On 7th December, 2009 I did an article about the
book ‘Jack de Crow’, by A.J. Mackinnon who sailed and rowed his Mirror dinghy
from Shropshire, England to Sulina on the Black Sea. The book is an
entertaining and witty account of his travels.
A contributor who added a comment to my article was Giacomo
De Stefano. He drew my attention to a voyage he had done on the River Po in
Italy and he said he would be rowing and sailing his Ness Yawl from London to
Istanbul, more or less following the same route of Mackinnon.
I recently discovered Giocomo’s website, Man on the River,
which tells of his adventure and of his difficulties over a two year period in
which he fulfilled his ambition. It was a rollercoaster experience with peaks
of joy, long periods of suffering due to illness, gruelling times at the oars,
pleasurable encounters - some not so pleasant - freezing nights, baking hot
days, strong winds and calms. All of this on a zilch budget, while depending upon
the hospitality and generosity of friendly people and of a wonderful backup
team who were there to support him when needed.
Stefano observes, “Everything is so fast today, including
the way we travel, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Not only can one travel
with little, and respect nature, but by doing so the experience is richer and
more exciting.”
Links
Tea with Man on the River
How Many Near-Deaths Does It Take to Row From London to Istanbul?
Giacomo de Stefano: Architect by
profession, slow traveler by passion
Giacomo De Stefano
Un Altor Po
Photos – Thames to Ramsgate and Across the Channel
‘Jack de
Crow’
Iain Oughtred’s Ness Yawl
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