Thank you

From the author

If this guide exists, it is because long ago someone planted in me the seed of curiosity and taught me the joy of finding out what lies beyond the next bend. That is why my first and biggest thank-you goes to my parents.

To Mamota, for passing on her love of knowledge by family osmosis, and for giving me, in that legendary white Renault 4 through the most hidden corners of Sardinia, the spark that lit my passion for travel for good.

To ArchiBabbo, for his quiet support, his generosity and a whole life of work that gave me the foundations and the freedom to chase my dreams, letting me study and set out on the adventures that made me the man I am today.

A heartfelt thank-you to Mary and David, who in the summer of 1987 opened the doors of their beautiful home in Berkeley to two boys fresh out of high school, welcoming us with extraordinary kindness and giving us our first unforgettable taste of the American West.

To all my fellow travellers who shared a piece of this great blue planet with me: il Toto, il Cini, Jan, Scola, Alby, Zampa, la Gaby, la Guess, Florian and Annalisa, la Tiz, il Gigi, il Chicco, Paolino, VivinC, Giulia, Giorgione and the Kyoko Team, la Micky (my companion on the 2007 USA Coast2Coast in a Ford Mustang convertible and on the 2010 USA East Coast & Music Tour), Ele=mc2, Ricky, la Roby, the Maranga brothers, the Fiscos, la Mik with Simo, Tora, il Marra, Leo, Kio.

To my furry friends, who often came along, happy to be with me and thrilled by every new smell: Palla Moscia X, la Dea, Tucker, la Camillak, la Ledolona, Mustafà, Tom and Pablo Escobby Gaviria.

Finally, a special thank-you to everyone who reads these pages and decides to hit the road: may this work be the map of a wonderful adventure.

Thanks to our readers

Great Wild Journey is not a static guide: it keeps improving thanks to the people who use it. Readers who report a changed trail, a hidden gem along a transfer leg or something that needs correcting, and so help make the guide better, will be thanked here, with their name, the date, the area and the leg of their contribution.