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.

Sigh of relief

It 'done! The book is finally completed, and in a few days also the audiobook will be finished and then finally I can dedicate myself to our next departure to the White Desert.
Yes, we return again! This time with two consecutive groups and thus I will have to stay there for two weeks: I can’t wait!
A few nights ago, at the pizza party that we organize every time before leaving, we got to meet some of our fellow traveling companions. They were all very nice and cheerful, as the people always are who decide to come with us. They immediately connected with each other and are eager for this experience which is absolutely new for almost everyone. We explained exactly how the trip will take place and there were many questions on their part: Max explained that we will have with us a satellite device, as usual, and on the site our path will be traced every day and we have mentioned some of the wonderful surprises that await them. The presence of Oscar in the first group was very welcome news: this time we will have the doctor with us!
And now we are focused on preparations: to ensure our fellow travelers all the pampering and attention that Desert Therapy gives to its guests.

Last Stop

A few more hours .... and the draft of the forthcoming book "LOOKING BEYOND THE DUNES" will be finally completed.
The last editing of the text, adding a few sentences here and there, last-minute doubts: just as always. It's always very emotional to give life to a book, although this time it was written by four hands, along with Fabio. And then there is also another innovation: for the first time my book is being made also into an audio book, since the work is also aimed at readers who are blind. We decided to record it with our real voices and the effect is certainly very emotional. Inevitably, bring life to the book has touched our hearts and my thoughts return there, in the middle of the desert with my partner that I love so much. Fabio was amazing: he managed to find a way to read the text using a particular computer program and retell our adventure with his own voice. Behind the scenes of the demanding production work, followed with great professionalism by Maurizio Camponovo, was our cameraman and photographer in Morocco, and the result exceeds all expectations. The market for audio books in Italy, unfortunately, is rather limited, while abroad, it is widespread. It is not a product intended only for those who cannot see, but can also be used by people that, for work, spend a lot of time in the car, from children with dyslexia to the elderly who because of diseases such as stroke have difficulty reading.
It's always a great satisfaction to give life to a book: this time it's even more so because it's a whole new experience shared someone who, due to a very serious disability, found in this location new emotions and lots of positive energy.

Mission Accomplished

We returned last night from the Desert des Agriates in Corsica where we walked for four days to create a documentary for television. It was a particularly challenging course because of the load we had to carry on our shoulders. Our backpacks, filled to capacity with food, water, tents and all you need to set up camp, weighed more than 28 kilos (65 lbs.) for Max, while mine was around 22 kilos (55 lbs.). Fabrizio our cameraman, carried all the material for filming, which was just as difficult to transport and the heat helped to make our walking very much like one of my desert challenges. It seemed like we were engaged in one of my adventures with team no limits, however, this time I also had to devote time to filming, which took priority over everything. The weather was beautiful and the sea was always calm and incredibly transparent. The nights spent in our tent on the beaches were very humid and there was the totally unexpected presence of large amounts of mosquitoes, which complicated matters further. But the unexpected visit of a fox the first night and the memory of those silences, in contact with nature, lit by a beautiful full moon we miss so much already.
This Mediterranean-desert is truly fascinating and I hope to return again next year with Desert Therapy, to relax and to enjoy it, making it known to those who, like me, love nature in its most authentic and wild sense.

Return

We're back to work after the long summer break. But it was not only a vacation! We have planned programs for the coming months and the most important news is regarding the release of the book on November 3rd and two Desert Therapy trips which will start on October 7th and 15th in the White Desert in Egypt. And then, the last important change: we return next Tuesday in Corsica in the mythical Agriates Desert, where we will film a documentary for television. For four days we will walk with backpacks loaded to capacity with food, water and material to retrace the trail that will take us from Saint Florent Ile Rousse. This time we will be only in three: me, Max and Fabrizio, the filmer in the beautiful landscape of the north coast of the island to accompany viewers in exploring the wilderness of the only recognized desert in Europe. We expect it to be difficult, but also an exciting adventure: we will write again once we return, to tell you the details of this new experience.