reached the highlight of our trip and, in keeping with the old saying "You should stop when it's at its best", we decided to pack our things and make our way home from midday. On the way, a delicious dinner awaited us at a friend's house in Innsbruck - a big thank you at this point. We would also like to thank the SIP team and everyone we met on our tour. We are grateful and in awe to have explored such a wonderful part of the world by Vespa.
Video: Tuscany with the Vespa 1/3
