5,200 km across European rivers
During his voyage, which began in London in May 2011 and arrived in Istanbul in October 2012, Giacomo crossed at least 15 countries, including Italy, where the boat was launched.
He slept in the boat under a canvas tent made from the type of truck tarpaulins that were no longer used. The canvas material was called Olona (a river in Italy), a very strong and waterproof cotton.
The wood stove was made by a blacksmith friend from a beer mini-keg and allowed Giacomo to cook, keep warm, and dry his clothes during the cold month of April in Northern Europe. He also used it to bake bread from flour given by country folk, farmers, and millers he met along the way. He sometimes built — with care — small fires on the shores of the rivers and the Black Sea.
For food, he relied on fish and fruit, as well as any other food that people along the way offered him.
On board the boat there were some ropes, a knife, materials for repairing the sails and the wood, the stove, a sleeping bag, a cloth rubbish bin, two anchors, a mosquito net, a canvas hammock, some nautical maps (very few) and books, a tinder box, some spare clothes, and a fisherman’s jacket.
He didn’t need much.
In every country he took only a dry leaf and collected some drops of water, which he kept in 15 small glass bottles made by a Murano glass master.
There were about two hundred locks to pass through, the biggest in Serbia: that of the Iron Gates, which had once been the most difficult point of navigation along the Danube. There were also tunnels and suspension bridges, where the boat sailed at a height of 30 metres above the ground, more than 400 bridges to sail under, 100 towns and cities, and 4 capitals. He passed by 200 million people who lived along Europe’s two most important rivers.
The boat was transported from Venice to London by a courier who had kindly offered to leave space for it on board the first truck with enough free room, beside the goods being taken to London anyway.
It was a journey of both low and high technology. Giacomo did not use satellite navigation instruments but relied only on the sun and the stars, carrying out predominantly simple navigation in coastal and protected waters. At the same time, thanks to some technology partners, Giacomo was able to broadcast live from various locations where he stopped, telling people what he had seen in the preceding kilometres.
The electricity needed on board to charge the telephone necessary for talking on the radio was supplied by a small solar panel. If anything was lacking en route, he found it somewhere along the way. Know-how, care, and attention did the rest. Giacomo said: “When you have little, you make do with what you’ve got.”
Giacomo was all the more devoted to listening, observing, and sharing information with those who knew more than he did.
Hello Giacomo,
came to your fascinating project after reading about it at intheboatshed.
Hope all will go well. Somewhere on your site`I´ve read that you will take the Danube from Donaueschingen. As far as I know the Danube is closed for all boating from Donaueschingen till the monastery of Beuron, if I´m correct. If you didn´t know already, I hope that helps in organizing.
Best regards, and keeping fingers crossed
Andreas
Dear Andreas,
thank you so much for your information. How is it possible? Some work? How all the trafic will go?
I will check imediately. I hope to see you on board.
All my best Giacomo
Dear Andreas,
I will take the Danube near Regensburg. So, there, is open to navigation. I was really preoccupied.
Thank you again
met you this morning at the Bull Hotel in Wargrave goodluck @ bon voyage
Da quando ho letto l’articolo, e dopo aver visto il sito, ho pensato ad una fusione con la musica, interpretando man-on come Manon!!! E’ un caso o è voluto?…
In bocca al lupo!
Carmen
Ciao Carmen, purtroppo casuale però Man on the River ha molto a che vedere con la musica, come puoi vedere dai precedenti post su Mario Brunello e i Pianovelo!
It was very nice to meet you as you rowed past me in my electric boat ‘Eddy Current’ on the Cookham Reach. Pity your solar panel will not run an electric outboard ! All the very best for your journey.
Ciao Giacomo,
attenzione che ti sto seguendo!
Ho letto l’articolo su La Repubblica e, dunque, sono arrivato al tuo sito.
Avrei l’intenzione di farvi una visita quando arrivate al Danubio, cioè a Kehlheim. Se c’è disponibilità verrei con voi per il brevissimo ma suggestivo tratto fino a Weltenburg, monastero con chiesa stupenda e birreria del 1050 e rotti, dove mi piacerebbe farvi brindare a padre Danubio che vi poterà con sé fino al mare… e a mio figlio visto che non sei più passato per conoscerlo.
Spero di potermi organizzare. Voi, lo so, avete tempo!
Inoltre, non so se vi possa interessare un poco di stampa locale bavarese per darvi maggiore visibiltà.
Intanto incrocio le dita per l’attraversata fino alla terraferma.
Un abbraccio,
Heribert.
Caro Heribert, potresti cortesemente mandarci il tuo indirizzo e-mail alla nostra mail di info, che trovi qui, in modo tale che ti possiamo contattare?
Grazie
Il team Man on the River
Grazie heribert, con grande piacere. Sei fantastico, scusa ritardo ma intensità del viaggio pazzesca. Tuo figlio???Lo porti?
Certo che lo porto!
Ma non ti voglio trattenere. Immagino che siamo in molti che ti scriviamo.
Buon’attraversata della manica!
Thank you Ian, thank you. It has been such a beautiful moment to meet you. There is a very short video of you in Wargrave to..
All my best
Caro Giacomo, siamo gli studenti della scuola di italiano asnada (facebook.com/asnada). Abbiamo avuto due lezioni con la tua storia, nella nostra stanza abbiamo una mappa con il tuo viaggio e anche una barchetta di legno simile alla tua. Se vai sulla pagina facebook puoi vedere le foto di queste lezioni ma anche di tanti altri lavori. Ci farebbe piacere che tu ci scrivessi, purtroppo Milano non ha fiumi altrimenti chissà, passeresti anche da queste parti…
Ciao Giacomo
Ci siamo conosciuti a Venezia, quando ero studente con tua sorella Barbara.
Heribert mi ha raccontato del tuo viaggio.
È una storia intrigante, che seguirò volentieri qua e là…
Ovviamente, buon vento!
Grazie Bruno, un abbraccio, bei tempi! In barca spero di vederti..
A great idea for your holiday from life, but needing a support boat? Sort of defeats the project aims doesn’t it?
Why cannot you just go alone, as many others have?
It’s like our Prime Minister being photographed cycling to work, but we find out there is a car behind him carrying his files and clothes. To be accepted as serious you must be braver. North winds at present, and low swell are ideal to cross. Go alone.
Caro Giac,
Ho avuto tramite Biba la notizia della BBC. Che avventura! Ti ho beccato proprio prima della traversata della Manica, e quindi gonfie vele! Non ci si vede da 5 anni ormai, ma è sempre bellissimo sapere di te attraverso questi viaggi fantastici.
Abbraccio forte,
Carlos
will be waiting for you in romania
Grande. I will go alone! So simple!! Everybody love to scare someone.
Grazie
Yes old sea Salt i will go alone. It’s me now the problem. A little virus.
Now alone, as it has to be at the beginning. Harder and easyer
Grazie Carlos, un abbraccio forte. Mi manchi malgrado i silenzia. Come stai ora?
Dearissimo Giacomo,
Prendi pure tutta la cortisone che ci vuole, e rimettiti in forma tranquilamente, con la sagezza che già ti caraterizza.
Ti seguo, e Tayfun ed io ti aspettiamo ad Istanbul come l’anno scorso…
Corraggio, evviva i matti!
Un abbraccio caloroso,
Pascal
gRANDE PASCALLLLLL, allora ci sei??
Grande che bello. Ci puoi giurare che arrivo, come Ulisse che ad Itaca ritorna. Duro il viaggio e i venti non sempre amici. Ma.. inchallah ‘rivo.
Ciau Tayfun a presto! Tutto bene. Grazie per aspettare queste quattro ossa che scriccchiolano ormai più della barca.
Un abbraccio forte g
Un caro saluto. Sto seguendo il vostro viaggio. Sono un giornalista freelance e scrivo su alcuni giornali on line e vorrei se possibile qualche aneddoto o racconto di personaggi e situazioni del vostro viaggio, da far conoscere anche oltre oceano, visto che sono in contatto con alcune testate USA. Non appena pronto l’articolo, sarà mia cura comunicarvi il link da vedere. Buona vita a tutti.
Massimo Basile
3289777652
communicatemotion@gmail.com
Ciao Massimo,
per queste richieste cortesemente scrivi a press@manontheriver.com.
Grazie mille
Hi….
… i was your waitress on Sunday in Volkach….. and yes, i know now, that Macchiato is written with an H…..
…. wishing you a save journey on the Rivers of the World….. My favorite saying is: I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship. Louisa May Alcott (1832 – 1888)
Be save and God bless…..
Hello man on the river,
how are you? You have been in our harbour in Kitzingen and I saw you just for a moment. But I left a present for you in your boat and I hope, you had a nixe breakfast with Mathias?
Have a good journey and give a message back to me. It would be a pleasure.
Greetings from Kitzingen
Ilse, SSC Kitzingen
Hey Giacoma!
I´m the man with the twins sitting in your boat today.
i´m fascinated from your idea, your website. Great, man.
we see again on tuesday with proviant for your trip.
Hi Giacomo!
We met on the 21st of September in Vienna. We are the Hungarians.
We hope to see you in Dunakeszi , just before Budapest. Stay safe.
Grande Imre, Thomas, and Ilse,
thank you again for your present, I am wearing it right now in Venice.
Soon a new post.
A super hug and see you soon
I am a bit late to the party . . just wanted to let you know that I have read all your posts now. Awesome overused but that is what your journey is.
Il tuo progetto mi ha affascinato (ne ho letto su La Stampa).
Ho visto il Danubio in diverse occasioni e nazioni, sempre da camperista, e ti invidio. In particolare avrai apprezzato il Delta, dove ho lasciato il cuore!
In bocca al lupo per il Mar Nero.
Dear Jean thank you for your comment. So awesome it is. You are right, too many awesome. Too many! My heart is going to explode.
Hugs
Diego, Grazie per il tuo commento.
Sono rimasto sul Danubio. Non c’e mare che possa dare una ricchezza di paesaggi, sensazioni genti e culture come un fiume. E il Danubio, sotto questo punto di vista, è IL FIUME.
Un abbraccio
Be’ water