Contemplations on the way home

On the way home, while miles are passing by between Prague and Utrecht, I have a lot of time to contemplate on all experiences and encounters of part I of the project. Starting with the departure from Utrecht Dom Square in Mayor Wolfsen’s car. My first wintery week in The Netherlands ending with the warm welcome in Limburg. The grand opening of Ruhr 2010 at Essen Zollverein. The warm hospitality in the Ruhr-Area: Tom’s Kiosk, the Bochum Bergbau (Mining) Museum, the search for the Dortmund Mayor, the Distelhoff Family in Castrop-Rauxel, the marina with Hungarian goulash-soup in Oberhausen and the return to the Essen Zollverein with the German TV-crew.

Half way our trip to Utrecht we stop for petrol and coffee at the same German service station where I was stuck in the freezing cold for three days. This time however we are at the opposite side of the A3 motorway and spend only 20 minutes there.

Then I think about the student city of Erlangen with Hotel ‘Rote Adler’. From there I got back to the motorway in the company of Peter Bijl, and straight into Linz, Austria, with horsetrainer Sonja, and later into Vienna. After that we moved into the Balkan and the beautiful surprises of Hungary, ending with the warm welcome at the Wintermans Family in Pécs. Magical!

Encounters with places and people I didn’t even know existed. Cardboard signs, snow, snow and more snow. How different it is to travel at such a slow pace, step by step. How different one experiences the large and small changes. Differences and similarities.

I am home in Utrecht again now, albeit temporarily. I enjoy the luxury of a shower, of my own bed and running water from the fosset (”wow, it is not frozen!”). I am looking forward to turn my inspiration into new songs and prepare a new album. I am looking forward to my performance at the Shanghai World Expo, and last but not least, I am very much looking forward to part II of this project: the caravan hitchhike from Pécs to Istanbul.

Part I of the ‘Tow Bar Needed’ project consisted of 33 rides in 7 weeks. I do not know the exact distance covered. I probably also only realize half of the impact of my experiences so far.

I would like to gratefully thank all the people who have made this journey possible. It is definitely true: You need others to get further. I have experienced this myself directly (and literally). So again: thank you for all your help, trust and the good company. The journey continues: life is a journey!