Scooter in the Sticks

Exploring life on a Vespa Scooter and Royal Enfield Himalayan motorcycle.

Open Road

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open rural road with a Vespa scooterPerfect Saturday

Clear skies, open road, Vespa.  The perfect Saturday morning.  Almost.  One element is missing — time. Looking down the road I see nothing but possibilities. A quick look at my to-do list and I grudgingly accept this ride will be short.

Regardless, even a short ride is good.  Allows me to set the tone for the weekend in a relaxed manner.  As long as I don’t resent not being able to follow the road over the horizon.

watermelon and baguette on Vespa scooterPerfect Carrier

The Vespa can handle a lot of cargo.  Under the seat, hanging from the purse hook, in the topcase, on the front rack or strapped on the seat.  If a rider is inclined you can do things most people would consider a little crazy.

At least it seems that way to me.

I’m a creature of habit.  Summer time means watermelon. Lots of it.  And breathing means bread.  Preferably a crusty variety.  And whatever I get I always gnaw on it before it arrives home.

That’s what a perfect Saturday ride looked like this time.

Elegant Vespa Utility

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Vespa carrying a long baguetteBeauty and Bread

On the way home from work I stopped at the Boalsburg Farmer’s Market to grab some things for dinner.  All my choices fit under the seat or in the top case save for the long baguette.  Can’t believe in all the years I’ve been riding and getting groceries I’ve not faced the baguette dilemma — how do you handle the classic long bread?

Having no beret didn’t help.  I remembered the famous image of a man and young boy riding down a tree lined road with a baguette strapped across the back of their bicycle.  After searching the scooter for a few seconds I realized the front rack not only is capable of hauling watermelons, it can carry bread as well.

Can there be an expression of elegant Vespa utility than that?