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The
Hitchhiker's Guide to Italy
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"What's
your road, man? -holyboy road, madman road, rainbow
road, guppy road, any road." (Jack Kerouac - On
the Road) We talk to Nicola De Gregorio, the organiser
of the first ever hitchhiking race around Italy.
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 "Sure,
you can't look too weird, but that's not all you
need to know if you want to start some serious hitchhiking.
Come on, let's go."
Nicola De Gregorio's dream is going to come
true this summer. The 23-year-old from Cammarata
(Agrigento) has organised a hitchhiking race
around Italy. The race is organised in 400
km day-long stages which the participants will
cover in pairs. "The race is from July 29th
to August 7th. Each stage is against
the clock. Accommodation has been kindly offered
by the cantieri sociali (self-financing
social centres) on route, they're oases of freedom
and justice that fortunately still exist in our
country. ".
Nicola travelled the length and breadth of Italy,
going in person to all the cantieri sociali
to tell them about his project. The cantieri
opened their doors to both him and all the hitchers
who plan to take part in "Carovana in viaggio.
"It goes without saying that we'll pull our weight
when we get there. We all believe in the same thing
- the importance of meeting people, getting to know
new places and cultures - and we hope this will
rub off on any newcomers."
Can anyone take part in the 'Caravan'? Yes,
and even better, you can take part in just one of
the stages
of the race. Each team is made up of two people
(usually a male and a female) and the stages start
and finish at prearranged points. The rest is up
to the participants. "Now we're talking . . . "
says Nicola, "you cross over dialects, regional
borders, countryside, and meet the most extraordinary
people, all with extraordinary stories to tell."
All this plus the pressure of being first over
the finishing post. "The time printed on a receipt
from the autogrill (restaurant chain in Italian
motorways - ed.) is what counts," adds Nicola.
You can't argue with that. Where are the hitchhikers
going to stay? "The cantieri are something
else. Take for example "Solesud" in Casal
di Principe, (Caserta). We'll be arriving in time
for Libera's meeting (Libera is the anti-mafia
group fronted by Don Ciotti. Guccini's playing the
night we arrive. In Fiesso Umbertiano we'll be staying
with the "Emmaus" gang. They've even given
us bikes to get to their place from the motorway,
and that evening we're to play against the locals
in a football match. It should be fun!"
However, despite what Nicola says, hitchhiking seems
to be on the decline in Italy. Nicola has been thumbing
his way around the country for years, here's his
advice for getting a lift. "First and foremost
put your driver at ease. Approach him or her at
the autogrill, and carry a map with you, even if
you know exactly where you are going. And don't
forget to check out his/her numberplate - in 90%
of the cases, that's where you'll be going!"
So, what are you waiting for? Thumbs out and off
you go. the race starts off in Messina at
the end of July, but you can join anywhere on route.
Ring 339-5860028, or write to nicoladegregorio@libero.it
for more information.
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MARCELLO
PARMEGGIANII |
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July
2001
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THE SURVIVOR'S 
