Aug
28
2008
Wireless is hard to come by in the little towns of Sicily. So here is a great experiment, can I blog from my iPhone? Italy is hot in the summer but a good time to visit because everyone goes to the mountains or sea. Rome was empty and we walked up to the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain and other sites without having to fight any crowds.
Unlike most people think scooters in Italy are utilitarian. But they have caught on that the rest of us have a love for them and there is Vespa crap all over the place. Most scooters are big wheeled Aprilia or the like and it is not uncommon to see bikes from Taiwan. Old scoots are rare as the government started paying to get them off the streets years ago.
But life is as I remember it, people and food first everything else second.
Be sure to check twitted for daily updates ok our travels. Pictures to follow as soon as I get an Internet connection.
Aug
12
2008
SCOOTERCAST Episode 69 [30:55m]:
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SHOW NOTES: One of our friends, a native Sicilian is getting some kind of “Italian made good in the US of A” awards and since most of her family can’t make it back to the old country, Marcel and I “said sure why not, we’ll go.” As you might imagine, this is going to be a festival and italian festivals mean three things, food, drink and music. The town is called Ragusa and in about two weeks we will be hobnobbing with Adriana’s old country folk and making our way around to the sights on the island.
Any of you who have been following the show or watching the web know that Alix Bryan has been traveling around the US this summer talking with people about Peace and answering all kinds of questions about her Buddy 125. I am lucky in that I live here in Richmond, where she started and ended her ride, and it ended in style, with a big scooter party at ScootRichmond. Thanks to Chelsea! Over the course of the evening there were probably 50 or so scooterist, many well-wishers and lots of good food and at the end of it all, Alix sat down with me and reflected on the ride. You’ll need to listen to the podcast to get all the details and make sure you revisit Alix’s website and help her out. She is truly one authentic human being, hopefully something that we all aspire to be, even in the scooter world.
Jeff Culter first emailed me back around the first of the year, talking about getting a scooter, complimenting me on the show and generally kissing up to the host. I guess it didn’t hurt that I was giving away an ipod. But it became evident, after he didn’t go away, that Jeff really did have a budding interest in scooters. What was even more interesting to me was that he had a podcast called Bowl of Cheese with a website to match. Being the usual dolt that I am, I couldn’t imagine how someone could write or talk about cheese all the time, but then again I guess you say that about scooters. It wasn’t until several weeks later, after subscribing to his podcast that I realized that Jeff, unlike me, was a real writer and his show was not about cheese, but about life’s many absurdities. This is my endorsement, suggesting that you visit Jeff’s websites. You’ll find the kind of writing that many of us aspire to and besides, he’s a big fan-boy of one of my favorite tech guys, John C Dvorak.
Music for this show is from the Podsafe music network. Billy Jones is blues and may be one of the most famous ‘unknown’ musicians you will ever hear.
Feb
27
2008
SHOWNOTES: This is episode fifty (50) and yes, the picture above is the famous Vespa travel author Peter Moore. Several weeks ago he talked with me from London. Although it seems unlikely, especially if you listen to the scooter podcast, you may have never heard of Peter. On his website you will find you have been missing one of the best literary travel experiences and you can also get a scooter fix. You have missed No Shitting in the Toilet, The Wrong Way Home and for those the Vespa fans Vroom with a View. Peter is an humorous Australian who has a great story to tell about growing up infatuated with the scooters and if you are at all like me, you will be fascinated with his how he was able to lived out his dream of riding about and around Italy for months on a Vespa.
Peter is an unlikely scooter expert. As a matter of fact he does not call himself a scooter expert at all, having come to scootering only in the last few years. But make no mistake, he is a dedicated fan who owns three scooters and has taken his love of travel and mixed it up with the idea that when you travel, who you meet along the way and the experience you have with them may be more rewarding than any tourist site you may see.
On another note, Thanks again to everyone who has emailed me and encouraged me to keep punching out podcasts. Fifty episodes in this podcasting space is a milestone, by anyone’s measure. I would specifically like to thank everyone listens, but especially those of you who have phoned with questions, ideas and even criticisms. You have helped define what SCTRCST has become and will continue to be.
In February hundreds of listeners register to win the SCTRCST Ipod. I wish I could give away an Ipod to all of you, but unfortunately I only have one and that one is going to David Huskins in North Carolina. David even called the voice mail line to say thanks. As a consultation prize I am also sending SCTRCST t-shirts out to Eric, Alex, Jim and several other listeners as soon as I hear back from them. The rest of you, you are going to have to settle for another podcast, delivered shortly, in just a few more days. I will have a follow up from Scoot Richmond where they are all about the installation of the LML motor in my Vespa Sprint and I also have another treat, a conversation from the Philippines with John Rana and Bimbo Isidro from Who Rides a Vespa and Vespinoy.
Music for this show is from the Podsafe Music Network
