February 2023 (G.T.) – “Dear editor, remember me? I have a new trip to tell Wide magazine about. I called the adventure my ‘Camel Mission’ and now I’ll tell you why. For many years, I have longed to cross the whole of Europe from its centre, my Slovakia, to Gibraltar. And we all know that from there it's only a short distance to Morocco. However, I decided to realize this plan only, now ... as ‘Signor Vespa’, who fell in love with the legend of Vespa.
The trip started on 21 July 2022 in Košice, Slovakia and went through Austria, Switzerland, Italy, France, Andorra, Spain and Morocco, which I reached on 5 August 2022. So, the little Vespa Primavera 125 Touring crossed all the Alps, Pyrenees, forests, long hot plains and a real desert... without any technical problem.
The biggest initial challenge was to pack for the trip. Since I already had some experience from previous trips, I needed everything from a swimsuit to a waterproof jacket. Fortunately, this was managed without any structural intervention, and I relied solely on Touring gear and my Vespa’s luggage racks to handle it all. The necessary courage was provided by the desire to conquer places and roads where I had never been before in my life and the taste for adventure.
All along the way I met great and nice people who were always willing to give advice, help or just interested in my story. Which you can also read in full on my blog day by day, available on my social media channels, Facebook and Instagram, and on my website:
www.facebook.com/signorVESPA
www.instagram.com/signor_vespa
www.signorvespa.eu
So, everything turned out well and happily on 14 August 2022 again in Košice and as the first Slovak Vespista to visit Africa alone. It's hard to describe and summarize absolutely everything in short and there were really a lot of experiences, from getting lost, making new friends, visiting the world-famous blue town of Chefchaouen, fighting with 39°C, swimming in the Atlantic, and also getting a parking fine.
Seeing the incredible sights and natural beauty of Lago di Como (with a great photo in front of the famous red gate of Moto Guzzi in Mandello del Lario, editor’s note), Turin, Fort de la Croix, Avignon, Pont du Grad, Nimes, Carcassonne, Barcelona, Valencia, the fabulous Alhambra, Caminito del Rey, Andalusia, the mythical hill of Gibraltar, Tangier, Chefchaouen, Genoa, Cinque Terre and many more wonderful places.
And last but not least, Tuscany and the Piaggio Museum (in Pontedera, near Pisa, editor’s note). I believe that this is where my Primavera Touring will end one day, among other greats and travellers on display in the Museum.
The whole journey lasted an incredible 25 days and rolled 7,248km.... and everything was connected by a single idea: to experience the incredible feeling of freedom on a Vespa.”
“Camel Mission” accomplished! A round of applause for JK, alias “Signor Vespa”, who began in 2023 with a new trip, once again astride his beloved Vespa Primavera Touring: “Winter trip to Slovenia”.
Source of images: www.instagram.com/signor_vespa
The photos for this article are owned by author, J.K.
ALSO READ THE PREVIOUS ARTICLE DEDICATED TO THE SLOVAKIAN VESPISTA:
wide.piaggiogroup.com/en/articles/travels/jozef-kandrac-from-slovakia-to-st-tropez-with-a-tour-of-the-alps
