A year later, I’m in Faversham once again, right in the heart of Kent, the garden of England: Many friends, like Lena and Bob, welcomed me as warmly as they would a member of their own families.

I now sleep over a boat bearing a celtic name, moored at Hollowshore – Oare – about a mile away from Faversham. John Walpole kindly allowed me to stay aboard for a while.

Early in the morning I wake up by the sound of seagulls and ducks, then I grab a bike and ride through flower fields and green meadows – where cows and sheeps run away at my sight. Eventually, I reach the docks where I’m getting Clodia ready for the long journey awaiting us.

The emotion to see it was huge: Clodia was my house for three long and troubled months last year.

It’s now moored in the Iron Wharf, a boatyard where over a thousand boats are docked, and enriched by a community of bizarre, but very wise, liveaboards that taught me a lot.

They are of great help, such as Captain Alex (a nice lady) living aboard the Sheppey Queen, an old wooden ferry that carried thousand, maybe millions of people across the Thames and the Swale.

Alex was once working in the London media industry: She now teaches her wisdom of healer, beside being a great cook (I can tell, I’ve enjoyed very tasty and healthy meals)!

In Faversham I also had the pleasure to meet the guys from Creek Creative. They involve the community in many activities related to creativity, craftsmanship and art.

With little money and plenty of passion, Bob, Anne, Georgia, Simon, Keith and many other organise wonderful events, meetings and workshops.

They invited me to present Man on the River, which happened last Sunday in front of a warm and appreciative audience.

Richard Fleury, film director and member of Creek Creative team, is shooting a documentary called “The Quay”. He told me many stories about the Standard Quay in Faversham, a magic place where the Thames Barges still live and are being restaured. These historical, large flat-bottomed boats, used to carry goods to London cruising the Thames upstream, thanks to their excellent maneuverability.

Unfortunately, speculators want to set the area free from the Quay, to let space for new constructions. This is a valuable land, nestled beside the Creek, a canal running from the Swale river up to Faversham: Centuries ago the Roman ships, as well as Henry VIII’s fleet many years later, used to sail it upstream waiting for the right tide. By the way, the current tide is about 7 metres.

A very special friend gave me his support: I can call him an angel, among many other angels that I met here. His name is Moray: He’s a Scotsman born in Hong Kong, and a very conscious traveler. After practicing for a long time as a lawyer, he’s now mastering natural medicine, being a healer too. He fed me with his wisdom and his food, that’s quickly bringing me back to a very good physical shape.

It’s a nutrition based on a simple diet that purifies the body from all the junk that we usually swallow, from too much coffee and industrial foods. It would be as simple as observing nature to greatly improve the way we eat, but I don’t want to be too obvious nor shallow.

Clodia is now moored next to the Sheppey Queen. In the last few days I practiced rowing, carrying aboard two special guests: Susanna and her daughter Carlotta, Italian friends that invited me for dinner where I had the pleasure to meet Jonathan (Susanna’s husband and Carlotta’s dad).

Clodia is in a great shape, I’m catching up. I’m relaxed and happy, just waiting for Bruno and Fine and enjoying Faversham’s angels.

Right now I’m in Beaulieu, close to Southampton, Hampshire, along with Lena and Bob. We came to visit a fantastic nautical fair, full of old stuff. We have set our tent in a huge meadow, next to the ruins of an ancient abbey: We are cuddled by the sound of traditional songs played by local musicians. Tonight I sleep here, then on the 21^st I plan to get to London to help the guys from Thames 21 in cleaning the Thames riverside.

A little change of programme: I decided to restart the journey from Faversham. In London there is the royal wedding and the odds to get through safely are very little: the Thames will be full of large ferries (whose high waves are quite dangerous for a small boat like Clodia). Moreover, in Faversham they still need my help to save the Standard Quay.

See you soon.

Giacomo

A short post to keep you up to date. Once got back to Italy, I’ve been immediately recovered to Venice hospital where I stayed for 18 days. Now I live in my parents’ house to continue the medical treatment.

The pneumonia has nearly gone but I’m still very weak. Unfortunately my immune system is now at very low levels: I’ve lost 13 kilos and my muscles have disappeared.

I’ll need a long time to fully recover so I don’t think I’ll be fit enough to continue the voyage this summer. I had to surrender to a tiny being that changed a lot my life. The days in hospital gave me the time to think.

In the beginning I lived this illness as a curse: Then I understood that, as usual, nothing happens by chance. I undertook this adventure in an akward psychophysical situation: Bad weather, unfit diet and worries did the rest, so I got sick.

Now, along with all the team, I’ll try to fine tune the organization of the journey for next year. In the wake of that, I’d love to travel around Italy an abroad to tell about this first part of the adventure, so meaningful and rich of encounters. Helped by Paolo Muran (the producer of the documentary) and Nicola Pittarello (the director) I’ll mount part of the movie and show it. The beautiful pictures taken by Massimo Di Nonno and Michele Spiller will also contribute to tell our journey along the Thames.

First of all, I’ll take care of getting fit as never before.

Clodia is still moored in Ramsgate: My dear friend Harry, who lives in Withstable, will take care of it.

I wish to thank the Director and all the staff from the Ramsgate Port, and David, Peter, Ian in particular.

They’ve been close friends and didn’t ask for any fee for mooring more than one month. Think that we were planning to stop there for two days at the most…

Life is so full of surprises. Thanks to all of our partners: With their materials we have experienced the perfection of Clodia, from mattresses to solar panels, from sails to nautical wood. Thanks from the deepest of my heart.

Thanks to Eden Exit, they did a wonderful job, Emanuele, Matteo, Claudio, and Ivor for the translations.

The mast and the boom were made very quickly and wonderfully by Nicolò Zen and his girlfriend Diana. Thank you my friends.

Armando Rossato and Franchino worked to make our life easiear. And Carlo took wonderful pictures.

Francesca, we loved you. Nicola Zago, Nicola Baggio, you were the beginning. I will never thank you enought.

Thanks to Marco Scurati, Sandro Soramaè, Pati De Ross. Without you things would have been different.

The Circolo Velico Casanova, Mr. Rallo and Mr. Bruson, the Canottieri Giudecca in Venice, Mario Brunello,all the staff of Caterpillar, Michael Kierkegaard, Michele Raunich, Andrea Tagliapietra, Tito from Campalto, for the drysuites and the life jackets, Mr Sacchetto for the boom tent.. And so many more that I will take time to remember all of them!

A special mention goes to Ali and Anne who took care of me for nearly a month, in London. Thanks also to Roland Poltock who built the boat, to Silvio Lago with him and to all the Lago’s staff that made Clodia possible. Thanks to Jacopo who saved my life in the first place.

The second saviours are Venice Hospital doctors: Thanks Doctor Rosini. And thanks to all the people who gave us hospitality, support, help, such as Patricia and Iain in Ramsgate, Lena and Bob in Faversham, Earl, John and Harry in Withstable and many more that I’ll thank very soon.

And  all my gratitude to the Erith Yacht Club, the Isle of Sheppey Sailing Club, and all the wonderful persons who helped us in such a generous way.

Now I have to stop, but the journey goes on.

Giacomo De Stefano

 
From the team: after two nights aboard Clodia under a thunderstorm, Giacomo had a relapse. The doctors suggested him to get back to Italy for a couple of weeks, since resting seems not to be enough of a cure.

He will shortly be in Venice to undertake a therapy that should allow him to continue his voyage.

In the meantime Jacopo, who was working in a farm in Southern France, waiting for Giacomo to get better, has decided to walk his way back to Venice along the following itinerary: Grigioni region up to Tirano, Tonale pass, Val di Non, Val di Fiemme, Val di Fassa, Val Badia, Agordo, Belluno, Venezia.

He wants to thank al the people who helped hin in the last month: Francesca and Ben, Gerard and Costant, Serge and Patricia Desboulles from the Tejuliande farm, their son Laurent, Marion, little Celia, Stephanie and her partner Mickey, their daughter Emile and all friends from Sant Nicolas de la Grave. He also thanks Edy, her husband and their daughter Alice, Emma and the town of Savognin, Don Antonio, Don Matteo all the boys from Tonale school camp.