Amici, last time I left you hanging a little. I got carried away with my recount of how I met Daniele/Zio Daniele and the significant role he has played in this dream-chasing, travel-extravaganza journey. In today’s episode, allow me to introduce you to the remaining two musketeers of the Motorboat Calypso!
As we continue the tales of this travelling dream-chaser, I hope these recounts will leave you with a glimmer of hope, an oomph of inspiration and the courage to take on that little dream you’ve been carrying around in your pocket.
My dream has led me here to share these stories with you, to cheer on and support these humble yet incredible Culture Creators, proudly represented by VeraItalia.it.
As the captain of the fishing boat and Daniele’s brother, you can truly tell the pride in Pierluigi’s work as he steers, navigates and rolls-up his sleeves to tend to all the tasks aboard.
My greatest pride and joy is capturing the Culture Creator’s true essence through videos so that you can learn about their stories and perhaps even come to visit! Each story is preciously interlaced with history, culture and the generations that have made an impact on the individuals - and capturing these moments are magic!
When it came time to film Daniele and Pierluigi, the captain of the ship didn’t seem so eager to jump in front of the camera! This is a story of generations of fishermen and the story of two brothers who forge ahead to carry on this work - Pierluigi is part of that and I couldn’t fathom telling the story without his input.
On filming day, we met at the bar for a coffee before setting sail. After a big embrace from Zio Daniele, I cut straight to the chase: where is he?
I’d like to say that it was my charm that won him over but in reality, when someone asks you to share your story for a greater purpose, I think you realise the power that lies within sharing your world with the idea that someone may see it and decide to visit to become part of a bigger story: ensuring these local customs, trades, traditions and culture are sustained. Pierluigi gets it.
So, on the one hand we have the expert chatter and storyteller and on the other hand we have the captain who I was warned wouldn't want to chat on camera.
One thing I must say is that in this work, you never know which subject will surprise you the most. At the very beginning of the planning phase of Vera Italia I said that my mission was to explore every street, alleyway and hidden corner to uncover the treasures found in the local people - and I truly aspire to ensure no stone is left unturned because there is such magic in every little genuine encounter when someone shares their world with you.
This is the concept of peering through the Vera Italia ‘keyhole’, to reveal a moment of wonder that makes you smile. Pierluigi made me smile!
The most surprising part was that while Daniele is a pro on the microphone with his storytelling, Pierluigi is a pro when it comes to conveying everything in a few words. You’ll see it for yourself in the video when we asked, "what do you love about your work?” Bellissimo!
The filming was a great success and you can find the video here: https://youtu.be/RILPMFrCoRA .
Then there’s the grande piccolo (the great little) Gabriele! If you came with us on last episode’s boating adventure, I shared how I was truly impressed by his diligence and care, working alongside his papà to support the family venture; and in this first instance of meeting him, I truly didn’t know the half of it…are you ready for the other half?
Gabriele is a keen fisherman too! He thrives going out to sea with his father and uncle and you should see how skilled he is at releasing the fish from the net and managing all the tasks that need to be tended to around the boat.
He is a true inspiration for this future generation, rolling up his sleeves and chipping in to get the work done. It’s so wonderful to see this passion continues to be passed down from their family’s long line of fishermen.
In part, this is also my hope with Vera Italia - that by investing in these experiences, encouraging locals to keep going and creating this marketplace that sustains traditions like fishing, it can lead to promising livelihoods. I hope that we as travellers, visitors and perhaps even a society can pave a way for the future for traditions to continue.
