Overview
The summer before my daughter was born I returned to Italy to ride through the sunny parts of Italy on a Vespa the same colour as Donatella Versace, a bright orange 1972 Rally 200 with white go-fast stripes.
The journey was a last two-stroke fling before fatherhood and took me through Sardinia, Sicily and the Amalfi Coast. If the trip that became Vroom with a View was like an old B&W movie, this one was in Technicolor.
I christened the Vespa Marcello. He was a hairy-chested, gold medallion wearing kind of Vespa and the Italians loved him. Everywhere he went he elicited free beer from barmen, swoons from young women and beeps and whistles from other drivers.
And just like Sophia he introduced me to a side of Italy – and Italians – that most tourists don’t get to see.
Favourite Photos
Meano Sardo, Sardinia: A lot of coastal Sardinia is inaccessible so I had to cut through the wild mountains in the middle of the island to get to Cagliari. In the wildest and emptiest part, near Meana Sardo, I took to riding without a helmet.
I got caught, of course. The carabinieri had set up a road block to nab bandits and got me instead. I was the first Australian they’d ever met so they let me off with a warning. But not before posing for this cautionary photo.
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Really enjoying Vroom By The Sea at the moment, and as ever it is nice when you can figure out the timeline and think of your own travels as well.
I was just reading the bit at Monte Ortobene, where you and Mario watched the Italy v Bulgaria game, and you say that a draw between Denmark and Sweden meant that Italy wouldn’t progress.
It took me straight back to that day, when my wife and I were in Porto in Portugal, actually AT the Denmark v Sweden game. It was belting down with rain (got VERY wet walking back into town) and fans were coming to the game with banners reading “2-2″, knowing that the result would conspire to ditch Italy from the tournament.
The Italians in Porto were pretty certain that it was a fix (whatever the more relaxed Sardinians thought).
Happy Days though (for both of us by the sounds of it)
Cheers
Yep, that’s the match. There were some rumblings on Monte Ortobene that it was a fix too, but the men of the mountain seemed to accept it as fate. They just shrugged and said that Italy’d do the same thing in the same situation.
How do
Just looking at the Vroom By the Sea photos. I can see the photos perfectly, but from ‘Poggioreale’ onwards, there are no captions.
I was just wondering if my computer was playing up? Or aren’t there any captions for those snaps yet?
Cheers
Hi Peter
Thoroughly enjoyed your second book of adventures and it made me more determined to achieve one of my own goals (driving my alfa spider along the Amalfi coast road). I have driven it a couple of times in hire cars but want to do it in my own Alfa. I now have the car all I need is the time to get there !
The photos on this site are brilliant and the one thing (for me) missing from the book, I appreciate it’s probably a cost thing but a few colour photos in the book would be great.
If you ever reprint it there is a small error in the bit about the concrete 44% & 66% make 110%
Hope all is well in your life
Ciao
Mark G
Hi Peter,
I have nearly finished Vroom by the sea and have really enjoyed it. My husband and I have shared many similar adventures whilst travelling through Italy. One particularly, was the thrilling experience of riding a scooter along the Amalfi Coast (we decided to do this because we were too tight to pay out to see the blue grotto). In awe of the scenery, at the same time fearing for my life – the ultimate ride! This trip was also our last hurrah before having children.
We have since travelled with our (at the time) toddler children and that’s an enlightening experience all of its own.
Given your vast network of Vespa Club members and knowledge of all things Vespa, can you tell me where I could search for some Vespa vintage posters?
Just finished reading Vroom by the the Sea, brought back so many memories of us driving around Sardinia, Bossa was so atmospheric of old italy. Sicily (one of the best holidays we had) we also had Segusta to ourselves and also the amphi- theatre. We drove the Almafi coast and across to Puglia and also Rome, not all in one holiday!! Looking forward to the next book.
Peter,
60 next year good excuse to go on a trip, I have 2 options route 66 on a harley on take my 1966 vespa 180 ss along the Amalfi Coast.After reading your books Italy wins, from your experance whats the best time of year to go.
Any advice would be welcome
Cheers
Dave
Hi Dave,
Glad to hear the Vespa 180 SS won out!
My advice?
1) Always keep a couple of 5 Euro notes aside to use with the Bankomats at petrol stations (the attendants keep very long lunch hours!)
2) Take a couple of sets of points. They were the bane of my existence on my first trip. Other than that most mechanics will know how to get you up and running.
3) The Amalfi coast is pretty short. Not sure how long you’ve got but I’d be venturing a bit further afield. A trip down through the Aeoli Islands. Sicily. Calabria. And you must go for a ride through Naples. Madness!
Let me know how it goes.
Cheers
Peter
Hi Peter,
I’ve just read this book for about the 4th time, I just love it. But I keep on wondering how your wedding ring ended up:-) Did you manage to clean it?
I wonder what happened to the Rally 200′s and the Vespa Primavera of my youth, only to find yours in orange, as the most appealing of them all. I ride often on a 1998 ET4-125 imported from England into Costa Rica by a grey market importer, it is a very useful ride as I can run errands and still enjoy the ride, where as in my Multistrada 620 I find her a bit overwhelming at this point. I source parts from eBay UK for my Vespa. I even bought a spare CDi from an Aussie vendor at eBay.
I read your book and try to learn by heart all the places, go back to the map and have my iPhone or laptop open with the slide show from the trip, and find multimedia the experience very rewarding. I wish I had the time to make a trip as such with my wife and kid soon.
I look forward to read more about your Vespa rides. Perhaps all your travels could include one as these are ubiquitous all over the world.
Regards,
Robert H. Bruce C.
San José, Costa Rica
Just want to say how much I enjoyed reading both ‘Vroom With A View’ and ‘Vroom By The Sea.’ I’ve always wanted a Vespa, and recently I finally bought a PX.
Over the couple of weeks it took to order/purchase the bike I read your books. This really enhanced how special these Vespas are, and eventually I would love to do a tour of Northern France on mine.
Thankyou for such a great read!
Just finished ‘Vroom by the Sea’, you always know a travel book is good when you want to go there immediately. The people and places vivid in my mind, the colours and smells seem real, the small details important. My only negative comment, is the continual references to the scooter, it is just too much, it distracts from the flow. Also I dread to think what would have happened if you had ridden a Hailwood Replica, men would have offered you their wives.
I’ve read all Peter Moore’s travel books but I enjoyed Vroom by the Sea the most. Unfortunately can’t view the video on my computer. Incidentally I’m nearly 82 years old.
Tess.
South Africa
Hi Tess. Thanks for your comment. You’re an inspiration!
What an inspiring book. My wife bought it for me last week and I’ve not put it down since. Riding round the Isle of Wight on my Vespas and Lambretta seems a million miles away. Am enjoying the book. May even be able to blag a trip to Italy with family because of it. Will use your book as my “Rough Guide”.
Hi there boss……..Im from Noordhoek, Cape Town, South Africa and am planning at trip to Italy next month in May 12 (all booked and paid)
Looking for reading material in our local municipal reading turned up your “Vroom with a view” amongst other titles from other authors. I do love HV Morton’s travel stories and interestingly, he settled in South Africa (Somerset West).
Congratulations on your interesting, different writing style and approach? Suffice it to say, I started enjoying your story from the first page!
Keep well, keep travelling
Hey Leon, thanks for your post. Glad you enjoyed my book. Hope it helps with your trip to Italy. If you get to Livorno, make sure you have a ponce for me!
Hi Peter
Thanks for your two great books about your travels on the Vespas in Italy. I’ve really enjoyed sharing your journeys and at the moment I’m just at the point in “vroom by the sea” where Sally has joined you just before your baby’s born. You paint a soft, warm romantic picture of your birthday meal and I have to say saving me a fortune by being able to travel with you in my imagination! I now want a Vespa, in purple if poss and matching gear to travel over the Yorkshire Moors on the way to teach kids at a big comprehensive in Bradford!
Hope you, Sally and your daughter are happy and well. More travel books about Italy would be fab.
Best wishes to you all Rosie