Romancing the Vespa...and Mr. H in Vietnam
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| Wax Wane |
Is it just me? Is anyone else smitten with the Vespa?
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| me..per the sign on the back.. doing the Vespa Adventure tour around Saigon. |
Ok..I was on the back of a Vespa, being driven..but that's ok, it was such a sweet ride... I am sure I could handle it...on a country road, with no traffic..up and down a mountain to a farmhouse in New England.
I hinted heavily to Mr. H that a vintage or new Vespa would be a great addition to Tahilla Farm back in the USA. I mentioned.. "it would be handy going to the shops, touring country roads and would be a wonderful reminder of our time living in Vietnam". He mumbled something about snow and changed the subject.
I gave him the facts..."Vespa is an Italian brand of scooter, manufactured by Piaggio, in Pontedera, Italy. We love Italy". No response. I continue by appealing to his interest in military history... " Did you know...the first vespa was launched in 1946.. and was vital to American soldiers based in Italy during World War II". A few more tid bits...'Vespa' means 'wasp' in Italian..buzz...buzz.. It was clear I was running out of material.
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| The first Vespa, MP-6 via WaxWane |
I snuggled up to him on the couch with my iPad and suggest he check out a sexy video on the Vespa website....beep..beep.. A raised eyebrow on the word 'sexy'.. progress?
Appealing to the movie buff in him, I reminded him of the 1953 movie, Roman Holiday, with Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck.. and Alfred Hitchcock's 1958 film To Catch a Thief and Frederico Fellini's 1959 movie La Dolce Vita. I then followed with a video clip... 65 years of Vespa Scooters in Movies.
I believe if I could have come up with John Wayne riding a Vespa in a Western classic... I could have sealed the deal.
I mean really...who can resist?
The bravado..
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| Wax Wane |
The originality..
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| Scooter 99 |
The romance...
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| Alison Conklin Photography @ Style Me Pretty |
The allure...
ok this may not have appealed to him
in quite the same way as it did to me.
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| Dear Stella Illustration by Insleee Haynes |
But surely,
the functionality..
the functionality..
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| Modern Vespa |
and sex appeal..
look at those flowers..
who can resist flowers on the back of a Vespa?
look at those flowers..
who can resist flowers on the back of a Vespa?
Apparently...Mr. H can
I then pull out my last thought on the matter...
"Perhaps, we could find a vintage Vespa in Vietnam..
a classic, at a great price, a bargain
and ship it to the USA with a future container."
and ship it to the USA with a future container."
I sensed a spark of interest.."a bargain Vespa? "
I think I might have him.
A bargain on a vintage Vespa might be in my dreams...
but that is what blogs are for...right?
Now for you...
if you could hop on a Vespa..would you?
If you would..where would you like to drive one?
The world is your oyster...just pick your favourite spot
and imagine the ride!
A little something to set you in the right direction..
The lovely Carla @ Carla Loves Photography
inspired me in her book, Italian Joy... a treasure!
if you could hop on a Vespa..would you?
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| via |
If you would..where would you like to drive one?
The world is your oyster...just pick your favourite spot
and imagine the ride!
A little something to set you in the right direction..
The lovely Carla @ Carla Loves Photography
inspired me in her book, Italian Joy... a treasure!
Nicole Kidman has the right idea...
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| Nicole Kidman via |
If you could suit up, pop on a helmet and
take off on a Vespa..where would you go?
Enjoy the ride!
:)
Oh Jeanne,
ReplyDeleteThe Vespa was part of my youth in a BIG way ..... I was a MOD and all the boys had Vespa's so I was riding on them most of my teenage years !
Beautiful images and I have no doubt that there will be a Vespa parked outside of Tahilla Farm not long after you mve in !!!!
Happy travelling !! XXXX
Jackie, how I looove that you were a mod on the back of a Vespa...fabulous.
DeleteJackie...I am with Heather...I can see you now, I think a post on your life as a teenage MOD is in order..would love to see photos! :)
DeleteJeanne, I will post a Vespa ride in Toronto for you on Instagram. I hope you will see it. This is s fun post.
ReplyDeleteThank you Pamela...I will keep an eye out for it. You can add @jeannecollageoflife in the comments section of the photo as well. Instagram will send me a message. :)
Deletei would take one to martha's vineyard with me in a minute! maybe hot pink or the pretty turquoise i see around paris. i certainly would NOT drive one here. i don't even drive a car here!!parisian drivers scare me :)
ReplyDeletelove the vespa with the wicker basket..i think you need one for tahillia farm! xo
Agree Pam...Martha's Vineyard would be perfect!! Thanks for your support...Mr. H will be reading the comments...every little bit helps! :)
DeleteOnce again Piaggio is ready with their iconic Vespa Scooters for India and aims to create a new segment of scooters in our market. Piaggio has slashed the price of Vespa to make it more affordable and boost the overall sales in India.
ReplyDeleteGreat to hear! I think it would be a wonderful way to get around parts of India..a nice addition to the 'life' of the city too. Just thinking of Old Delhi..what a ride that would be!
DeleteSame age as me.Didn't know. In marked contrast to Jacqueline I lost the guys because I didn't dare to ride with them. Now living in Thailand I have only the worst experience with those bikes. sorry but I understand Mr. H totally. But a Vespa is very sexy and tempting to ride.
ReplyDeleteVery tempting Rena and welcome back! :)
DeleteOooh, I hate to be a bubble breaker but a Vintage Vespa? *shakes head slowly noooo* They are tempermental and the parts can be hard to find. Hey, look at the comment from India! Maybe that is just the excuse that you need to go there for a road trip and have your Vespa shipped back to TF! :)
ReplyDeleteAs for me, well, I think that you know that I don't know how to drive but if I could, I would hop on a Vespa to learn à la Audrey in a minute! And of course, it would have to be Italy!! Through Cinque Terre or Positano! One can dream, right?
Bisous,
H
I think we are both very good at dreaming Heather...in fact, I think it is what bloggers do best! Good point on the vintage variety...I could be happy with new too. :)
DeleteJeanne buy that Vespa for around your country place. Two of our neighbors have them here and now we're thinking of getting one for the summertimes. They're popping up all over here and I can't resist!
ReplyDeleteXXX
Debra~
Debra...great hews...I feel a Vespa club coming on..we could 'beep beep
Deleteour way through town. :)
Aren't Vespas fun? I just LOVE this post, Jeanne! I definitely can see you zipping around NH on your Vespa...keep twisting his arm!!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your day! xoxo
Will do Sandy...thank you! :)
DeleteOh Jeanne...I think Scooter #9 has your name on it! You can convince him I am sure!
ReplyDeleteI am with you Cindy..fingers crossed! :)
DeleteYOU will WIN out!
ReplyDeleteWhen I lived outside of Florence, Italy I wanted to bring back an APE.........(APAY)the three wheeler Vespa!Loved the idea too.......Still love my idea but I didnot win out!YOU WILL..........BUONA FORTUNA con Mister H.
Thank you Contessa...Ithink the APE...is so cool! To live outside of Florence...it must have been wonderful! :)
DeleteA Vespa after my own heart + nothing but chic in NH.xxpeggybraswelldesign.com
ReplyDeleteNo question Peggy! :)
DeleteI love them! I have no problem seeing myself in various locations driving 'my Vespa': Copenhagen, Paris, Italy....
ReplyDeleteYou need one! I'm sure you can convince Mr. H.
Lovely to hear from you Carina..I love all your locations. Copenhagen for sure! :)
DeleteYes and yes, vintage or new, I would hop on a Vespa right now. I would say I would ride it in Rome but the traffic there is rather chaotic, so I will stick with some forgotten hill-top village in Tuscany.
ReplyDeleteI have just the place Loree...Montalcino. Better yet...pick up this book- Vanilla Beans and Brodo: Real Life in the Tuscan HIlls by Isabella Duci
DeleteI loved it! If you can not locate it, let me know and I will track one done for you. :)
http://www.amazon.com/Vanilla-Beans-Brodo-Hills-Tuscany/dp/0743234618
Oh, gee...I feel bad about saying what I'm going to say.
ReplyDeleteI talked my hubby into getting a Vespa when we needed a second car...he wanted to attend classes at the university while I worked on staff at a magazine. Everything was fine until one day when he slipped on gravel and ended up in a ditch, tearing through the muscles of his upper leg. So sad. We brought the Vespa to our next home and sold it for a pittance of what it was worth. It's been a long recovery of the muscles since then.
But, I must say, it was a beautiful piece of design that we had in our garage for a number of years :) I do respect and love the Vespa for that reason. It was an unfortunate episode in our lives.
Take care,
Accidents can happen,
Becky
Oh dear...this is not good but well worth keeping in mind. It sounds very painful. I am now thinking no traffic...maybe the early morning run would be best for me. I hope you hubby is well on the mend. It hurts just thinking about it!
DeleteJeanne, surely you threw inthe e conomy argument. So inexpensive for running into town and taking care of errands.
ReplyDeleteMy imaginary Vespa and i are headed to Tuscony, and then onto Rome, thank you very much! Maybe my company would give me one as a retirement gift???
Imagine that...what a fantastic retirement gift that would be! It makes a great statement for the next chapter in your life. I mentioned a book in Loree's comment...you might like it too. :)
DeleteI've always wanted a Vespa - not just any moped. I borrowed my roommate's when I was going to school in Strasbourg and zipped all over the city and countryside - but mostly to the patisserie in the village. You need one for Tahilla Farm.
ReplyDeleteI agree Kyle! I hope your move is going well... :)
DeleteThis post just did my heart so much good I can't even tell you! I am such a chicken when it comes to these things! If I could….and I mean IF I could…I guess I would ride a Vespa pretty much anywhere! Any fun destination spot….the beach, the mountains, the neighborhood for that matter! And I can assure you….Mr. B would think it extremely sexy so I might not want to ride it as often as I'd like to! LOL! You definitely know how to appeal to Mr. H! Just keep it up with the bargain Vespa! Jim would buy one in a second for both of those reasons! Thanks for this fun, wonderful post!
ReplyDeleteYour welcome Carolyn and I hear you loud and clear! :)
DeleteI loved getting around a city (but no freeways) on a small motorcycle when I lived in a sunny city during college. A Vespa sounds great (it never rains in Portland), except that I'd have to find a model that would accommodate my Golden Retriever and long-haired dachshund! A Vespa with two side cars?
ReplyDeleteI am now curious Leslie...I am sure a perfect Vespa exists for you.
DeleteNot sure if you will be able to view this, if you can, they might sit pretty happily in it. :)
http://ohgraciepie.blogspot.com/2011/07/traveling-in-style.html
PS...5th one from the bottom :)
DeleteYou are amazing, Jeanne...this Vespa with a sidecar that is a car is indeed the perfect for us! I am going to look for one (or two...the other for Mr. Leslie and dog!). And a little Airstream like the one pictured in that post has long been on my list! (I like living small!) Milles mercis, Lesle
ReplyDeleteSo glad you liked it Leslie!! :)
DeleteOh how I love your posts!!
ReplyDeleteI would love to ride a Vespa. You spark the dreamer in me and I have images of myself riding a Vespa in Italy and touring around the country side. I can see it now....
I am with you, Tahilla Farm needs a Vespa. Good luck with convincing Mr. H.
Gina..you are a sweetie, thank you! I am a dreamer too, you have come to the right place! :)
DeleteOh, Jeanne, I've had a vision of myself on a little red Vespa before, they are so cute, but the vision was of a much younger me, in a different time and place. Unfortunately, a dream that will never be fulfilled. Best alternative was great fun watching the Vespas, etc. wiggle their way through traffic in Paris. Will try to remember to send you a picture of the best example of such which I took while there.
ReplyDeleteSitting in a cafe in Paris watching the Vespa traffic go by sounds pretty good to me Judy...better yet, with a class of wine... :)
DeleteI once locked my keys in my car at a client's house on a cold January day. He offered me the use of his Vespa, but then doubled over laughing at the thought of me flying down the highway, my long cashmere coat blowing out behind me like a witch, with my briefcase full of fabrics and drawings tucked under my arm. To be honest, I was sorely tempted!
ReplyDeleteI'm certain Mr. H. will cave!!
xo
Now that would have been something Pamela and I am certain you would have looked very stylish.. xx
DeleteThere is nothing quite like a Vespa...I'm Audrey Hepburn in Rome....great images you've selected...I LOVE the Scooter 99 very chic!
ReplyDeleteThank you for popping by today lovely to hear from you in the blogging and FB world ;-)
Your words below are so lovely, Jeanne.
Catherine xx
Always a pleasure Catherine... xx
DeleteYou did make me laugh with the image of John Wayne on a Vespa Jeanne, LOL!!!
ReplyDeleteI would LOVE a Vespa although the reality of driving/riding it myself might be slightly terrifying for me....I do love them though, so stylish and chic. And yes, perfect for New England....I wish you luck ;) Xx
Thank you Simone...and I am glad you caught that John Wayne remark..that was one of those moments when I just laugh outloud when writing these posts. xx
DeleteJeanne, I think you need a Vespa! I am convinced! When we lived in Florida my husband and I came so close to getting vintage Vespas to ride to the town square and shops etc. But then, we bought a house in a golf community and it was not to be. We still talk of it often and how we missed our chance. Who knows, perhaps in our retirement. Frankly it would be so much less expensive than the plane(he was a commercial pilot and believes we need one to see family) and the sailboat(of course to live on part of the year and to see the world) my husband insists we need.
ReplyDeleteThere are many places in the US that restore classic Vespas and the prices are very good.
Take care Jeanne as you scoot around town on the back of Vespas or on your bike. Enjoy your time with your beautiful girls!
Looking forward to farm updates!
xx Elizabeth
Thank you Elizabeth..an airplane and a boat sound like fun too! Love the dream! Farm updates soon...lots happening around Tahilla theses days. xx
DeleteVespa, bien sur;)!!! O'k not Italian, but yes! My husband and I rode our Harley's over most of North America, ...then switched to boating, but I had to have a ride...Vespa! I have a mellow yellow Vespa with plates "Busy B" . Definitely a fun ride. Not so great on highways, but fun to toot around on. Go girl! xob
ReplyDeleteSuch a lovely post...I want the turquoise one!!!
ReplyDeleteOh gosh, yes, yes, yes, I wouldn't definitely adapt to a Vespa. To hell with my allergies. Where? Why the french countryside, but of course.
ReplyDeleteHi Jeanne,
ReplyDeleteThe scooter offers a lot of conveniences. Better than smart car? Maybe.
Vespa makes it a very attractive conveyance.
You capture the essence of the ride and its appeal.
Have a wonderful weekend.
edgar