If I had lived in the Wild West of Kit Carson and Billy the Kid I would have owned a horse. If I had been born in the 1800’s in Italy I would have owned a mule. In these modern times, I desired to obtain the modern equivalent of a mule or horse. So I bought an Ape Pick Up, a motored tricycle with a cab for passengers and a cargo bed for hauling materials. For decades in Italy, especially after WWII, the Ape marked a major change in the use of beasts of burden for farm work. It was an inexpensive substitute for mules and donkeys. They became very popular with farmers and other workers who need a convenient, low cost means to transport equipment, soil, harvest material and any other necessary cargo. Today, many people want to buy large pick-ups or SUV’s. Not me. I wanted an APE pick up, a used one with some historical character to it. I found one to purchase from an elderly gentleman in Tornimparte. It was 30 years old, mustard colored, with all of the ailments expected of an old, hard working, faithful worker. Fortunately I also found a good mechanic in a nearby town. Today, my almost perfectly running, a bit noisy, Ape pickup serves as my assistant at the Casa Torre del Cornone guest house. Far from being a collector’s item or a reverse snob vehicle choice, it is a good, practical compliment to my business and my personal pleasure activities. 1 2