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A big dream drives his steps Photo by Jim Craven Domenico Magistrale has worn out 19 pairs of shoes; his horse, Zorro, has gone through 22 sets of horseshoes walking from Panama to the Rogue Valley. His odyssey will take him to Washington, D.C., via Canada. Domenico Magistrale walks for world peace By PAUL FATTIG PHOENIX -- Don't tell Domenico Magistrale that one person can't change the world. After all, it was the belief that one individual can make a difference that prompted the Italian native to step out on his odyssey in South America 22 years and 15,000 miles ago. And that's why he walks in North America today -- from Phoenix to Gold Hill, en route to Washington, D.C., via Canada. Once there, he plans to give a speech calling for world peace and cooperation. "This is for the unification of the Americas," Magistrale said of his trans-American trek. "People are a great treasure. We should share the beautiful things of the world that were given to us freely. "To believe something is to achieve something," he added. "I leave it all to nature, God and the people I meet along the way. I have no fear." Magistrale, 60, started his quixotic odyssey in 1978 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with a horse called Ruby. But that horse was killed in an accident in Panama. When he resumed his journey in Panama last year after a 20-year detour, a former racehorse named Zorro walked at his side. The horse carries a light load, including his master's violin, sleeping bag and personal belongings. At each stop, he relies on the kindness of strangers for food and shelter. Magistrale describes himself as a historian, philosopher and linguist who speaks, reads and writes five languages, including Latin. His favorite philosopher is Dante Alighieri, Italian author of "The Divine Comedy." "It's much better in Latin than in English," he said. He laughs off having recently been dubbed a "lovologist": "Women are what I call my `muses,' my inspiration," he said. Magistrale's Web site -- www.forextraders.com/domenico -- does contain some rather risque material about his sexual exploits during his odyssey. "Precisely -- you want to put some spice in there," he said. Then he added, "It was not my idea. That was somebody else's idea back in New York." But he doesn't deny that he wrote the material. He's the author of four books, including a book of poetry. "I study everything along the way, and I meet a lot of beautiful people," he said. That would include Phoenix resident Jerry Pease, who offered his pasture to put up Zorro for a few days. "A friend of a friend of a friend was how we got involved," Pease said. And Gary and Pam Hall, who opened their home to Magistrale. "He came into the store where Pam works," Gary Hall explained. "They started talking, and she invited him in to get some rest.'' Eagle Point horseshoer Terry Jackson nailed a pair of free shoes on Zorro Monday afternoon to help the horse and its owner on their way. Zorro has worn out 22 sets of shoes while Magistrale has walked 19 pairs into the ground. "I walked 10,000 miles with Ruby, and I've walked already about 5,000 miles with Zorro," he said. "By the end of my odyssey, I will have walked about 23,000 miles." And that, he noted, is nearly the circumference of the earth. "I stay with beautiful people along the way," he said. "I am having the greatest time of my life." Magistrale plans to stay in Gold Hill tonight before heading north toward Portland. Today's Edition : News | Sports | Business | Weather | Tempo | Classifieds Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA