Modern Vespa

Hello! I am at my friend Kate's with a cat in my lap, about to go out for some kind of excessive American breakfast!

I guess the trick is to not make a meal of it. And I generally have beer with my biltong, so there's that.

I'm going back next week and have already put in an order at the kosher butcher in Johannesburg for a few kilo of boerewors and bangers.

Alice, if you want to eat an American breakfast that is excessive in every way (and may possibly leave you in need of an organ transplant or two) you need to go to the International House of Pancakes.

I've just spent all afternoon cooking giant amounts of food. I'd bought a large ham for a dinner guest that had to reschedule so now I have 2.5kg of roast ham staring me in the face, as well as a very hearty Italian 'ribboulata' to keep me busy.

Anyone who wants to come for dinner this week just drop me a pm

Tempting...

IHOP.

The food of dreams.

Bill x

Trep you are in luck - it's a kosher ham!

Well, why didn't you say so in the first place?!

We are going to visit Ms Candi of Chiswick in Feb so Mrs Av can get some retail therapy. We are also overdue for a Skok Dining In. Which weekend would work out better for a night out for victuals? Feb 14 or Feb 21? Since you guys have not been making the VCdM Rallies, we will just have to come to you.

Update - 5 months old

Adorable little future scooter rider.

21st is good for me as I'll be heavily jet lagged on the 14th.

Bill x

This evening while slowing for heavy traffic on the M26 I heard that awful sound of tyres that weren't going to stop the car they were attached to.

In my lane ahead all the traffic had halted but the lane on my right was starting to baulk up as the tail lights started to compress.

Then from way back that sounds starts and this car just barrels into the back of another on my right making the most awful sound.

Bits of both cars seemed to break off and bounce off the side of my truck they'd hit so hard.

Really nasty accident and just 6 ft from me.

Bill x

Thank you

He should be doing baby food commercials. Adorable.

Close shave is right. Glad you weren't in the middle of that mate. I would have had to take time off to fly to your funeral...and I really don't have the days.

Thank you again

@noel - another amazing pic of your beautiful kid lots to be proud of - talented partner and extremely well-made sproggie.

AL - weekend of the 21st also better for me - I'll have just returned from Austria on the 14th

Sounds like a plan. I've PMed Kate. Hopefully some others can join in. Been way too long.

Thank you Genie

Saw the results of another 3 big accidents today.

I'm getting a little concerned.

21st ? I'm good for that.

Bill x

Blimey!

I just wanted to say it.

I'll see your Blimey, and raise you a Crikey!

Flippin' 'Eck?!

Hell I'll go all in... Lummy Lorks!

I swear this thread is almost more trouble than it's worth. I have to look something up at least once a week. Oh well,I suppose it's good for me.

It's a good thing you all are entertaining!

I somehow hit the jackpot and have two South African stores here in Charlotte.

One makes lekker droewors and boerewors , the other awesome biltong. The 9 month old is already gnawing on some droewors.

Then of coure they sell freshpak rooibos, and my daughter is hooked on ProNutro.

I am not complaining!

Boy howdy!

I've always seen it as quite an interesting side effect of riding that I always get to filter my way to the front of any jam and have a look at, or even squeeze by the accident causing said jam. Even the more squishy ones...

Quite life affirming. Also ghoulishly fascinating...

Am I a bad person?

There's a special place in hell for rubber necking filterers

Lol I want to make it completely clear that I don't slow down the traffic or compromise my safety in order to view the accident. In fact I actively try and keep the traffic flowing by shoving past waving policemen and riding through congealing puddles as necessary. Watch out for that shattered wreckage and splintered bone though! Could damage a tyre.

Nothing worse than people slowing down the traffic while they harmlessly gawp at an incident. Well except maybe being in that incident in the first place.

speaking of incidents .... i got knocked over by a ponce in an Audi today

it was a very gentle knock - I'd filtered up next to him in stationary traffic, and stopped at roughly the level of his front wheel while a bike in front of me changed lanes. when the traffic started to move, mr. Audi nudged me from behind and down went my bike.

at least he had the decency to pull over - most people would have just taken off - but i did have to raise both eyebrows when he accused me of 'undertaking' (we were in the outside lane of a 3-lane section of the A406). I tried to explain to him that it was only undertaking if there was a kerb to his immediate left, but i'm not sure he was convinced. He also accused me of pulling in front of him and causing the accident myself, which is a bit silly given that I wasn't actually moving at the time. In retrospect I think he didn't even see me when he started moving, and was a bit shaken up and defensive. It does make me wonder about what sort of tenuous linkages there are between the eyes and mind of the average driver. It was impossible not to see me, but he obviously hadn't clocked that i was there.

no damage to the scooter other than a scrape on the cowl, most (but not all) of which will probably buff out. it would have been nice if he'd offered to pay for the damage, but i consider myself lucky he didn't just flip me the bird and drive off.

genie

As Douglas Adams wrote: "Mankind is a dead end branch of the tree of evolution"

Ah balls Genie...

Hope all OK and you've bounced back.

Speaking to a guy today who had a large artic truck clip the rear bumper of his wifes small car he was driving on a motorway, which pushed him around to be side on, his left doors shunted into the grill of the truck, screeching forward with them both locked into a T shape. As he processed that the likely outcomes were either that the truck pushed him into another vehicle, or the truck simply drove over the top of him, he had the presence of mind to evaluate that he needed more protection, calmly unclipped his seat belt, climbed into the back seat and huddled into a ball awaiting the worst, all in the minute or two it took the truck to come to a juddering stop. He was able to step out of the untouched right door without a scratch.

Forward, forward planning....

Tip off from the President of Vespa Club of Britain (new locations for 2018-19 leaking out):

Future Vespa World Days:
2016 - St Tropez, France (already planning!)
2017 - Celle, Germany
2018 - Switzerland
2019 - Balaton, Hungary

I sat next to a Swiss rider over lunch on one of the ride outs for Vespa World Days in Italy last June and he said they'd bid for VWD (a bit like countries bid for the Olympics) so they obviously got it. That's terrible then, it means I've got to ride through Switzerland all over again...

OK, flights are booked, so someone tell us where to meet up on the 21st.

Have tickets for "Beautiful" for Wed, the 18th, BTW.

.

I'm going to all of those!! Anyone else coming?

Wait, have I missed something - are you coming to the UK Al?

Are you in London Thu 18- Sat 21 Feb ?

Arriving the 17th, departing the 24th. Had posted a while back about a Skok dining in, and Bill & genie suggested the 21st, as apparently Londonites have to have the day off before and following a dinner out.

So, if you are free, join in. Would be pleased to meet you. Just waiting for LON Skoks to pick a time and place. Also free at other times, based on what Mrs Av and Ms Candi of Chiswick have already scheduled.

http://www.lidl.co.uk/en/our-offers-2491.htm?id=466 anyone preparing for Burns Night?

excellent

An eight yard kilt for $45? I don't think so. Not even polyester.

And a sporan made from the hide of the mighty nauga?

Does MacDonalds over there make a quarter pound haggis?

Robbie is spinning.

Over in Scotland, it's "McDonalds", not "Mac..."

I think they do a qtr pounder, and then they batter it and deep fry it