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French Artist in Race Against Time to Finish Monumental Piece

French artist Baptiste Chebassier poses in the middle of a part of his artwork, made from rolls of recycled paper on which names of 30,249 Olympic medallists will be written, at the Chebassier workshop in Saint-Ouen, near Paris, France, April 5, 2024. REUTERS/Noemie Olive
French artist Baptiste Chebassier poses in the middle of a part of his artwork, made from rolls of recycled paper on which names of 30,249 Olympic medallists will be written, at the Chebassier workshop in Saint-Ouen, near Paris, France, April 5, 2024. REUTERS/Noemie Olive
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French Artist in Race Against Time to Finish Monumental Piece

French artist Baptiste Chebassier poses in the middle of a part of his artwork, made from rolls of recycled paper on which names of 30,249 Olympic medallists will be written, at the Chebassier workshop in Saint-Ouen, near Paris, France, April 5, 2024. REUTERS/Noemie Olive
French artist Baptiste Chebassier poses in the middle of a part of his artwork, made from rolls of recycled paper on which names of 30,249 Olympic medallists will be written, at the Chebassier workshop in Saint-Ouen, near Paris, France, April 5, 2024. REUTERS/Noemie Olive

A couple of months ago, Baptiste Chebassier quit his consulting job to fully focus on his art project - writing the names of all the 30,249 medalists in modern Olympics' 128-year history before this year's Games start in Paris.
Using a marker pen, the 27-year-old writes the names on a rolling piece of paper that should end up being 120 meters (131 yards) long.
Chebassier said he had the idea for the project three years ago and started from the 1896 Athens Olympics, the first modern games. But progress had been slow since he could only write before or after work or on weekends, he told Reuters.
He now is into the 1980s.
"Then, I quit my job a month and half ago, and with the start of the Olympics in late July, I have to finish it whatever happens. I will finish it before the start of the Olympics, and if I can't sleep doing so, then I won't sleep."
Chebassier, who was inspired by Polish artist Roman Opalka's work on passing time, also travelled to see some former Olympic athletes and wrote their names on his piece in their presence.
In southern France, for example, he met Perrine Pelen, who a won a bronze medal in Alpine skiing at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympic and a bronze and silver at the 1984 winter Games in Sarajevo.
"I'm very honored to see my name. There is great joy in looking back, and I'm very honored to be among all these medalists," Pelen told Reuters.
"And this is a chance for me to say that we know how much of an impact an Olympic medal can have."
Chebassier said he had yet to find a place where to display his artwork.
"I would like to be able to share this photography of all the Olympic medalists during the 2024 Paris Games in a place where it could be seen by athletes, so that they can see their names and maybe their family members', as well as by attendees, because it's also their heroes' names that are written here," he said.

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Italy’s Vintage Trains Lure Tourists off Beaten Track 

Passengers on the vintage carriage "cento porte", which means hundred doors in English, look through the windows at the train station in Palena, Italy July 21, 2024. (Reuters)
Passengers on the vintage carriage "cento porte", which means hundred doors in English, look through the windows at the train station in Palena, Italy July 21, 2024. (Reuters)
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Italy’s Vintage Trains Lure Tourists off Beaten Track 

Passengers on the vintage carriage "cento porte", which means hundred doors in English, look through the windows at the train station in Palena, Italy July 21, 2024. (Reuters)
Passengers on the vintage carriage "cento porte", which means hundred doors in English, look through the windows at the train station in Palena, Italy July 21, 2024. (Reuters)

As it rolls across Italy's central regions, a vintage diesel locomotive towing carriages from the 1930s and 1950s crosses the forests of the Majella National park and the Abruzzo highlands, giving tourists on board a glimpse of hidden hamlets.

Across its just over 100 kilometers (62 miles), the so-called Italian Transiberian rail line, also known as the Park Railway, slips into gorges, snakes into 58 tunnels and braves huge viaducts.

It was the first of some 1,000 kilometers of line to have re-opened under a project by Fondazione FS, part of state-controlled national rail company Ferrovie dello Stato (FS).

The "Timeless tracks" project takes tourists to forgotten parts of Italy, offering an alternative to the fast-paced, mass tourism of the major cities.

"These are tracks that have lived through different eras, they have carried soldiers to the front, cows to pasture... they were mistakenly considered unproductive during the 1960s and 70s but are now once again of value," Luigi Cantamessa, who heads Fondazione FS, told Reuters.

Inspired by train travel in Switzerland, the project now carries 45,000 tourists a year across its 13 lines. Fondazione FS expects to open two new ones by 2026, both in the southern region of Sicily.

"What were considered to be the dry branches of Italy's train network, have now proved to be the green shoots," Cantamessa added.

NO FROZEN PIZZAS

"People are used to cities and places, like Florence, that everyone knows.. but then there are other areas that need to be discovered. (This) is the right kind of tourism that does not spoil the authenticity of places," said Norma Pagiotti, a 28-year-old from Florence travelling on the train with two friends.

With arrival numbers above pre-pandemic levels, popular European travel destinations including Venice have introduced measures aimed at managing visitor numbers amid rising concerns about overcrowding.

"The train reminds me of my youth, I feel a bit nostalgic for the things of the past, which were simpler, now everything is fast, short-lived," says Caterina Quaranta, from Taranto in southern Italy, sitting on the wooden seats of the train.

The trips attract Italians and foreigners, a lot of families and children, younger people who get off to hike and cycle, and older people "who have time to spare", explained Laura Colaprete, a local guide.

"It's for those who don't want mass market, cluttered destinations. A conscious traveler, who is looking for something special," said Cantamessa of Fondazione FS. "These are not trips that serve you frozen pizza for lunch," he added.

FOLK MUSIC AND LOCAL FOOD

After climbing up almost 1,000 meters in altitude, the Transiberian's first stop is in Palena, a medieval hill-top town known for its breathtaking views over the national park.

Traditional folk music accompanies people getting off the train, with local delicacies such as lamb skewers and soft pancakes made with an iron mold, known as pizzelle, and products by local artisans awaiting them at the station.

"The train helps several small towns around here. This line was a dead line before," said Gino Toppi, 60, as he helped his wife with the food stall in the small station.

Milan's Bocconi University recently estimated that for every euro spent by passengers on tickets - which cost between 30 euros and 70 euros ($32.50 - $76)- up to a further 3 euros are spent on food, accommodation, tours and souvenirs.

That helps to support the economy of villages that have long lost population due to the dwindling birth rate and younger people leaving for the bigger cities

"There certainly are benefits, this is a way to show my products," said Annalisa Cantelmi, a herbalist.

"These tourists are slowly discovering these new territories, their traditions and people," she added.