ACROSS EUROPE BY RIVER

In his 19-foot Ness yawl Clodia, Giacomo de Stefano took six months to travel 5,200km through 15 countries across Europe on a rowing adventure aimed at raising awareness about the importance of rivers – both to the environment and to human culture.

The journey underscored the importance of rivers in commerce and the exchange of ideas. Says Giacomo: “For centuries, rivers have been the principal thoroughfares for linking civilizations and of supplying water to human communities. It is no coincidence that almost all major cities have grown on the banks of a river. But today, most waterways are subject to the dumping of urban and industrial waste and sewage, bringing a slow death to river life.”

Clodia was equipped with oars and a single sail.