Tow Bar Needed! book!

We are very happy to announce the publication of ‘Trekhaak Gezocht! You Need Others To Keep You Going’, a full color 150 pages bilingual (Dutch / English) book, narrating our experiences on the road during our remarkable hitchhiking adventure in 2010.

You Need Others To Keep You Going is a multimedia travel story in two parts: ‘Dreams’ with songs by Tjerk Ridder and ‘Borders’ with video-images by Peter Bijl. Part of the stories in the book are based on the weblog Tjerk wrote for this website. But we have also written some new stories, enriched with the memories of those we encountered on the road.

If you would like to order the book, please visit CultuurBewust, send us an e-mail through the contact page of this website or visit us in the caravan on Lowlands!

Tow Bar Needed needs you

The Caravan Hitchhiking Project literally and figuratively needs others to keep it going. We are therefore looking for partners to identify themselves with our body of thought: connection, trust and hospitality in Europe. The Caravan Hitchhiking Project cooperates with these partners to spread this message through theatre shows, music, online and printed media.

Furthermore, we are looking for some great European festivals and events to play the theatre performance, show the road movie and exhibition, tell stories…and most of all: to inspire. Please Contact us if you have any tips or want to coorporate.

First stage of “Tow Bar Needed” a great success

This winter, Utrecht musician Tjerk Ridder traveled through Europe, hitchhiking with a caravan, but without a car. Destinations: The European Capitals of Culture 2010: Essen/Ruhr (Germany) and Pécs (Hungary). But the actual project goal was the journey itself. And this journey was – to put it mildly – overwhelming. And so was the media attention. Ridder made it to the national TV news in five different European countries and even became close to being a national TV star in Hungary. » Lees meer…

A daily routine

The caravan has been at Pécs Dom Square for almost a week now, and slowly a daily routine has evolved. In Germany and Austria we had a lot of media attention, but the Hungarian press beats them all. No day goes by without journalists knocking on the caravan door. It is a challenge to provide new and original answers to the same questions and to find a special connection with each individual reporter.

» Lees meer…

Through blizzards to Pécs, European Cultural Capital 2010

In the morning there is a knock on the caravan door. Two policemen: “Who are you and what are you doing here?” After an explanation and a phone call to the police headquarters, a short stay at Hungary’s most famous square is permitted. To my relief the policemen leave with big smiles on their faces.

Not much later Zsolt Lipi’s Landrover appears. Zsolt is a friend of Simon Wintermans’ and he offered me a ride from Budapest to Pécs. » Lees meer…

Magical white Budapest

A short night. Late last night I received several text messages about my journey being on the late NOS News, followed by messages early this morning from Peter and Sabine Visvader, offering to bring the caravan towards the Hungarian border. I was very happy with their offer, as it has proven extremely difficult to get a lift from a city center to a motorway. I had to hurry to get the caravan ready to go and ultimately left Austria without breakfast. » Lees meer…

On the road, that’s where the stories are!

Yesterday we made big progress with our journey. As often, the big started off small. The first ride took us 100 meters further. With the kind help of three men and an elderly lady we pushed the caravan up a small hill to a spot in between two petrol stations, so we were well visible. » Lees meer…