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Tuscany Vespa Tour, Man Down! – Backpacking Europe
Ready for the Tuscany Vespa Tour
Today I learned why you should bring some sort of first aid when travelling. The Tuscany Vespa Tour was an unforgettable experience. I was head over heels for it, literally. My body was in shambles, yet I regret nothing! It was a busy day crashing vespas, drinking wine (yes, in that order), and watching the sun set.
First off, the Tuscany Vespa Tour was called Tuscany Bike Tours. You can find their site HERE. It was recommended by a friend, and now I’ll do the same.
Tour Offerings
The site also offers bicycle tours in both the countryside and in Florence. We obviously took the vespa tour to get to the wine the quickest.
The drive from Montespertoli to the rendezvous point wasn’t far at all. We arrived at Castello di Poppiano right as the other group pulled up, too. At the base of the castle, we split into groups, got in a van and headed a little further away to pick up the vespas. Each one was marked with a cartoon character or superhero. Naturally, I picked up Captain America. After the guide made sure everyone could at least operate the scooter, we were off.
Driving Through the Countryside
Once we were on the road, it was incredible. The day was picturesque-perfect for scootin’ the winding Tuscan roads with nothing but wheat fields and vineyards as far as you could see. We took a few pit stops along the way for some pictures. The tour guide also took the time to explain all about the different grapes in the region, who owns the land and the process for harvesting.
I honestly didn’t think the day could get any better. I mean, what more do you want in life while viewing Tuscan hills via vespa? Unfortunately, just like the stock crash of 2008, we were about to hit big time losses. Looking back at the footage I had leading up to the events, it’s hilarious how much foreshadowing occurred. I actually said verbatim, “Hopefully there’s not another vespa crash like Menorca.” You just can’t say something like that if there is no wood to knock on…
All things considered, I was extremely lucky with the outcome. I think my sister legitimately thought I crashed and burned. If she said it was “that bad,” and that my body looked like it was bouncing down the hill, I tend to believe her.
A Proper Vespa Send
Anyways, it all happened on the way to our lunch spot. We just so happened to be going downhill on these fine pieces of machinery at, no doubt, the fastest portion of the ride. We were assuming perfect single-file formation on this S-turn. I was last in the line. Maximum velocity was achieved. Then, someone in a BMW started approaching and looking for an opportunity to get around us all. I periodically looked back to see when he would pass.
During one of these look-backs, my front wheel hit something on the road that locked my steering completely sideways. I knew, in my heart, this was unrecoverable. It’s times like this when everything seems to be in slow-motion, yet your brain is firing on all cylinders. With the Captain America vespa obviously going down, my initial move was to jump off quickly and attempt to run it out. Mind you, we were going about 60kph (almost 40mph). Captain was screeching down the road, and I got a solid 5 steps in before performing the good ‘ol dive-n-tuck.
All those past injuries on trampolines must have paid off in knowing how to fall “correctly.” I just kept my limbs tucked and rode it out. I must have looked like Neymar rolling down this hill. Thank goodness for the helmet, because I know it was getting destroyed on the rocky curb a few times. And that could have easily been substituted for my domeski. After a lifetime of rolling I was finally slowing down enough to pop back up and jog the momentum off. This is the power of adrenaline in work, people.
The Aftermath
Below is me moments after sendin' it. Miraculously, my clothes were intact and I could only see a little bone on my foot. 'Tis just a flesh wound!
Wine, Please
It took a little to ensure the tour guide that I was OK. I think he was more freaked out; probably for liability reasons. Eventually we recovered the vespa from up the hill (side mirrors completely blasted) and headed off to lunch! At this point, things were settling down again, and everyone could enjoy their wine and pasta.
Though the Tuscany vespa tour may have been over, we now started the tour of the castle. This place was really cool. The guide took us through a good majority of the place while dropping facts about the local wine and olive oil. I can’t remember the exact price for the aged barrels, but it was surprising how lucrative it can get. There was also a room full of machinery dedicated for producing the olive oil.
We even got to go up to the top lookout to get the best views of the surrounding area. Back in the castle, the tour ended with everyone getting generous samples of the Chianti wines with bread and olive oil.
Finale in Florence
To be honest, I can’t believe my shattered body made it to Florence the same day. With the adrenaline gone, I was feeling much more like a wood plank. Nevertheless, we set out for an evening in the Tuscan city. No pain, no gain.
Parking was pretty difficult and it felt like we were in a race to catch the sunset. Continuing the trend from Rome, I just parked the car somewhere and we ran up to Piazzale Michelangelo. I think half the city was up here, but seeing Florence from this angle justified it all. This was one of my top city-scapes of all time! For all the Tuscany vespa tour thrashing, there must be some tranquility, too. Life really is a beautiful balance…
Recap of Places
- Tuscany Bike Tours – do it. Just don’t be an idiot like me.
- Castello di Poppiano – Castle right outside of Montespertoli with wine tours.
- Florence – Tuscany greatness
- Piazzale Michelangelo – the cliché spot for viewing Florence, but still so worth it.
Michael Lakus
IT professional, athlete, musician, ponderer of many things... Born and raised in Florida, I began traveling internationally after college. I created this site primarily to remind myself of where I've been and to share my experiences on traveling with a quirky, stress-free, travel attitude.
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