Monthly Archives: June 2012

Poppies from Israel fields, spring. 

For me, my vespa is a true gift that keeps on giving in unexpected ways,  wrapped up in the disguise of a distraction. Distraction. At least, that is what everyone else seems to think of my little machine that could. "A hobby" is the excuse my partner uses towards my 'pa and still fails to recognize that it has become so much more than just that for me. (I think he says that sometimes because he is jealous at all the attention I pay towards my vespa, that is no longer aimed in his direction.) I do not think that I am alone in this either.

It is an identity and a lifestyle, for me. For other vespa owners who have more devotees around them, it can easily move from a lifestyle to a cult-like following that is rather fun to be apart of. It is kind of silly (which is okay) and in that silliness, there are friendships and communities built that come to endure the tests of time and develop in ways no one could have predicted. 

This is the 66th year of the Vespa creation we all so admire and I am beyond happy to finally be part of this celebration and community. Below I've added a few articles (and events from this past June) that talk further about this particular brand of cult, if your interested.

This past month was one great celebration of just such a collection of people, who came together to enjoy something they all love intensely: Vespas. The 2012 Vespa World Days was held this year in London, from 14-17 June, and seemed to be a great success.

From their page,

"To celebrate our 60th anniversary the Vespa Club of Britain has agreed to do something special, run Vespa World Days in the United Kingdom.  This is a big project and therefore the planning started in 2007.

 Eurovespa was an annual Vespa rally run between 1954 and 2007, (with a decade-long break in the 1970s), Vespa lovers gathered at Eurovespa for the grandest, largest, proudest rally known to scooterkind.

 On 14th March 2006 Vespa World Club was created by Piaggio & C. S.p.A. and the Piaggio Foundation to promote, unite and co-ordinate all the Vespa clubs in the world. Eurovespa transformed into Vespa World Days, in 2007, under the supervision of the Vespa World Club. 

 Each year there is a meeting between Presidents of National Vespa Clubs, Vespa World Club and Piaggio to discuss the running of Vespa World Club and to decide where future Vespa World Days will be hosted. Vespa World Days is run by National Vespa Clubs."

First you have this fabulous rally across the pond in London, and then the next week over in Wisconsin, you have the 2012 Amerivespa Rally. Cool, folks.
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Amerivespa 2012 !
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It was only a few days after the big shindig over the pond and located in the lovely setting of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. I missed it by a few weeks, as I head up that way very soon! Oy. Just missed this one! If you are around this area and have any ideas on places I should stop while in the area, please get in touch with me. I will be driving up from Texas to Chicago, IL, and I know there must be some great vespa-oriented place to stop in between those two locations. Any ideas, let me know!
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But back to Amerivespa: They had the keen aim during the event to get a world record number of vespas together for the main parade,
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"Vespa Club of America (VCOA) is proud to host the 20th annual Amerivespa in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, June 21-24, 2012. “Club” Scoot Jockeys and Midwest Action Cycle are enthusiastic co-hosts for what will be a retro themed rally with great touring throughout the Lake Geneva area and beyond. This year we will be featuring a world’s largest scooter parade attempt. The parade attempt will be sanctioned by the foremost authority in record keeping. Join us in putting the scooter world on notice! Whether you're riding vintage or modern you're all invited. We're going to need a whole lot of scooters!"
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That is all so exciting! I would love to attend one of these functions someday. I believe there might still be a few happening across the states that I will look into attending, if I can get myself there for those celebrations. If anyone here knows of anything in the states (Texas, specifically) that the local Vespa community is planning for later this summer, please let me know! Maybe I can meet you down there!
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In other vepsa devotee news, 
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16 Brands That Have Fanatical Cult Following:

Guess who is one of those brands?

"Many scooter companies have come and gone in the 67 years since the Vespa was created, but this iconic Italian motorino has withstood the test of time. The sleek bike helped millions achieve mobility in the post WWII era, and still enjoys wild popularity worldwide. On Meetup.com, there are currently 43 groups in North America dedicated to Vespa riding and culture. "The San Diego Scooter Squadron" and "NYC Scooter Chicks" are among the groups inviting prospective members to join them for bike rides and tip-sharing. Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/cult-brands-2012-6?op=1#ixzz1yubV1yB1"
Some other brands that wouldn't surprise you are Harley Davidson, Trader Joes, Apple, and others. Click the above link if you want to read more on the list and why they were included in the list.

Photo from a ride on those Rehovot streets in Israel.

From http://www.motorvision.com/artikel/66-years-of-the-vespa,15403.html

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“It was not just the consequence of such advertising campaigns that even today the Vespa is seen as one of the most appealing scooters ever made. In 1946 the Italian engineer Corradino d’Ascanio came up with the very first prototype. At this stage it was called ‘Paperino’, Italian for ‘duckling’ and it was at 60 kilometres an hour a quite quick duck. The client was the firm Piaggio and in fact Corradino d`Ascanio was an aircraft builder and not particularly enthusiastic about motor scooters. But because of this… or maybe in spite of this… he developed a very elegant and graceful machine. The motor was completely concealed beneath the body panels and d’Ascanio opted for direct drive of the rear wheel instead of using unreliable drive-chain technology. A further advantage of his choice… the Vespa rider would not be obliged to fiddle with any oily chain and get his hands dirty.”

Is there anything you are a bit obsessed about yourself? What things or brands do you find yourself “head over heels” about? Share your quirks with us! It will be liberating. Trust.

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I cannot believe it: 10,000 views. Wow. Thank you everyone who has joined me on this journey.

I am now fairly settled in the States and have enjoyed the details of life here this past week.

Every time I see two wheels pass me by, as I now ride on four, I do feel a tinge of sadness for the Vespa I left behind in Israel. I wonder what adventures I would get myself into if I had one here at my disposal. Now that would be rather amazing. I think New Orleans would be the city I’d most yearn to rediscover via Vespa, but I am not sure I could handle that much awesome. Ha. Luckily, I have now made sure this stop (to New Orleans) is one we’ll make on this trip. This fact makes me very happy. If you guys can ever make it to that city, do and enjoy the strange and local flair.  (more…)

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Beyond the Scoot: Happiness Measured in Coffee.

Shalom Tel Aviv: the best way to say goodbye, that only makes you want to “stay, stay, stay for a while“. 

Yesterday’s goodbye to Jerusalem at the Austrian Hospice: a peaceful rest from the chaos below.

Boker Tov and Shabbat Shalom.

My favorite cafe in Rehovot: Chef Emmanuel. So charming. 

This past week has flown by and I’ve covered a great many kilometers trying to say “Shalom” in my own way before leaving. I’ve been lucky enough to enjoy some rather great moments in all the chaos this past week and take some time to enjoy the now that will soon be only memories. Today is my last day of rides with the vespa, as my scooter insurance covers till the end of the day. 

The range of feelings I have experienced this week has left me a bit exhausted. I keep floating from excitement to return stateside (and seeing my loved ones at home) to yearning for more time with this beautiful land and loved ones here. At least I know that October’s return flight will be here before I know it and there is comfort in that. I can’t wait to eat tons of Tex-Mex and Chick-fil-a. Woohoo.

I’ll only add these few photos today and get the vespa adventures posted soon, but I thought these moments were worth sharing. I hope all of you have a very lovely weekend. Cheers. 

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Abu Gosh/ أبو غوش‎ / אבו גוש

Living above this bustling little village in the kibbutz has given me a unique experience with the city and its inhabitants. It is one of the first places that I remember getting to know in my first days in Israel and have grown very fond of it since then. Since one of the two ways to get down from the kibbutz is through Abu Gosh, I’ve seen the many faces of the city and learned a good deal about the underbelly of the place and its history. I think the most interesting happening, which doesn’t happen often nor should worry you (but does point to the fact that this place indeed has an underbelly), is one night after coming back from the bars in Jerusalem. The town was pretty quite, as it settles down soon after nightfall, as we turned the corner on the main street and there was a car right off the road on fire- in complete blaze. Not something that was an accident and one of the most interesting visuals I’ve ever saw here in Israel. Everyone is the cars was like, “yeah, Abu Gosh” and didn’t seem to think much of it. I couldn’t stop looking back to see the sight though and remember thinking how odd that it seemed ‘normal’!  (more…)

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Lookin’ the part of LadyVespa.

Fashion and style are matters of taste and found within the eye of the beholder, especially when it comes to the ladies. I, personally, tend to like bolder pieces that garner second glances or inspire wonder about the piece itself. Riding on the vespa and trying to do it with safety and style in mind hasn’t been an easy feat, but I feel that I am coming closer to perfecting my version of what a Ladyvespa looks like. (A term I kind of made up, so just go with.)   Read more

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This is my last week here in Israel and I plan on getting in as much as I can before I leave, since I won’t be back for a good while. I’ve found plenty of drafts to complete and topics I’ve put aside lately to cover during my break, so my worries about what shall happen to this blog are no more! Before leaving, I plan on going to all of my favorite places and soaking in these last moments with landscapes I love and the people I adore.  Get ready for a week packed of fond farewells to some of my favorite places here in Israel, via Vespa Adventures and tons of photos. I plan on squeezing in at least one more ride to Tel Aviv-Jaffo area, more of the roads through the Judean Mountain terrian, try to get the courage to finally take the ‘pa to Jerusalem, scoot some more around the Abu Gosh/kibbutz area, and a few other places I’ve grown fond of during these past few months. I hope you enjoy these farewell posts and soak in all the sights with me, as I say a fond Shalom to Israel and my little Roxy Vespa (-only till October, not forever).  (more…)

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You are in for a treat is you are visiting Jerusalem in the next few days, as the annual(now it seems) Festival of Lights is taking place. It is my first year to attend this event and it was well worth it. Mind you, parking is crazy and there are tons of people everywhere, but it is still worth making the trip and fun for the whole family. To me, it just seems like such a neat happening for the city to hold and very exciting to see the Old City in a completely different way. Plus supporting art and anything embracing art is good. There are two shows that aren't included and cost money to see, but otherwise the festival is free. There are also a lot of little things around that you can buy to nibble on and also some lovely lighting fixtures to gaze at, so bring some change! To note: The festival will be closed tonight, Friday 8th, and will resume an hour after Shabbat until midnight. (Good to know!)
"The annual Festival of Light in the Old City of Jerusalem will be taking place between June 6-14, and will be once again adding a stunning and dramatic dimension to the amazing Old City walls and alleyways.If you enjoyed the Old City before, then head on over to this unique Light Festival to see this amazing place in a new light, quite literally!  The action takes place throughout the Old City, but a typically good starting point is Jaffa Gate, where much of the action kicks off. Events will start at 20:00 each night and shut down at 24:00 (Friday June 9th the festival will not be open). This annual festival brings the world’s best light sculptors to the Old City. As well as some of their amazing works on display throughout the Old City, there is also a special daily opera production of Verdi’s La Traviata, held at Zedekiah’s Cave. In addition, the famous dance troupe Mayumana will also be performing at least two shows daily throughout the festival (there is an entrance fee, call 02-6237000 for details). For more details about the festival, see the official site: lightinjerusalem.org.il."
From http://www.israeltrade.org.au/jerusalem-light-festival-2012/,
"Following the success of last year’s Jerusalem Festival of Light, Jerusalem’s Old City will once again form the magnificent backdrop for lighting installations, exhibits and tours in the Light in Jerusalem 2012 festival,  June 6- 14,  between the hours of 20:00-24:00. This celebration of light in an urban setting, the initiative of the Jerusalem Development Authority together with the Prime Ministers’ Office, Ministry of Tourism and the Jerusalem Municipality and produced by the Ariel Company, is once again expected to attract over 250,000 visitors to the Old City over the week-long festival.

 Special attractions (free admission) include artistic light exhibits designed by leading local and international light artists on display in the Old City; street events and performances; tourist attractions; a lighting fair in the Davidson Centre Archeological Garden and four different trails around the Old City following the illuminated sites and installations. This year, the Light Festival will explore the connection between light and sound and the senses of sight and hearing, as well as the special relation that is created when a visual experience enhances an auditory experience and vice versa.

Featured artists exhibiting at the festival come from, among others, France, Portugal, the USA, Denmark, Belgium and Italy.  At the Jaffa Gate, the French TILT group, participating in the festival for the second time, will create a futuristic garden of light in an exhibit that encircles the audience and creates an innovative urban environment using advanced technology. At Zedekiah’s Cave,  Bwindi Light Masks by Italian artist Richi Fererro will feature African masks which come to life using light and a soundtrack that combines guttural Mongolic music with the singing of Bulgarian peasants.

The celebratory lighting installed on the Former Municipality Building in honor of the 1937coronation of King George VI will be reconstructed; a video mapping work on Rothschild House will take visitors on a journey by train from city to nature to sky and another installation will create a dialogue with the Jerusalem stone using illuminated objects to create illusions. El Wad Street will be transformed into a festively lit, lively marketplace, from Damascus Gate to the entrance to the Western Wall."

The festival is open to the public free of charge and appropriate for visitors of all ages. This year's festival will emphasize the connection between light and sound in two unique shows (there is an entrance fee for the shows).  For further information about this festival, visit Lightinjerusalem.org

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TIPS: The tours are lit by their respective colour, with a light rope that directs you through the old city and helps you keep on the path. Just follow this “light rope” and you’ll be okay. Make sure to see all of  the Red (my favorite) and Green lines, but you can skip over the Blue*. As the space was really cramped for all the people and this line was only kind of “meh“. (*Personal choice and suggestion.) There are tons of people around and a lot of security, so there is no need to worry about safety issues. They have made it as safe as possible to attend this event at night, so yalla! It is well worth trying to see the Old City lit up with all this light art installations if you can, as it is really something different and cool to witness.

Y’all have a great weekend!

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