Happy Easter

Easter is late this year; we are already at the end of April and the warm spring brings thoughts of summer, and its days filled with light and the warmth of the sun on your skin.

Unfortunately, every year the traditions associated with this holiday are more and more abandoned, and it is turning into a frantic weekend of traffic, a holiday little associated with this very important event. Lent and Good Friday devoted to fasting, and then the party that features eggs, the symbols of Easter are almost forgotten, especially in large cities. Let's slow down our rushed pace, at least for a few hours, and may our thoughts return to childhood, when together with our family, we devoted more time to ourselves and to remembering the holiday that united us and taught us to cultivate and keep alive the value of tradition. I truly hope for an Easter full of peace and calm.

Great Job!

Great job our champion! Koa won again last Sunday as best male Great Dane and as best fawn Great Dane at the dog show which he attended giving great satisfaction to the breeder Marina and of course Max, the owner, proud of his creation.

And Koa? Always calm, not revealing any emotion, seems to ignore what is happening and poses for the lens of the camera in his proud and aloof manner. Or maybe he understands, and thus we hope it doesn’t go to his head! For us he is always the same Koa, full of energy and with a great desire to play and have fun, especially in the water, which is very strange for a Great Dane .......... but he is special also for this!

Wonderful evening

Saturday evening at the Cascina Commenda in Segrate AIDO, the Italian association of organ donors gave life to an event called SEGRATE WOMAN, an evening dedicated to women who have distinguished themselves for their commitment and professionalism.


Together with Marta Romagna, prima ballerina of the Ballet of La Scala in Milan, I was a guest of honor, and I told the large audience who filled the room of my challenges in the deserts, showing photos and video. For both of us the association wanted to give us a plaque in memory of the encounter. The evening ended with a performance of Jubilant Gospel Girls, a group of talented girls who enchanted everyone with moments of joy and enthusiasm.

Long Silence

The drafting of the new book is taking up all my time and I can not find room for anything other than writing of this experience with Fabio. Time passes quickly, and to retell what I experienced in the desert when we did the crossing together requires a lot of concentration affecting every moment and every thought. I always say that for me to retell a story effectively I must get back mentally into the desert to relive every moment: it's like walking along the same path again, and the fatigue at the end of the day is the same.


In this book, the difference is that it is the story of both of us: each has written of this experience in a different way even though the emotional similarities are obvious and to reconcile the narrative of both is not always easy. It is still a great adventure to create a book and to think we are passing on our thoughts is a great privilege.


And so.... we go ahead! With hard work but also with great satisfaction. And sorry if sometimes I go away................. but you know where to find me: I am there, in the heart of my beloved desert.

Libia

With great sadness and sorrow I am following the events going on in Libya, a country that holds a place in my heart for the wonderful experience I had in the Akakus desert exactly two years ago. At that time, invited by Libyans, I had the great privilege of walking in a wonderful place, with the aim of bring a message of peace to Africa, ideally combining the people through the desert. Unfortunately, the significance of that gesture has been removed by what is happening these days: there are only the memories of an unforgettable experience with people of great sensibility, that accepted me and followed me with competence and affection during the crossing, and it pains me to know they are experiencing a difficult situation in their country. My hope remains alive that in the near future, Libya can find its balance and political stability, to give everyone the opportunity to learn about its incredible natural and historical beauty and finally bring a smile to the faces of its inhabitants. They deserve it indeed.

A getaway with Koa

Yesterday at Max’s last league game of ice hockey in Lecco, we took advantage of the sunny day to stroll along the lake with Koa. Our little dog had so much fun and aroused great interest among the many people who filled the walking path, but what intrigued him more than anything else were the ducks and swans that would come close to him quacking. It was not easy to keep him from getting into the water to play with his new feathered friends, also because, unlike the majority of Danes, Koa loves the water. The lake was beautiful and the walk was a great opportunity to relax to release the thoughts that often fill our mind during the week. Early spring invites us to go out and get close to nature and we do not have to go into the desert to find it: it takes just a strip of beach on the water of a lake to enjoy moments of true serenity, which each of us has inside ourselves and must only ask for it to be revealed.

Happiness

One evening around the campfire in the desert of Morocco, one of the travel companions asked each of us what happiness is for us. The responses were different but the prevailing definition was to consider happiness as short or long moments on the path of life. It is utopian thinking to be happy for a long time, the characteristics of the term presupposes an intense emotion that can not last long. Inevitably it turns into peace, prosperity, or contentment, which are feelings we can have for a long time if we are able to handle them with care. Happiness is subjective, what makes a person happy is not guaranteed to work for another and each time the parameters can change depending on the circumstances. You can be happy for small things: a walk hand in hand, an affectionate gesture, an unexpected gift, a word spoken at the right time. You do not need big events to trigger strong emotions: many that night said that at that precise moment, in the desert, around a fire talking with friends, they felt happy. I wish for all of you to experience many moments of happiness, to feel alive and to give your lives an even greater value.