Accessible video transcript
[00:00–00:10]
[We are in Gaiole in Chianti, in Tuscany. A Jeep drives along roads between hills covered with vineyards and rows of cypress trees. On board are Matteo Mariotti and Veronica Ruggieri.]
[00:10]
Veronica: Hi Matteo!
[00:11]
Matteo: Hi Vero!
[00:11]
Veronica: How are you?
[00:12]
Matteo: All good, thanks.
[00:13]
Veronica: We’re in Tuscany, a beautiful area.
[00:16]
Matteo: It’s stunning here.
[00:17]
Veronica: And today I’m going to show you this landscape from a different point of view.
[00:21]
Matteo: Oh wow, where are we going?
[00:22]
Veronica: You’ll find out. Do you trust me?
[00:24]
Matteo: I will.
[00:25]
Veronica: You’re making a big mistake!
[00:26]
Matteo: Perfect!
[00:27–00:36]
[The Jeep drives through the Tuscan landscape. Shortly after, a hot air balloon is seen laid out on a green field. The car stops and Matteo and Veronica get out.]
[00:37]
Veronica: There he is!
[00:39]
Veronica: So you…
[00:40]
Pilot: I’m the pilot, welcome on board.
[00:42]
Veronica: Thank you!
[00:43]
Veronica: Should we trust you?
[00:45]
Pilot: I think you definitely should.
[00:47–00:52]
[The hot air balloon lifts into the air with Matteo and Veronica on board, both smiling in amazement.]
[00:53]
Veronica: What do you think?
[00:54]
Matteo: It’s like a fairytale!
[00:56]
Veronica: Have you ever been this high?
[00:57]
Matteo: Yes, I’ve been even higher, but never in a hot air balloon.
[01:00]
Veronica: No fear of heights for you, huh?
[01:02]
Matteo: Nope, you?
[01:02]
Veronica: No.
[01:04]
Veronica: But the view is incredible.
[01:08]
[Aerial shot of the colorful hot air balloon floating above the Tuscan landscape.]
[01:09]
Veronica: Do you like adrenaline?
[01:11]
Matteo: Absolutely, yes.
[01:12]
Veronica: What experiences have you had while traveling?
[01:14]
Matteo: Very nature-based experiences, very sporty ones.
[01:18]
Veronica: Your most recent trip?
[01:20]
Matteo: My last trip was to Tenerife, where I did some kitesurfing. Nothing too extreme, but we traveled all around Tenerife in a camper-ambulance, and I really enjoyed that too.
[01:30]
Veronica: The trip that marked you the most?
[01:33]
Matteo: Australia, without a doubt.
[01:34]
Veronica: Australia.
[01:36]
Matteo: I learned so much from Australia.
[01:37]
Veronica: What did you learn from that trip?
[01:39]
Matteo: I understood everything. I discovered strong passions, I discovered Matteo—not the Matteo you see among people, but my true self. And I have to say it was the greatest discovery I’ve ever made.
[01:51]
Veronica: And let’s say that on that trip something happened that marked you forever, right?
[01:55]
Matteo: Yes. A shark took a large part of my left leg. I found myself underwater with this shark, which bite after bite was eating my leg.
[02:08]
Veronica: In those moments, can you understand what the right thing to do is?
[02:13]
Matteo: No. The right thing to do is try to survive. I never thought I would make it, or that I would end up here in a hot air balloon with you. So many things I never expected.
[02:24]
Veronica: How have you changed?
[02:26]
Matteo: Drastically. From this experience I gained many values and awareness. Now nothing is taken for granted anymore: not a single day, not having two arms, not having friends. Being here today in a hot air balloon is a great gift. Even though I lost a part of myself, I’ve found many other missing pieces again.
[02:52–02:56]
[In the final sequence, the hot air balloon is seen among the clouds, the Tuscan landscape with vineyards below, and the Jeep driving along a country road.]
Watch the other episodes
Season 3 -
With Veronica Ruggeri
