Valerio Daniel Simoni

Diario di viaggio

“We’re so close and yet so distant. We’ve been on the road for such a long time already, but we haven’t started yet. We’re three, but we travel as one. We’re young, but I feel old. My name is Valerio De Simoni, but who am I? I am a human being, but are we, truly? I am brave, but what am I scared of? I will leave, but will I come back as myself?”

Valerio Daniel De Simoni was born in Sydney in 1986, after his parents had moved to Australia for work. In June 2010 he planned something extraordinary: to cross Europe and Africa on a quad-motorcycle and find his way back to Australia to beat the world record for a quad travel, to raise funds with Oxfam and help two African villages. Together with his friends Ted and Jamie, he travelled through Turkey, the Balkans, Europe and finally to Africa. They faces conflicts and reconciliations, emotions and homesickness. Until, on March 13th, 2011, while driving in Malawi Valerio had a road accident: he died on his way to the hospital.

Valerio Daniel De Simoni kept a layered travel diary, made of the notes he took on his notepad and on his blog, of the emails he wrote throughout his journey. Ted and Jamie have written its final pages; by keeping the promise they had made to each other, they completed their mission and got back to Sydney 14 months after.