Testing Slow Travel on a Vespa Scooter
Another lovely foggy morning — one that challenges the senses as it shrouds the landscape in mystery. Fog, perhaps my favorite riding environment as it allows the imagination to run along into fabrication and fantasy. Perhaps merely a personal quirk laid bare while riding.
As I’ve continued stretching my return to riding I’ve rediscovered the joy of slow travel on a Vespa — that sense of heightened attention and awareness of detail as you move slowly along the road. If you ride or drive, you’re probably aware that you see much more at 30mph that you do at 60mph. If there is one huge drawback to motorcycles, in my opinion it’s they’re resistance to going slow. Their soul wants to run and race and transform the road into a blur. The Vespa on the other hand is content to ramble along at slow speeds and feel great doing it.
This trait above all others is why I love the Vespa. It supports my desire to make photographs; it informs my understanding of the world. And it will go plenty fast when required.
Foggy Morning in State College, Pennsylvania
After looping across the valley to experiment with the limits of my recovering lower back I made my way into State College to have breakfast and share new photographs with my friend Paul.
During my month away from riding I restored my darkroom to operational status and have begun to shoot, process and print film negatives again. The experience has been unexpectedly rewarding. More about that in some future post.
Saint’s Cafe in State College, Pennsylvania
Along with the empty streets was a near empty cafe. With only a half dozen patrons drinking coffee and reading newspapers I had no trouble finding a place for helmet, gloves and riding jacket — bulkier items than the layout comfortably accommodates.
Morning Rituals
My approaching retirement will present time to develop a few more rituals like the one that brings me to Saint’s Cafe to discuss photography (and life). Not sure what they’ll be but the prospect of exploring the options is exciting.
Paul has been sharing prints consistently for many months — digital interpretations of recent travels to Newfoundland and the American West. I’ve been sluggish in production until the recent re-firing of the darkroom.
Fog and the Highway
For anyone following Scooter in the Sticks very long you’ll sense that the amount of traffic I deal with is often light. Sometimes almost non-existent — a fact that tempers risk when riding in less than ideal elements for visibility and traction. Still, I have to stress the importance of never being a complacent rider regardless of the amount of perceived traffic. It only takes one vehicle to wreck your day.
Or your life.
Hyper vigilance, practiced skills, and an ego left at home has allowed me with a broad flexibility to manage situations, or surrender the roadway when required, so I can continue to meander around and across Pennsylvania.
So to all those reading — ride well, be safe, and best wishes for clear roads ahead…
Do you see the painting of the roadway behind me in your photo as some kind of message? I do, of course. It’s a compression of time and space that says we are just like all other people with scooters, roads and life. Those people in the painting all over the world are in parallel with us at Saints, at our meeting, on our scooters on our (life’s) roads. I like they photo of saints in the fog about. You are a contemporary Atget.
You know me by now Paul. I’m not finding that kind of meaning until after I make the photo. I’m an innocent with the camera. Your deconstruction strikes at my perception that I’m special and unique. Oh well…
Contemporary Atget. Thanks for the compliment!
Nice foggy scenes, especially the first one. (Note that I had to resist the urge to say “foggy fotos”)
You hit on one of the attractions of the Ural when describing Vespa riding. Content to ramble along at slow speeds but, in the Ural’s case, you can only attempt to go faster if needed.
So, do you have a countdown clock on your work computer?
I love foggy fotos. Really love that environment. Always feel like it’s a gift to wake to it.
The Vespa is much quicker than a URAL. But I can see how it could easily be a go slow machine.
Don’t have a countdown clock on my computer but do have one now — since an hour ago — on my iPhone. Current count: 155 days, 16 hours, 50 minutes, 40 seconds….
One of your best entries ever [IMO]. I loved the last shot of the 250/300 in the fog; it touched my soul.
Be well and safe.
Thank you for the kind words. I’m glad you found some value in what I’ve posted.
To make the vespa is to take time to time in a world that goes faster …
Faire de la vespa, c’est prendre du temps au temps dans un monde qui va toujours plus vite…
It’s always a gift to be able to slow down life…
The Vespa excels at slow riding and providing enjoyment in seeing the world pass by. Steve, you are fortunate to live in a part of the world where you can travel at a slow pace from the moment you leave your driveway, and take in the scenery. Where I live, if I traveled slowly, I would be run over in a matter of a few miles.
But the KLR650 does a good job of getting me out of town, and then it seems very content to plod along upstate South Carolina gravel roads at my favorite scenery speed of 28 mph.
Our tools may vary somewhat, but our mission remains the same.
I am definitely fortunate to not have to fight my way to leisurely roads. Never planned it consciously but definitely have stayed where I am for those reasons.
I’ve forgotten the KLR. At one point I was seriously considering them but have just stuck with the scooter.
Stay safe on the road Steel.
Oh, just fabulous…as usually usual.
Again, you’ve touched on one of the more wonderful aspects of the Vespa to my mind: it’s a ride with few demands, and no expectations to try and live up to. It can go more than fast enough, but its demeanor doesn’t insist on sheer speed – not only does it tolerate more sedate motoring, but in fact insists that such motoring is not in the least boring…tooling along at 30mph is far more fun than it would be on anything noticeably bigger/badder. This, to me, makes riding that much more of an expansive experience.
Love the idea of sharing/exchanging prints as you’re doing on a regular basis with Paul. I used to do this with others when I was still in NYC, and I miss it. (Oh, about that darkroom you mention – wet, digital, or both? We’re working on having a wet darkroom here, starting off with a film-developing station for me. (She, being all-digital for the past handful of years, wants to dust off her Rolleiflex and Omega enlarger; I, having never stopped shooting 35mm, would like to take care of my small backlog of undeveloped 35mm film from the last few years.)
Oh, yes, about traffic: I do somewhat envy your lack of it in your parts. It’s busier here, but far less-so that what I put up with back in Gotham, so I really can’t gripe much.
Fog certainly makes for lovely pictures Steve.
Thou doest protest too much.
“If there is one huge drawback to motorcycles, in my opinion it’s they’re resistance to going slow. Their soul wants to run and race and transform the road into a blur. ”
Motorcycles are machines with gears, not horses. I don’t ride any harder on my bikes than I do on my scooters. It’s the right wrist that speeds, not the machine. Many riders take in the scenery like you. Harleys are noted for it.
Plus I’ll bet there are several BMW C 650 riders who don’t take in the scenery either.
“joy of slow travel ” – I’ve seen this in a car too. If you travel at the posted speed limits (set the cruise control – it’s not just for the interstate) it is amazing what else you see. There is a fairly long stretch of Rt 30 between Lancaster and Parkesburg that is between 35 and 45 mph. We go that way every week and there are several people who pass us (illegally) in the center turning lane. But just set the cruise and you will enjoy the ride.
The photos are beautiful as usual. I always enjoy seeing the world through your camera. Vespa scooters are certainly great at going slow, but they do fast well too. We are all different.