Rome_Teheran On the Road

Eight countries crossed in a camper van to reach Persia, where it is impossible not to be touched: handicrafts, people, historical sites keep striking home over and over.
A trip “on the road” to take delight in slow, adventurous exploration, filled with unexpected encounters!

The idea was birthed on a winter night, while I was discussing future plans and projects with my friend and colleague Andrea de Laurentiis. I had been planning a reportage in Iran for some time, and he had just bought a camper van. He suggested to get there by land. I laughed, “Yeah sure, why not?” It seemed like a totally crazy endeavor, especially because his camper van was a 1990 model. On the other hand, a trip on the road was the chance to get a taste of the real sense of adventure, a unique opportunity I couldn’t let slip away. In a few days we agreed on our itinerary: five countries on the way to Iran, and three on the way back.
I could write endlessly about Iran, first of all because it is a country whose cultural and historical heritage is huge, but its past and present history has made this country appear to many as a place to be feared and therefore unapproachable.
And of course Iranians are aware of this.
They have been bearing this weight on their shoulders for a long time, and I believe this is the reason why their hospitality is so extraordinary, praised by tour guide books worldwide.
This terrible reputation is washed away with their reckless kindness and curiosity, that rarely borders on intrusiveness. How are tourists treated? Iranians will buy you cigarettes, give you peaches as a sign of welcome, take you in person to a particular shop you want to find. They try hard to communicate with gestures and expressions, look at you and say hello with the only English word they remember while they giggle like children.

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