| One of the most enduring scenes in cinema is in the | | | | deviations. Scooters are perfect for the old narrow |
| classic film Roman Holiday. The film starred the | | | | and cobbled Roman streets. It reflects the olden |
| immortal and ever beautiful Audrey Hepburn (Oh how | | | | times when people are gentler, the days seemed |
| I love her!) and the talented Gregory Peck. Hepburn | | | | slower and the air was full of romanticism. From |
| played a princess who was visiting Rome for a state | | | | those famed cobbled streets Vespa spread |
| visit. Tired of her strictly regimented life, she escaped | | | | throughout the world. Perhaps because this little |
| the confines of her embassy, disguised herself as a | | | | mode of transportation is perfect for weaving in and |
| commoner and began touring the streets of Rome. | | | | out in today’s heavily congested roads or |
| There she met Gregory Peck who played an | | | | perhaps Italians are really talented designers of |
| American correspondent in Italy. The movie was | | | | vehicles. (I am sure most of you will agree with me |
| basically a sight-seeing tour of the streets and Rome, | | | | on this point. I have yet to meet somebody who |
| but it is very memorable because they both toured | | | | finds the highly desirable and exotic Ferrari sports |
| the scenic spots in a Vespa scooter. | | | | cars as ugly.) |
| This singular scene catapulted the Vespa as a cultural | | | | Ever since I had seen a Vespa in Roman Holiday, I |
| icon. Though the movie was not really what you call | | | | always wanted to buy one for myself. There were |
| a happy ending for they both did not end up with | | | | only two problems that presented themselves to me. |
| each other (oops sorry for ruining the plot to those | | | | First, there is no Vespa being sold in our region and |
| who have not seen it), generations of girls dream of | | | | second, even if there are Vespas in our island, I |
| becoming Audrey Hepburn being swept away by | | | | cannot afford one. The closest things that resemble |
| their own Gregory Peck driving into the sunset in | | | | a Vespa in our place are the delivery scooters of |
| their very own Vespa. | | | | Yellow Cab Pizza. I even joked to my cousin that we |
| Vespa scooters have their cult following. Like the | | | | should steal one, remove the delivery compartment |
| Volkswagen or the Mini Cooper, Vespas are liked | | | | at the back and repaint it with any color not yellow. I |
| because of their unique (some consider cute as the | | | | would even dream of accessorizing them with parts |
| more appropriate description) design. Vespa’s | | | | from scooter, but of course I know that all this will |
| design was derived from wasps hence the name. As | | | | just be a dream to me. Maybe in my mind’s eye, |
| a matter of fact, wasp if translated into Italian is | | | | I see myself also driving a Vespa, sweeping my own |
| called vespa. The Vespa was first made after world | | | | Audrey Hepburn off her feet and we will both ride |
| war two and since then its design saw little | | | | off into the sunset. |