On the streets of the world
Travel and writing, Simonetta's passions
Simonetta talks to you about distant places, but also of his region and his beloved Rome. On the streets of the world is his blog where he combines his passion for travel with that of writing, between one cuddle and another to his beloved cat.
Join the community
Of ecological travelers
5000 BLOG DAYS! CONGRATULATIONS! TELL US ABOUT YOUR START AS A TRAVEL BLOGGER?
Thank you, It's actually quite an achievement. I really started by chance on a hot day in June 2006. At that time I was working as a television journalist, but the television had been sold and we were waiting to be fired. We went to the editorial office every day, but we had no work to do. So I thought I'd put together two activities that I loved doing: writing and travelling.
The blog was created to prepare and talk about my upcoming summer trip to Nepal. At that time there was little talk about blogs, no one would have imagined the evolution, or if we want the explosion, that would have blogs in a short time. They were the first, we had no goals of greatness, we were really just writing for the pleasure of it, although keeping a blog requires a lot of effort. Of the travel blogs born in those years, the only one still in business is mine.
HOW MUCH THE WAY OF TRAVELING HAS CHANGED SINCE YOU STARTED WRITING YOUR BLOG?
Today I can say that a lot has changed. At the beginning just a little because I had always been used to keeping a travel diary anyway.
In the first years the instrument changed, from the notebook (which is always there anyway) al computer, supported by tablet and phone. Having a blog has led me to pay more attention to the story, precisely because it is shared. The story is not just made of words, but also of images, therefore the attention to photography which over time has occupied more and more space in travel.
Returning to the question, an important change was when the first invitations to the blog tours arrived, because the travel story begins before the blog, through sharing on social networks. The live story of the trip from the blog tours then also transferred to my personal travels. It probably would have happened even without the blog, today travel sharing on social networks has taken the place of travel postcards, perhaps the fact of having the blog just brought the times forward a little.
WHICH TRIP CHANGED THE WAY YOU SEE LIFE?
A trip that was very important for me was the one I took to India with my friend Iolanda. We can call it my very first important trip. A journey done in close contact with the population, traveling on local trains and buses. The impact with India was very strong, nothing to do with what we had read in books and magazines. India leaves its mark. Since that trip not only has the way of seeing life changed, but I've changed too.
What do you do to make your travels more ecological?
Attention to the environment and an ecological way of life is a daily practice for me which I therefore try to implement during my travels. I say try because it's not always possible. For example, I avoid the use of disposable plastic as much as possible. In Italy, using a water bottle has been a daily practice for me for years, while traveling this is not always possible. There are destinations where the only water that is safe to drink is packaged water, so the plastic bottle is a must.
If I have to go on a camping trip with a camp kitchen, I don't take packs of plastic plates with me, but a simple flat kit, cup and cutlery to wash every time and reuse. Simple gestures, such as those of not using paper when not necessary, so all my tickets are on my phone. Speaking of tickets, when choosing means of transport I try to prefer the train to the plane, perhaps choosing night trips that allow me to optimize my time.
Another way to experience travel in an ecological way is to prefer trips into nature, for example trekking in the parks and to always include experiences or activities managed directly by the local population such as an overnight stay in a village in the forest of Thailand or a dinner in a Nubian house during my trip to Egypt.
Finally, in hotels I always choose rooms without air conditioning and if there is I don't turn it on.
Easy Travel Hosting It is hosting 100% ecological created to measure for travelers by travelers. You want to tell us about your story? Contact us here.