A word from the Captain

July 24, 2018
 |  No Comments

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A guest blog by Peter Willcox

I have been fortunate to sail with Gialuca Morini for,  I dont know,  15 or 20 years.  He is one of the old timers in the Greenpeace fleet.  He is a radio operator.  Now they are usually on the sensible side.  (Sensible side of what I have to ask.)  They are usually not one of the lunatics that would throw his body in front of a speeding ship, or some other gainful stunt.

But now I read he is taken his passion for the road is has entered a bike race.  OK.  But not just any bike race.  This one is from Belgium to Greece.  And it has simple rules:  Start, finish, and accept no help what so ever along the way.  Go any way you want.   No drafting, which is completely understandable when you realize that they probably do not stop for showers for the whole two week ride.

Contribute to the online money pot
I have known for quite a while that Gionny likes to ride.  It seems like every once in a while, you hear about him loosing some vital part of his anatomy, or just getting a bad case of road rash.  Knowing that every minute a racer spends sleeping, his or her competitors are putting miles on him or her, I have been wondering about the chances of Gionny actually making it to Greece.  I can easily imagine him winding up as a new, ugly hood ornament on some cross continental 18 wheeler.  It would not look good.  I doubt there would be much left for Emma to put on the wall.  Maybe the handlebars.

Why is he doing this?  Aside  from the obvious mid-life crisis? It’s for Nazra Syria.  Everyone is well aware the life in Syria has gotten seriously tough.  Nazra Syria is a small group that does very practical things to help.  The last time I saw Ines, the president, she was moaning about have to move out of a squat to a real apartment.  She does not spend a penny from Nazra Syria on herself, nor does anyone else in the org.  This is a low overhead operation, run by seriously dedicated people.

As for Gionny, he will be starting July 29th.  I have tried to find a London bookie who would take odds on how far he gets.  But no luck.  I will be pulling for him.  (In my mind of course!)  And follow my link to Nazra Syria.  Your money will go further there than anyway anywhere else!