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Vroom with a View
Riding the back roads, visiting small towns, sleeping in haylofts, Moore shows us an Italy rarely seen--from picnicking in the Italian Alps to rattling through cobbled hilltop towns to gate-crashing France Mayes's villa. When Moore's girlfriend, Sally, joins him for two weeks on the road, his fantasy is complete, summer in Italy on a Vespa with too much chrome and a pretty girl riding on the back.
283 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
45 people are currently reading
565 people want to read
About the author
Peter Moore
8 books53 followersPeter Moore (born 18 July 1962) is an Australian travel writer.
Moore, who was born in Sydney, claims to have visited 99 countries. He currently lives with his wife and daughter in London. He has published many books that re-tell tales of his travels.
He is a Vespa enthusiast and his 2005 book Vroom with a View and 2007 book Vroom by the Sea feature trips through Italy taken on vintage Italian motorscooters.
[Wikipedia]
Moore, who was born in Sydney, claims to have visited 99 countries. He currently lives with his wife and daughter in London. He has published many books that re-tell tales of his travels.
He is a Vespa enthusiast and his 2005 book Vroom with a View and 2007 book Vroom by the Sea feature trips through Italy taken on vintage Italian motorscooters.
[Wikipedia]
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
July 19, 2017
Vroom With A View is a fun, light read. If you have ever traveled in northern Italia, Toscana and Lazio, this book transports you back quickly. What is even more fun is he does so on a classic Vespa for his 40th Birthday. As Moore describes the roads, the people and the vistas, I am reminded of my last trip to Italy turning the same age milestone navigating the Eurorail and Autostrada finding my own La Dolce Vita.
November 22, 2017
Vroom with a View: In Search of Italy's Dolce Vita on a '61 Vespa is a very amusing travelogue through Northern Italy as seen from the back of that most iconic of Italian motor scooters - the mighty Vespa. Meandering via the back roads through bucolic countryside and visiting the best tourist spots the regions of Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany and Lazio have to offer, Vroom with a View provides a breezy armchair escape to one of the most loved parts of the world.
Having watched too many Sophia Loren movies in his youth, Moore has long dreamed of being able to ride a Vespa around Italy as the epitome of coolness. Unlike most of us that would never bring that dream to fruition, Moore meets the Godfather of Vespa's, The Waspmaster, via the Internet and is soon buying a 1961 125cc Vespa in Milan, which he quickly anoints, Sophia.
So begins a wonderful journey for Moore with the new found love of his life. Armed with a few choice words of Italian to throw at errant (all) Italian motorists, Moore tears off from Milan to Lake Como and then back again before traversing the Apennines to the UNESCO World Heritage listed coast of Cinque Terre. Moore then hums along in tune with Sophia's 2-stroke engine to picturesque Tuscany where he spends some romantic time with his, real flesh, girlfriend before finally tearing himself away to finish up in Rome.
Vrrom with a View provides delightful descriptions of a wide range of breathtaking places that Moore visits on his journey. There are the usual on-the-beaten-path spots such as Pisa, Florence and Rome, but it is when he utilises the freedom that his Vespa affords him to go to less well known places such as Castellina, San Gimignano and Monteriggioni and accessing highways with fabulous names such as Via Francigena and the Chiantigiana (Chianti Way), that Vroom to a View excels.
Moore has fashioned a great travelogue through the land of olives, coffee, vineyards, gelatos and famously cured pigs. Vespa enthusiasts will also be overjoyed, as there is plenty of history provided on this motor scooter and whilst Vroom with a View isn't quite amore for me, it is a fantastico read that'll have you chortling most of the way to the end. Full Review Here
Having watched too many Sophia Loren movies in his youth, Moore has long dreamed of being able to ride a Vespa around Italy as the epitome of coolness. Unlike most of us that would never bring that dream to fruition, Moore meets the Godfather of Vespa's, The Waspmaster, via the Internet and is soon buying a 1961 125cc Vespa in Milan, which he quickly anoints, Sophia.
So begins a wonderful journey for Moore with the new found love of his life. Armed with a few choice words of Italian to throw at errant (all) Italian motorists, Moore tears off from Milan to Lake Como and then back again before traversing the Apennines to the UNESCO World Heritage listed coast of Cinque Terre. Moore then hums along in tune with Sophia's 2-stroke engine to picturesque Tuscany where he spends some romantic time with his, real flesh, girlfriend before finally tearing himself away to finish up in Rome.
Vrrom with a View provides delightful descriptions of a wide range of breathtaking places that Moore visits on his journey. There are the usual on-the-beaten-path spots such as Pisa, Florence and Rome, but it is when he utilises the freedom that his Vespa affords him to go to less well known places such as Castellina, San Gimignano and Monteriggioni and accessing highways with fabulous names such as Via Francigena and the Chiantigiana (Chianti Way), that Vroom to a View excels.
Moore has fashioned a great travelogue through the land of olives, coffee, vineyards, gelatos and famously cured pigs. Vespa enthusiasts will also be overjoyed, as there is plenty of history provided on this motor scooter and whilst Vroom with a View isn't quite amore for me, it is a fantastico read that'll have you chortling most of the way to the end. Full Review Here
June 7, 2009
Find out what a kindersuprise is, and what adventure can be had from a Vespa.
January 31, 2022
Fun quick read. First travelogue in a while and it hits harder since I haven’t been on a trip in nearly 3 years now. Reminded me of struggling to ride a motor scooter on the other side of the road in Thailand in 2016 😅…
May 19, 2025
A delightful comfort read, especially as I love Italy and have even traveled a bit of Tuscany as a passenger on a Vespa. Unlike in the book, I didn't end up marrying the guy but this vacation remains a fond memory.
June 30, 2015
I got this book from a friend (Thanks Leigh!) before my trip to Italy, and so in the spirit of reading thematically, which I like to do on trips, I brought it with me, though the cheesy cover art gave me pretty low expectations. While I don't agree with the reviews on the cover proclaiming it "hilarious," it's entertaining and lighthearted and actually contains quite a bit of information about various parts of Italy. Combined with facts gleaned from my guidebook, it gave me a much better sense of the place, and the sense of vicariously having gone on his wonderful journey by vespa. I already had a fantasy of traveling like that, and now it's cemented in my brain as a must-do adventure someday.
September 6, 2012
What a great book to 'discover'! This amateur writer from Australia composed an engaging and fun story, taking me into his adventure starting with his long-held wish to ride a Vespa through Tuscany, Italy. Sure, you may have read many books about this region (I have), but not like this!
Prior to reading this book, I had a dream of riding a road bike through the region, but now I'm rethinking it. Taking my time ("Piano! Piano!") is my plan to really see, smell and feel all that this region of my ancestor's origin.
Things don't go as planned, like life, no? But you'll be smiling and laughing as you 'experience' the joy of the people and places found in this unique region.
Prior to reading this book, I had a dream of riding a road bike through the region, but now I'm rethinking it. Taking my time ("Piano! Piano!") is my plan to really see, smell and feel all that this region of my ancestor's origin.
Things don't go as planned, like life, no? But you'll be smiling and laughing as you 'experience' the joy of the people and places found in this unique region.
March 2, 2007
I met Peter Moore, then bought his book at a scooter event. That little Aussie has some really big stories. His more serious work tells of his time in Iran, but Vroom describes a fun romp around Italy via Vespa Vecchia. I thought it was pretty cool, but I'm biased: I'm a scooter nerd and also was planning a trip to Italy, so his insights on culture and off-the-beaten-path locales were quite useful.
I also got through it in about 2.5 hours. It's a really fast read (paced somewhat like a downhill cruise on a 40-year-old scooter) but Moore packs an awful lot into the brief read.
Ciao!
I also got through it in about 2.5 hours. It's a really fast read (paced somewhat like a downhill cruise on a 40-year-old scooter) but Moore packs an awful lot into the brief read.
Ciao!
July 24, 2010
This book chronicles the adventures of a guy who, on a whim, bought an old Vespa scooter on Ebay. In Italy. He then flew there to pick it up and spent the summer meandering around the Tuscan countryside.
I had always dreamed of doing something similar and I read this book about a month or two before my own trip there with Melinda.
This book didn't tell me anything I didn't already know about scooters (I already owned a 1962 Vespa myself) but it did teach me how to curse at other drivers in Italian, something that did come in handy when we were riding together in Florence and Rome.
I had always dreamed of doing something similar and I read this book about a month or two before my own trip there with Melinda.
This book didn't tell me anything I didn't already know about scooters (I already owned a 1962 Vespa myself) but it did teach me how to curse at other drivers in Italian, something that did come in handy when we were riding together in Florence and Rome.
July 14, 2014
Loved it - a wonderful entertaining read about author Peter Moore's travels around Italy on an eBay bought 1961 Vespa. The people, the famous cities and countryside, the not-so famous out of the way places, the frustrations and disappointments, and the great delights, all told with a wonderful humour. And also the elusive search for a little green plastic Kinder Surprise Vespa!
By the way, I must mention that I LOVE the cover illustration!
I shall look forward to reading more of Mr Moore's books.
By the way, I must mention that I LOVE the cover illustration!
I shall look forward to reading more of Mr Moore's books.
May 21, 2014
A must read for all us armchair travellers. I have a new appreciation for kinder surprise choc eggs.
This was just wonderful,the magic of journey , the people along the way and the food all contributed to just wanting to buy a vespa.
This was just wonderful,the magic of journey , the people along the way and the food all contributed to just wanting to buy a vespa.
December 15, 2010
A fun read, but probably more enjoyable if you are a scooterist.
Read
July 27, 2011An easy entertaining read that made me want to jump on a Vespa immediately and head for Italy.
August 22, 2025
An easy, light hearted read that I thoroughly enjoyed.
December 21, 2018
czytane z pewnym dystansem jest bardzo bardzo spoko
August 25, 2015
There's something romantic about exploring Italy on a scooter. Maybe not one that breaks down every so often, but it's the misadventures and wrong turns that lead you on some forgotten and hidden paths that make a trip more worthwhile and memorable.
'Vroom with a View' is a unique, sometimes whimsical, journey from Milan to Rome that's full of colorful, mostly friendly and helpful Italians and plenty of overnight stays at obscure places that have remarkable views of Tuscany and the Italian countryside.
A 1961 Vespa with plenty of chrome and saddle seats steals the hearts of the author, Peter Moore, and many locals, some old enough to remember being courted upon a Vespa in their younger days. The scooter stirs up some fond memories and lights everyone up. It's a feat of Italian engineering and seems to be the 'star' of this travelogue. Without the Vespa, the author lovingly calls 'Sophia', he would just be another tourist with a camera following tour guides.
Moore educates us about the history of the Vespa and how it became so popular after the Second World War and tells us more about the places he visits and what makes them unique. We learn about the best time to drink cappuccino and how to overcome fears riding through the traffic chaos, especially in Milan and Rome.
In many ways, it's like we were riding along on the back of the Vespa, getting swatted by the bugs, slowly rolling along the Tuscan hills and like the author, kind of dreading that Sophia would suddenly sputter to a stop in the middle of nowhere. It's all part of the adventure and what makes 'Vroom with a View' a joy to read.
'Vroom with a View' is a unique, sometimes whimsical, journey from Milan to Rome that's full of colorful, mostly friendly and helpful Italians and plenty of overnight stays at obscure places that have remarkable views of Tuscany and the Italian countryside.
A 1961 Vespa with plenty of chrome and saddle seats steals the hearts of the author, Peter Moore, and many locals, some old enough to remember being courted upon a Vespa in their younger days. The scooter stirs up some fond memories and lights everyone up. It's a feat of Italian engineering and seems to be the 'star' of this travelogue. Without the Vespa, the author lovingly calls 'Sophia', he would just be another tourist with a camera following tour guides.
Moore educates us about the history of the Vespa and how it became so popular after the Second World War and tells us more about the places he visits and what makes them unique. We learn about the best time to drink cappuccino and how to overcome fears riding through the traffic chaos, especially in Milan and Rome.
In many ways, it's like we were riding along on the back of the Vespa, getting swatted by the bugs, slowly rolling along the Tuscan hills and like the author, kind of dreading that Sophia would suddenly sputter to a stop in the middle of nowhere. It's all part of the adventure and what makes 'Vroom with a View' a joy to read.
March 24, 2015
When he was young, Australian Peter Moore saw an old black and white movie with Sophia Loren riding a Vespa through Italy. When he turned forty, he decided to fulfil his dream and he bought a 1961 Vespa on eBay. Picking it up in Milan, he took a summer to drive it down the west coast of Italy to Rome and wrote about his misadventures in “Vroom with a View”.
This was an entertaining book, easy read, and proved that tourists to Italy should buy a guide book to get around. Even then, they will get lost. Especially when riding an old Vespa.
Mr. Moore meets a lot of helpful people who admire his Vespa, he provides a lot of history about the scooter, describes the food he eats, the wine he drinks, and the scenery he drives through. Not an exciting book with anything special happening except the Vespa breaking down and a rude hotel owner. But, entertaining.
Read
June 7, 2007I'm in the midst of this light, funny travel journal of sorts recommended to me by my mom and enjoying every minute. I love bringing it to the gym and laughing out loud on the elliptical machine! For anyone who travels-especially in Italy, this will bring a huge smile to your face and loads of similar memories that you love to re-live! It's about a 40-year-old Auzzie who decides to live out his life-long dream of traveling through Italy on a 1961 Vespa and the experiences he has along the way. It's all about the beauty of Italy and the generous Italy culture, the food, the funny customs and kinder surprises!
June 19, 2011
I forgot how much I liked this author!!! I bought a couple of his books when I was over in the UK like a million years ago and I haven’t read anything since. And when I was just browsing the travel section at the library, I saw this one and just took it. It is about an Aussie who buys a vespa in Italy and drives it around all summer. He goes to small towns and has issues with the bike along the way and it’s really entertaining. It’s an area I have been to many times, but I wish I could remember the small details of the small towns we have driven through. Nothing super special, but just a really enjoyable read.
Grade: C+
Grade: C+
February 29, 2008
I am absolutely loving this book which I'm reading in short spurts alongside my fiction reads. I just want to drop everything and fly off to Italy, perhaps hiring a car rather than a Vespa, I'm not that daring!
Have finished this and it was a fabulous read, extremely readable, humorous but filled with little vignettes of Italian life. I wish I had his spontaneity! Will certainly be reading more by this author, he certainly has an extremely attractive writing style and you feel like you're on Sophia with him - almost tempted to buy a Vespa myself..
Have finished this and it was a fabulous read, extremely readable, humorous but filled with little vignettes of Italian life. I wish I had his spontaneity! Will certainly be reading more by this author, he certainly has an extremely attractive writing style and you feel like you're on Sophia with him - almost tempted to buy a Vespa myself..
December 18, 2007
This guy is one of my new heroes... a funny, laid-back Australian guy who one day decided to drop everything, buy a Vespa (on eBay Italy, sight unseen, no less!), fly to Italy to pick it up, and roam around the back roads of the Italian countryside on it, experiencing the culture.
Makes me want to throw away my job and home and go mooch off the hospitality of the locals over there, for a month or two... or forever! What a fun, warm read :)
Makes me want to throw away my job and home and go mooch off the hospitality of the locals over there, for a month or two... or forever! What a fun, warm read :)
September 27, 2012
I liked this book. It makes me want to visit Italy again, but this time on a Vespa! I was able to relive some of the places I had been to. I'm not sure how entertaining this book would be if you have never been to Italy. The author does not describe the sceneries in great detail, so I could imagine there could be some confusion. I think reading this book after having traveled to Italy would be helpful.
April 25, 2013
This book fun to read. The author had an amazing time in Italy, and that came out in the narrative. But I think the author's personality shines through in the book, and because he's a likeable, you end up really liking the book. It does get a bit slow at times, but picks up in time so that you don't get too bored. And the best part is that you're actually getting great tips about travelling in Italy, but in a humorous and fun way.
September 18, 2013
Loved it! I am probably a bit biased as I have just returned from Tuscany and having visited many of the places Peter visited I found myself reminiscing my wonderful holiday. All credit to Peter that he was able to rekindle my happy memories. I totally agree that bicycling is potentially very dangerous on the very narrow back roads. Vespa would be a great way to travel. Very entertaining Travel book!
November 26, 2013
Riding a Vespa as old as himself (in need of a bit of work but able to do the job) what a way to travel , and what a journey, I laughed and if you were lucky enough to see some of the places he goes it will remind you how lucky we were to have been there, and if you haven't been well lucky you, you have something to look forward to .... Read it , laugh and learn ....thank Sophia ( read and you will understand )
November 30, 2016
Found this when I went to release a few books in Toowong Village! I love Peter Moore and though I have just started this book, it looks to be as good as Swahili for the Broken-Hearted, which I loved.
12 January: You know, this book was even better than Swahili, which I didn't think was possible. I think that might have something to do with my lingering desire to go to Italy, and the general theory of travel dreams. PM really makes you want to travel Italy on the Vespa as well.
12 January: You know, this book was even better than Swahili, which I didn't think was possible. I think that might have something to do with my lingering desire to go to Italy, and the general theory of travel dreams. PM really makes you want to travel Italy on the Vespa as well.
January 20, 2017
A great, easy travel read, which had caused me to buy a ticket to Italy to experience 'la dolce vita' for myself... I love the way this book showed the ways that meeting new and interesting people (by purpose or accident) add layers to our own stories. a little clogged sometimes with superfluous explanations of setting and heavy motor jargon (but not being into motorbikes myself this may appeal to other readers). Other than this, a great read. I will be picking up the sequel immediately.
April 11, 2021
I picked this book because I was looking for a good travel book on Italy. Plus it was written by an Australian, and I was just in Australia.
Fun book, and I really enjoyed his short descriptions of restaurants and inns along his stay. I appreciate his hubris and humor. I chuckled over the funny stories, but felt that more detail could have been poured into them. Maybe I've read too much Bill Bryson.
Fun book, and I really enjoyed his short descriptions of restaurants and inns along his stay. I appreciate his hubris and humor. I chuckled over the funny stories, but felt that more detail could have been poured into them. Maybe I've read too much Bill Bryson.
November 27, 2010
anyone into vespas, iltaly or just a fun book should read this. i really enjoyed it. i'm horrible at writing witty quips about books, so my reviews are either i liked it, it was ok, or it sucked. this one gets the i like it vote, and 5 stars.
it was fun to go to peter's website and view his photo slide show from the book.
it was fun to go to peter's website and view his photo slide show from the book.
March 27, 2011
A wonderful read that took me through several of my favourite places in Italy! Cinque Terre and Tuscany are absolutely breathtaking. There's only 1 thing that still puzzles me... how on earth could he (Peter Moore) not like Florence??? It's my favourite city in Europe, the very sight of Florence makes me happy.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews