Smiles and happiness

How much positive energy there was at the recent evening book presentations! Both at Cenate Sotto, where the whole town came to celebrate their most famous citizen, Fabio, and at Treviso. At Cenate, the Palaincentro was filled with a welcoming audience who were touched to hear our voices telling the story from the book-on-tape to begin the evening, which ended with a unique poetry reading of the love of Catullo accompanied by musicians. In Treviso rather, the event, was organized in an impeccable manner with photography of the expedition by Renato Vettorato, that joined the book presentation and the inauguration of the photography show, very carefully planned and superb quality, showing Fabio and I in the Egyptian desert. There was also the presence of the radio, television and many photographers. The restaurant “Perchè” hosted us to a wonderful dinner, where sponsors competed to offer the 200 guests their best products, accompanied with very high quality wines. The atmosphere inspired by the desert, with sand decoration, was extremely refined and the public was very interested in both in my expeditions and in the Desert Therapy trips. At the end of the evening we had a unforgettable toast opening a giant bottle of champaign made just for the event: the bottle was the color of sand and the beautiful label was an image of us in the desert.

Evening in Fossano

Yesterday evening in the picturesque setting of the Castle Fossano Acaja there was a new presentation of the latest book LOOKING BEYOND THE DUNES written with Fabio.
Bruna Stecca, organizer of the meeting and a dear friend, was a person who has traveled the world and has twice participated in our travels Desert Therapy: together we both walked in the desert of Morocco and then in Corsica. A great lover of literature, her enthusiasm made yesterday’s meeting in Fossano very special. The room was full and the audience fascinated by the story of my last adventure with Fabio, who this time was unable to be present to describe "his" desert. The audience saw pictures of the crossing and had many questions addressed to me at the end of the meeting, which extended well beyond the agreed time. Many were also curious to learn more about our travels and Max explained in detail all the features of Desert Therapy. The evening ended with a final toast of course dedicated to the Desert!

Despite everything......

It is difficult to be calm in moments like these, when uncertainty surrounds you. Every day the news overwhelms us with tragedy, without a doubt true, but often manipulated to make the stories more dramatic. It seems that all is going to waste, we are always waiting for new developments in the world of politics and in everyday life. Around you see only sad faces, no one smiles, everyone seems enclosed in their thoughts, not wanting to communicate with others. And it is the circumstances like this that we need to have the courage to overlook, to open ourselves to others, with a kind gesture, a word, a smile… In the desert it happens naturally, each time: let’s try to make this happen also here, letting our thoughts become positive, our hearts light, our faces less tense and distant. Certainly we can’t change the course of events, but we will feel better, ready to face everyday life with more trust and calmness. As the desert teaches us, the great mystery of life.

What an evening!

There are no words to describe the presentation of the book that was held last night at the marvelous theater at the Institute for the Blind, filled with many people who wanted to come, to show Fabio and I their friendship and support.
There were many friends from Desert Therapy coming from all over Italy bringing their testimony of the trips and becoming emotional retelling of their unforgettable experiences together in the desert.
Fabio described his experience with words that touched the hearts of all present and hearing the recording of our voices on the book-on-tape with the lights in the room turned off was a very moving moment. Wonderful as always Maurizio di Maggio, the voice of Radio Montecarlo, made the audience laugh and applaud, and then gather around us for dedicated copies of the book. It was an unforgettable evening, organized very professionally by Max and documented by Oscar, the official photographer. The desert once again gave us moments of magic that will remain in the minds of all.

48 Hours!!

Only 48 hours until the presentation of “Looking over the dunes” the book I wrote together with Fabio about our challenge in 2008. For me it is my 3rd book and the other day when I finally got to hold a copy of the book in my hands, I felt the same emotions as with “Deserts” and “ Silence of the Sand”. In addition to the desert I shared with Fabio also the writing of a book and retelling of our long tiring days crossing the sand together. We shared moments of great fatigue but also others of intense joy, always facing them with the desire and determination to go forward, despite it all. As before, also this time retelling about the days of the crossing was like doing the challenge again, step after step. But there was something new: the book on tape that Fabio and I made with our own voices, a dialogue that expresses the intensity and the tension of those days and nights in the desert, how we were able to go forward on a challenge full of obstacles, physical and psychological. The presentation is fixed for Thursday, November 10 at 6pm at the Institute for the Blind in Milan.

My favorite flowers

My favorite flower has always been the plumeria. Perhaps because of its shape, essential and simple, or maybe because usually they grow in tropical places, but every time I find one I cannot resist their charm. And in the garden by my hotel room in Bahariya, I found them by surprise. A plumeria plant in full bloom that seem to be there just to welcome me. The flowers were smaller than those that usually grow in tropical climates, but the shape is unmistakable. I think of it as another gift from the desert, a kind thought that brought me a smile and joy. It takes little to be happy, and seeing them in the oasis in the middle of the desert was the cherry on top of the cake that made my two days there between the two wonderful trips of Desert Therapy even more special, making the experience unforgettable.

How I miss the desert!

Now we are back after nearly 20 days spent in the desert. For the first time we had two groups, one after the other, and we stayed in Egypt the whole time. While Max returned to Cairo to meet our new guests including travel and other things, I stayed for two days alone in the Bahareya oasis to enjoy a little rest between bathing in the warm thermal waters and having relaxing massages. I took advantage of writing the screenplay for the documentary on the desert in Corsica and continued to breathe the air of the desert.


We were lucky this time to meet such very special people. Both groups, one of eight and the other of ten people, were very nice and we all enjoyed ourselves. The desert has given birth to new friendships destined to last over time and has given us once again an unforgettable experience. It has only been a few days, but I am already missing the company of my new friends and especially the desert. We are already planning new trips, as it is hard to stay away from that special place for a long time: when you meet it, it captures your soul and you are unable to leave it.