Modern Vespa

Not unlike a lot of my ponderings in such places.

I wonder....what do normal people think about in cemeteries? Or more likely do they ever find a reason to drop by without a personal reason?

Hey, it took me some time to notice these, kind of used to the hibernation mode in the ride reports category!

That is a cool, and shiny bike! Very nice.

Welp, it's been awhile....

Obviously highly distracted by the new Honda and piling on all the gravel grinding miles, which really has opened my horizons, or at least my local options, and has been a blast.

But a couple days ago while poking along a secluded Forest Service road, a juvenile deer ran smack into me, and the Honda, and although neither of us went down -- neither me nor the Honda, that is; Bambi went down hard! -- I took it as a sign to get back onto the Vespa and into the open wheat fields, where you can at least see what's headed your way before it runs into you.

Gotta admit that when I first tooled off on the Vespa after racking up so many miles on the Honda, my first impression was "Jayzus, I rode this toy across the country?! It's a toy!"

My second impression was "Dude, where's my acceleration??"

But my third, when I pulled over outside town to snap my first pic, was "Lord, what a beautiful machine." And from that moment on the scenery opened back up as my attention returned to looking for glamour shots, something the Honda just doesn't lend itself to -- it's a badass, vastly more versatile machine, and in a lot of ways it just makes so much more sense. But it ain't pretty. And the looking for shots alters my perception and purpose, and that's a beautiful thing...or a means of appreciating beautiful things, I suppose.

And after a few minutes I found myself getting back in the groove: pushing the Vespa to the limit, which isn't hard, instead of holding the Honda back.

Love this little guy!

Whoa, you can back with a bang! Those are some lovely photos....especially enamored of the last one.

Glad the two of you are reacquainted.

You always post the best photos!!

I follow a bunch of forums and your pictures top them all!

Maybe you should move to a more tropical climate so you can post year round!

Spain?

YES!!

Well, I did a little searching to see what all the fuss about Spain might be... Now I know... and I agree... TD should move there right away and amaze the rest of us with his photography... I can only imagine how incredible these places would look with your scooter and through your lens...

Mountains:
https://theculturetrip.com/europe/spain/articles/the-11-most-spectacular-mountain-ranges-in-spain/

Beaches:
https://www.tripsavvy.com/best-beaches-in-spain-4169380

Cities:
https://www.spain-holiday.com/Spain/articles/the-most-beautiful-cities-in-spain

When are you leaving?

Yeah, Spain is indeed pretty sweet and we've sorta fallen in love with it. My wife has fallen for it a little harder than I have, admittedly, but I'm no fool...

...so we're heading over for three weeks two weeks from now.

And in 18 months we'll head over for a semester, on a teaching exchange, up in Bibao, to try out living there more long term.

Cuz we are seriously-semi-seriously-can we be serious?- are we nuts?? - considering retiring over there in a few years. That's still a bit of a pipe dream, tho.

To sweeten the deal Joan has already asked whether I'd rather own a Vespa or a motorcycle over there.

I've been collecting the last few summers' worth of Euro Vespa pics here, mainly Paris and Amsterdam but also last summer in Spain. Somewhere on a hardrive I have a bunch more from pre-Modern Vespa days....

Random Euro Vespa Porn

Looking good!

Weather has been really lousy around here, haven't done much riding at all.

About bikes & motivation to look spots for pics: I personally like the "getting lost" technique Only after you have absolutely no idea where you are, look around, choose the next nice looking spot, check googlemaps/gps/map etc. AND take pics. Works with all bikes.

That said, I've also noticed another thing - when I did the tour with a rental bike, I did not actually pay much attention in capturing the bike into pics. Well, all in all, I did not took many pics either, but still spend a lot of time just admiring views... still enjoying the fact, that I was riding. I kind of liked it....still trying to figure out what the important message to myself was.

Yup, pretty lousy around here, too. Actually, frighteningly good for this time of year, as in I fear an oncoming drought. But, in the meantime....

Graded my last essay of the year (from Hell) and set off on the V for a short, two-hour ride that, two hours out, I realized might as well turn into the 220 mile, seven-hour ride I've been wanting to take on for four years but always assumed would require an overnight. I'll give the Cannonball experience that: you come back having learned that 220 miles of backroad twisties can actually be done before lunch...or before skipping lunch...or, in yesterday's case, even when you didn't leave home until around lunchtime.

Stunning day with temps on the prairies in the 80s and up to 90 in the canyons.

Only "problem" was that clear, blue-sky days make for washed-out photos. Yes, my life is hard.

Made up for that by stopping twice for lunch and once again for a quick nap.

Even nicer weather today so I think I'll head out again. Carpe diem!

So, so many twisties....


Nez Perce Reservation town of Culdesac. No fun allowed!

I visit a lot of places that have seen better days. Reubens, Idaho, problem never did.

Reubens ID

Craigmont ID

Camas Prairie

Ok, this is not an impressive or wonderful shot but it's the only one I took of Grangeville, a town I've wanted to ride to for four years but it's always seemed so far away. Unlike most other regional small towns, Grangeville is still a thriving ag. cente

Twist on down to the Clearwater? Why yes, thank you.

Already 90 degrees down on the Clearwater. In another few weeks this'll all go brown.

Wild camas, Kamiah ID

Kamiah ID, where one honestly can never tell whether a place is boarded up or they just built it that way -- about as hard-knuckled a logging town as there ever was.