Travelling from Milan to Rome on a vintage Vespa was possible for Peter Moore because, basically, he bribed the Italian authorities with a pizza lunch and some red wine.
It’s the start to a very good story, and some good books, about Italian bureaucracy, how to get around it (not something we always recommend) and then about enjoying a trip from Milan to Rome, a la Roman Holiday and La Dolce Vita.
You can read Peter’s story in English and Italian on Italymag, or see his own site, PeterMoore.
net, for more on his travels and books.
We want to leave you a note about Italian bureaucracy though – don’t always assume there is an “Italian solution” to everything.
Negotiating your way around Italian authorities and out of laws that apply to everyone else takes delicacy and panache.
I have neither.
All I’m saying is sometimes they get mad at you, and then you’ve blown it.
You can always try another office elsewhere, though.
That often seems to work… The photos are of a 1963 Vespa I came across one day, as a very large ornament in a restaurant.