Yamaha Journey Vol.02

The house was in a town called Mandanici with a population of about 700 people. As with all conservative villages, the residents were wary of outsiders – and being with an insider (Diego in this case) really helped – if it weren't for him, it may have been a village to pass after the customary oil change. People invited me to drink liquor with them, have dinner at their houses – so many invitations. The country side, despite its conservative outlook, is hungry for news – and a foreign traveler must have been a field day for them.

I visited Rome and Venice as well, but my image of the quintessential Italian countryside was Mandanici. People really helped to make my stay pleasant. My work during my stay there was collecting water. The villagers had rules regarding which spring water was good for coffee or cooking. They would also go searching in the hills for rosemary to use in meat dishes to be cooked on that day. Salads in Italy were just wonderful, and pasta cooked with homemade tomato sauce was unbelievably tasty. Being able to blend into the local people is a rare event even during long journeys. Mandanici must have been special, because I spent a whole 3 weeks there, and I felt welcomed by the whole community.

There is another place I extended my stay during my trip in southern Europe – and that is Nice, France. After I visited Italy for the second time after leaving France, I experienced some mechanical problems with my motorcycle. I was informed that there was a good mechanic in Nice, and when I returned, that was when I met Damian. He was running an old motorcycle garage called “Old Racer” back then, and on the day I met him, we talked about so much – motorcycles we used to own, our favorite racers, things about Japan that Japanese people are unaware of. I dined with Damian's family, and through him, I connected with the local community. Come to think of it, leaving Italy for Nice must have been predestined – so I could meet Damian. We connected incredibly quickly, despite our different upbringing, language, and age.

When it comes to northern or southern climes and the characteristics of the inhabitants, it seems the south agrees with me more – whether in Italy or France, the southern parts of both countries were more enjoyable. The food was better, people were more outgoing, and they seemed to be enjoying life more fully. You can schedule an outing with your friends the next day only to have them ask you what the plan was in the first place, come tomorrow. This laissez-faire style is perfect for me. For the three and a half years I was traveling, I visited Sicily and Nice on a number of occasions. I'm convinced that Diego and Damian will remain life-long friends.