Modern Vespa

Although it's been almost 4 months since our Club's event, I've just found the time to make a post about it. It was the second event we held and thankfully, a successful one (last year the weather wasn't on our side). Our Vespa Club (Vespa Club Veria), member of the Vespa Club Hellas, is basically a small group of friends that have a HUGE love for Vespas (mainly shifty, vintage ones). With this event, we also celebrated our 20+1 years of presence, since the club's establishment by 2 friends, back in the year 1997. The gathering was a ride (60+ Kms) around our county, with stops in major archeological sites, twisty mountain roads, great food, wine and of course lots of green. The weather was great this time!!! We had 140+ people arriving from 10 close by cities, with 60+ Vespas and various scooters / motorcycles. Our ride was accompanied by 4 support vehicles carrying water, basic spare parts and consumables, gasoline, etc. It was a fun day and thankfully every participant left our gathering with the most excellent of impressions. For a group of 7, planning (for over 4 months, with limited spare time) and executing this event, was rewarding and a great achievement. Big thanks goes to our sponsors, our local Police Department and everyone else that got involved, for their invaluable help...

"VESPOMAZOX" is a play on words, consisting of the word "VESPA" and the double meaning we give to "MAZOX". One from the Greek word "Μάζωξη" which is Greek slung for "Gathering" and one from the word "Μαζοχιστής" which means "Masochist", because we all are a bit of Masochists, riding 30+ years old scooters...

Lots of photos following (Videos at the end of post)...

Our Poster (by yours truly)



Map of our trip



Our Club's President


Welcoming committee


Arrivals, admissions, free coffee and breakfast






















































First stop, at the "Macedonian Tomb of Judgement", one of the biggest (two-story high) unmolested tombs found by chance in Northern Greece in 1954. It is believed to be the burial site of Peukestas, personal bodyguard and 1st General of Alexander the Great (325 B.C. - 323 B.C.)...



































Second stop, at the "Aristotle's School" and "The ancient theatre of Mieza" where Alexander the Great was a student of Aristotle, at age 13...









































































Our third stop was at the "Heroic City of Naoussa" and the "Sacrificial Site of the Women of Naoussa" where in 1822, during the invasion of the Turkish army, as retaliation to the rebel fighters, the women decided to fall (with their children) in the rapids of the river "Arapitsa" instead of getting captured, sold as slaves and converted to Islam. During the 4 day invasion of 5000+ Turkish soldiers, with the help of local privileged Jews, more than 5000 people were slaughtered and still so many, captured and sold as slaves. The city and 120 small villages close by, were burnt to ground. They say that from the "rivers of blood", nothing could grow in the ground for the next 4 years. Unfortunately, most of the numbers are not acknowledged by Turkish and Jews historians...



















Fourth and last stop, was at the small mountain village of "Fyteia" were we had our party, with great food, excellent wine from a local vineyard and music. We blew out our candles and celebrated our 20+1 years. Everyone had a great time!!!







































































Riding through Veria...

Our Video Album...
I am really sorry for the huge post...

Thanks for reading...

Best Regards,

Chris...

Great post and photos Chris. Love the comaraderie of your Vespa family. Wish we had that going on in the San Antonio area.

Who's the blonde on the welcoming committee? I've got a green card waiting for her.

I thank you very much!! Yeah, we are a big, happy, Vespa family

The blondie, is already taken and she recently became a mom...

No worries on all the pics, I was hoping they'd never end. You guys do it right and I loved looking at the variety of scooters and your destinations too. Plus you are apparently a tolerant bunch, I think I spotted three Cosas. You also know how to party!

This one has me a bit mystified, have you got any more pics? Smallframe, right? But the headlite rim looks unfamiliar for a smallie...

This one, is a friend's smallie from Veria. He cut it down when he was young, but he kind of regretted it. I can ask him for more details and take some close up photos for you...

Wow - that looks like an awesome day of riding to fantastic destinations. What a good time it must have been. Thanks so much for sharing. And there can never be too many pictures!

woaaaa that was awesome Brother Safis a adventure to a historical site to celebrate ur club anniversary is a very positive thing to do i love you guys and cheer

Thanks for the excellent photo spread. I felt like I was there with you.
I also appreciated the historical story of where you were. I apologize for not re-visiting your great country in many years. I remember staying in a youth
hotel in Sparta for $1.00 for the night. (48 Years Ago) It was late in
November - roasted acorns on the street, Wine and the best roasted lamb in the world.

Salute to Greece.

Bob Copeland
Minnesota USA

T- That's a chrome rim from an ET3. Great party pics!