“Working to live and not living to work“, is a phrase that has become a slogan regarding the working or super-working conditions of many people. It relates to the lack of time to devote to oneself, or simply to relax and catch breath. In Davide Fiz’s ‘Smart Walking‘ project, work balance seems more like a reality than an utopia.
Davide Fiz and his ‘Smart Walking’ revolution: mornings on the road, evenings at work at the desk
Davide Fiz, a freelance salesman of the Generation X, is no stranger to the experience of walking, as a lover and practitioner of outdoor life, but always in the free time slots from work. Taking up ‘arms and baggage’ and walking along a few trails, Davide was able to rediscover the pleasure of contact with others, of feeling the caress of the wind and the smell of the rain as well as the scents and flavours of the places visited – sensations he cannot be without.
That’s why in 2022 he started his ‘Smart Walking’ project: a journey that took him 2,500 km across Italy for a total of 20 long distance walks, accompanied by… his work. The revolution has been precisely this: to carry on his business (from early afternoon) without missing out on the enjoyment of the journey (5 hours of trekking per day taking advantage of the morning daylight hours). He does this along routes rich in nature and culture to be shared through his blog, to show everyone that this is a possible mission: to have a healthier lifestyle where (itinerant) work is in balance with one’s passion!
Among his routes was also the Romea Strata for which he contributed to mapping points of interest for the European project rurAllure, discovering suggestive locations that characterise the itinerary and experiencing the stories of local inhabitants.
“Smart Walking” coast to coast on the Via Francigena in Southern Italy
This year, the “Smart Walking” project started on 9 March for its second edition “Smart Walking coast to coast: paths that cross – paths that unite” along the Via Francigena in Southern Italy, and more precisely with a walk departing from Minturno in Lazio in the direction of Monte Sant’Angelo in Puglia. An occasion not only to promote digital nomadism, but also to shed light on the itinerary and in particular the stretch in Southern Italy, as a destination not only for walkers, tourists and enthusiasts, but also as a symbol for a possible alternative, in which to experience the surrounding reality on foot as well as taking time to work!
Welcoming Davide in Minturno was Roberto Rotasso, the Via Francigena delegate for the Municipality of Minturno and manager of the Gruppo dei Dodici, an association for the historical and cultural promotion of the Via Francigena route in Southern Italy. In the Apulian stages (Via Micaelica), Davide had the support of Enopolio Daunio – which welcomes pilgrims and manages the Via Francigena infopoint in San Severo – and on arrival he was welcomed by Monte Sant’Angelo Francigena, an association for the promotion and enhancement of culture along the route.
Many subjects, including administrations, associations and private entities, supported the project, such as the Italian National Agency Enea, the Network Movimento Lento and the Italian Association of Responsible Tourism. Among these there naturally also is EAVF, which firmly believes in the value of this edition of Smart Walking, to promote the beauty of slow tourism and the Via Francigena, but also to contribute to the evolution of man from homo laboris to homo mobilis.
