Italian pilgrim walks to Syria with his animals

N1

Federico Delise, 30, studied construction, worked as a waiter, traveled the world and then realized he wanted to live a more simple life in harmony with nature and other people, in a more peaceful world.

He left his cellphone behind and decided to walk 6.000 kilometres to Syria, to send a message of peace to the world.

“There is now a war there and people will need help, I am going there to help them, to work and live there,” he told the N1 crew that found him resting on a pasture near the southern town of Stolac with his trip companions – several sheep, goats, a dog and a mule.

They have been walking through Herzegovina for the past eight days. He found the animals during a year-long stay in the Croatian island town of Cres, where he also learned the local Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian language, and took them with him to his pilgrimage.

“It’s been nearly six months now, a month and a half of walking, four months of waiting for the winter to stop, and now that the weather is nice I am continuing my trip,” he said.

Delise is carrying a toolkit with him to help anyone he comes across, and this is how he earns his food and a roof over his head when it is raining.

“I don’t need anything, there is enough to eat, to drink, I have my sleeping bag, I have everything,” he said. “People are great, they will give everything and even more than enough of it.”

After this break, Delise is heading further towards Trebinje, then to Montenegro, Albania, Bulgaria, Turkey, and then he will finally get to Syria. That will be next year, he plans.