So; it was a good day. A day in which the invitation from my Russian cousin was indeed – magically – at the post office when I went to enquire on the offchance, sure I was days too early. A day in which an acquaintance happened to want to go to the city too, so I had company on the hour and a half bus ride. A day in which the hot maw of Madrid opened and swallowed me and spat me out no worse for wear. A day in which the Russian consulate was not only open when I got there but processed my application swiftly, politely, took my €58 and told me to come back in a week to collect my visa. A day in which there was a poster of poetry on the train; a love poem, soft and sad and mournful and beautiful; and on the bottom of the poster, it said ‘Not a day without poetry’. A day in which I found the place to hire a motorbike. A day in which, returning to Toledo, sweet, kind, dough-warm Toledo, I found €20 on the footpath.
It followed a night where I found a hidden Moroccan shop and almost spent all my money (I did buy a gorgeous bedside lamp and put a deposit on a patterned cloth) and met the aforementioned acqaintance, a student from the course Richard Wetzler is running, a Jordanian named Samer, involved with the peace process in the middle east, a journalist for NBC, and – what is it with you political Sagittarians, Jonathan? – a big Miles Davis fan.
So, today’s question: should I rent the moto? They won’t give me a small one like I’m used to to take back to Toledo because of insurance. They won’t give me a real motrobike because I’ve never ridden a geared bike. What they’re offering me is a BMW C1 (14 days=€300=$510).
I’d love to create a poll, but I don’t have a paid account… but choose from the following responses or add your own!
a) Are you utterly insane? You’ve never even driven on the wrong side of the road before!
b) Are you utterly insane? You’ve only ever ridden a teensy weensy thing! Stick to what you know, get a Vespa.
c) Motorscooters? Pah! They’re for wimps.
d) Are you utterly insane? $510? Why not just get it for a weekend and see how it goes.
e) Sounds like it could be fun… try it, but be careful.
f) Are you utterly insane? A C1? The thing you *raved* about in e)mag two years ago and have been bemoaning ever since the distinct lack of them in Australia? That sort of C1? And your problem is?
Oh, and I think I’ve found my next dream bike…meet the X9, megascooter.