Francesco with his faithful bicycle arrived in Sweden and, along roads that cross endless landscapes and breathtaking beauty, he continues to meet old and new supporters of Isla ng Bata. The meeting with a person much loved by the girls of the Family Home is particularly significant.
I did it, I arrived in Sweden! Now there are only two states that I will have to cross before reaching the North Cape, the final stage of this ride that I decided to undertake more than two months ago and which is wearing me out but at the same time giving many, many emotions!
I crossed the border on a sunny day, after the many rains and winds I encountered on my Danish journey. The first city I come across is Gislaved, followed by others with more Japanese than Swedish names such as Linkoping or Nykoping. What strikes me immediately are the woods and the expanses of flowers. It is really nice to ride surrounded by nature! Here, too, I find many helpful and welcoming people who host me, refresh me, give me advice or help me repair small faults. One of the most beautiful aspects of this long journey is having the opportunity to meet really nice people, interested in our project, ready to lend a hand!
The most important stop here in Sweden will be Stockholm, where I will stop for a few days to catch my breath.
In Stockholm I have a somewhat casual and somewhat sought-after meeting with Greta Thunberg! Our girls in Family home they follow her a lot and we are happy that they are joining its battle to raise awareness of the climate issue and the protection of our planet. We try to build a better future for the girls we welcome and this commitment must necessarily also concern the planet on which we live and future generations will live. We are always in contact with our girls, even when we are in Italy, and they had warned me that often, in Stockholm, Greta Thunberg is present at the events for Fridays for Future. One of these events coincided precisely with my stage and I couldn’t help but try to meet her! So I went to the place indicated for the demonstration and I was able to talk to her, to tell her what an important example she is for young people. I told her about our project, about Isla and about this solidarity ride. If I managed to travel from Greece to the North Cape on two wheels, we can all do it in our own small way and let our cities breathe a little more!
I was really happy with this meeting and our chat. I immediately sent the photo to the girls who were delighted! I would like to be able to host personalities who are so committed, so active and combative in the family home to convey to the girls that we welcome the fact that each of us can do something and that the important thing is to really believe in it!
I resume the journey to Finland with this new and special memory in my mental suitcase. I greet the woods, the small wooden houses that have served as my refuge in some of my nights under the stars and the endless meadows that have joined me along the road.
I have about twenty days of pedaling left in front of me. Time in which I will still be able to tell about Isla and in which you can still take part in the fundraising campaign for our girls. Go Isla Go!