Final destination: Istanbul!!!!

Dear friends and followers

It is a great pleasure to write you this message from out of one of the most fascinating cities of Europe: Istanbul!
After a long, intense and inspiring trip, The Caravan Hitchhiking Project reached its final destination of 2010: Istanbul, European Capital of Culture 2010- and inspiring crossing point of continents.

Tjerk Ridder, Peter Bijl and dog Dachs travelled through Europe this year, with a caravan, but without a car. A symbolic journey, to show that you always need others to keep you going. After 10 weeks, 8 countries, 3500 kilometres and 52 rides, the crew of the wonderful Youth Caravan gave us the last ride, to reach our final destination: Istanbul!

At the Sultanahmed square, between the infamous Ayasofia and the Blue Mosque, we were awaited by lots of cheering Turks, camera teams and satellite cars of the Turkish national television. While Turkeys biggest channel, TRT Television made a special report for the news, the Dutch ‘Wereldomroep’ made a wonderul item on the journey and its last kilometres. Watch it here.

The Caravan Hitchhiking Project has been an amazing European success, inspiring lots of people on the road and reaching national television reports in eight(!) different countries.

But the journey goes further!
The next months we will translate our experiences and meeting on the road in, amongst others, a theatre show and an exposition. We’ll keep you posted, via this group, as well as our website.

Right now, you can already listen, download and share the brand new title song of the journey, ‘Unterwegs’, sung in German!

For the German followers:
The Caravan Hitchhiking Project (Anhaengerkupplung Gesucht) will return to the Ruhr area at July 24th and 25th. As a part of RUHR.2010 we will be playing and storytelling at the Flying Grass Carpet in Essen, directly next to the main station.

Later on, most probably in August, VOX television will broadast a short documentary feature on the project, exclusively recorded in Serbia.

For the Hungarian followers:
At July 8th The Caravan Hitchhiking Project will be back in Pecs, to give a presentation on the journey. For details, keep an eye here.

For the Dutch followers:
During the month October there will be an exposition on The Caravan Hitchhiking Project in the Utrecht city hall. At October 31st Tjerk Ridder will also be playing his program there. Its shape will be: ‘A theatrical road movie’.

For the Belgian followers:
Keep an eye on the August issue of Che Magazine. You will find an extensive report on the journey, as it took place in Serbia and Bulgaria.

All the best
Love and inspiration
from Istanbul

Peter – Tjerk – Dachs
and The Caravan Hitchhiking Project team

Istanbul!

Can we borrow your tow bar?

On Tuesday the 29th of June at 18.00 we reached the Sultanahmed square in Istanbul with our caravan. On the left the blue mosque, and on the right the famous Aya Sofia. Surrounding us: a crowd of people, amongst which Simon Wintermans and a camera team from TNT (Turkish national television) and Editie NL (broadcasted in the Netherlands on Wednesday 30 June on RLT 4 at 18.15). Mission accomplished.

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…

Part 1: Ruhr and Pécs mission accomplished

Today I visited the Tile Museum in the town of Erzsébet, just outside of Pécs. This may sound a little boring, but once you see the collection of colorful mosaics and original old floors it is actually quite beautiful. In general I very much enjoy the Hungarian decoration, houses and furniture. » Lees meer…