Giorgio Bettinelli and his world tour on a VespaToday we want to relive the life and travels of Giorgio Bettinelli . Because today, May 15, Giorgio was born in Crema. Musician, writer and journalist who rode his Vespa around the world and allowed us to travel with him through his stories contained in the many books he wrote.

You will find some titles of his books in this article and we feel like recommending these readings to you, perhaps during your future travels on two wheels.Giorgio Bettinelli: traveling has always been his passionAlong journey of 300 thousand kilometers spread over 135 countries. It really has to be said: Giorgio Bettinelli has taken his Vespa to all continents crossing borders, different cultures and peoples. He himself liked to define them as“imaginary lines that nevertheless divide and characterize totally different realities.” And we fully espouse this interpretation of his.

In his interviews Giorgio Bettinelli has said that he is “as curious as a monkey,” and always has been, since childhood. He began traveling alone at the age of 14. His first trip took him hitchhiking from his hometown of Crema to Copenhagen, Denmark.

Since that time he has never stopped traveling, always pushing himself further. He also hitchhiked to Tunisia and at the age of 17 left Trieste for India, his first real trip that certainly left a mark on him for life. To get to India he used the famous Magic Bus, the bus that connected London or Amsterdam on the Hippie Road, one of the most popular means of transportation among backpackers of that period.Giorgio Bettinelli, his travels on a VespaReading his books you can tell page after page, Giorgio was born to travel the world. This is what also shines through in his interviews, when he likes to reminisce about his travels by recounting sincere anecdotes that can charm any person listening.

He became fond of the Vespa after receiving a gift of just such an old model during a stay in Indonesia. He was so attached to his two-wheeled vehicle that he talked along with it, or rather with her. “Now we’re going to do some riding together,” he would say to his beloved Vespa before embarking on a journey.

Among his very first trips are those from South to North Sumatra Island, Indonesia, and from Italy to Vietnam in 1997. This latest journey is encapsulated in his first book On a Vespa. Rome to Saigon Along with his 24,000 kilometers spent in the saddle.

Instead, 254,000 kilometers are recounted in the book Brum Brum. 254,000 kilometers on a Vespa, between Alaska and Tierra del Fuego in 1994 and, over the next two years, from Melbourne to Cape Town. But his traveling certainly does not stop there. He traveled all over Africa, seeing with his own eyes injustice and tragedy on one side and color and joy on the other.

There was no shortage of strong and harsh experiences directly experienced on his skin. Indeed, in Congo he was kidnapped and with the belief that he was destined for certain death, he had to take stock of his life in the days of kidnapping. However, fate was on his side, allowing him to continue his journey to other countries riding his Vespa.

He traveled to South Asia via Yemen and dedicated a book to his journey:

Rhapsody in Black: On a Vespa from Angola to Yemen

and has also reached Australia and Tasmania.Giorgio Bettinelli’s latest trip
China on a Vespa
is Bettinelli’s book in which he recounts the journey that saw him travel 39,000 kilometers along China’s 33 regions. It was in China that he had started a new life, in 2004, buying a house and marrying his Chinese partner. His wanderlust, however, never ran out. In 2006 we see him traveling to discover all facets of China, from remote villages to large modern cities.

Just as he was writing a new book, Giorgio died of a sudden illness at the age of 53 in the city of Jinghong, China. He left us too young. He left his Vespa behind, too young. Giorgio Bettinelli, not just a simple travelerIn addition to being a great traveler, Bettinelli was a writer and songwriter.

He made his debut as a musician with the group
Herb Square
in 1973, while in 1976 he took part in the music and cabaret group the
Pandemonium
. With the latter group he had the opportunity to collaborate with Rino Gaetano, singing in Gianna’s choir, with Gino Bramieri, who wanted them as regular guests on his television program G.B. Show, and with Luigi Proietti. With Pandemonium he also participated in the 1979 Sanremo Festival with the song Tu fai schifo sempre, which was very successful.

As a songwriter he released several 45s for the Italian record company RCA and then moved on to Easy Records, where he collaborated with maestro Gianni Mazza.

Giorgio Bettinelli in his stories continues to make us dream, telling his story without censorship and describing those feelings that we also feel every time we get on our Vespa. Freedom, joy, carefreeness, the desire to ride miles without ever stopping, reach new destinations and explore. Between nostalgia for trips he has just taken and the desire to plan new ones, Bettinelli relives in his books and adventures without filters.

We want to keep dreaming along with him, sharing the same passion for our scooter. Bettinelli reminds us that the Vespa is not just a means of transportation but a way of life and a healthy passion that takes us far. Literally.

photo: https://wide.piaggiogroup.com/ Subscribe to Tour in Vespa NewsRemain updated on the launch of new tours and exclusive promotions: you will receive valuable tips to experience TourinVespa at its best!Subscribe to Tour in Vespa NewsRemain updated on the launch of new tours and exclusive promotions: you will receive valuable tips to experience TourinVespa at its best!