There is a grain of truth in all stereotypes, not to permit use of these for the purposes of limiting others therein or creating prejudice, but Italians… oh the Italians… they do live up to a great extent many of the stereotypes. Firstly, you can hardly miss the overly animated nature of these friendly people. Gestures speak and I find it fantastic to watch two Italians discussing. Secondly, Italians love their cars. It never ceases to amaze me that there are so many people who are willing to risk their lives to drive in Rome, to park in Rome, to hazard the small-should-be-pedestrian streets with their shining fiat automobile. Even if you spent your whole Rome vacation in a stupor of vino veritas, you would be hard pressed not to notice two things – mopeds/motorcycles and smart cars.
The smart car – a miniscule version of the real thing, that is so compact it can park perpendicular to the curb. According to our guide book, of the 750,000 smart cars sold world wide until 2006, 210,00 of those were sold in Italy. Brillant. Not only for its environmental advantages, but because while sitting in an outside café and watching cars squeek by, brushing up against the tips of our toes, those driving SUV’s frankly just seemed stupid. Perhaps it is akin to us ladies buying those lovely red shoes, with the 3 and a half inch heels and then walking all day on cobblestones… not so suitable.
Then there are the mopeds and motorcycles with fearless, daredevil drivers who span all ages. To me this is a phenomenon that at every intersection, you see them pile up at the front and buzz off, they look really cool.
The smart car – a miniscule version of the real thing, that is so compact it can park perpendicular to the curb. According to our guide book, of the 750,000 smart cars sold world wide until 2006, 210,00 of those were sold in Italy. Brillant. Not only for its environmental advantages, but because while sitting in an outside café and watching cars squeek by, brushing up against the tips of our toes, those driving SUV’s frankly just seemed stupid. Perhaps it is akin to us ladies buying those lovely red shoes, with the 3 and a half inch heels and then walking all day on cobblestones… not so suitable.
Then there are the mopeds and motorcycles with fearless, daredevil drivers who span all ages. To me this is a phenomenon that at every intersection, you see them pile up at the front and buzz off, they look really cool.
Parking prowess, 2 deep and perpendicular
Traffic leading down the Via del Fori Imperiali to the Colosseo
The striking combination of old and new
The cool red Vespa, Ciao Bella! Vroom! Vroom!
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