Reconquista my agua

8 May 2012"Can I have some water ?" "Uhmm, I still have to walk 30 kilometers and you are sitting behind the wheel of a car.. so no." "Please, I am really thirsty." Is there some weird Maroccan tradition that I never heard of ? I decide my and his Spanish probably aren't good enough to talk our way out of this somewhat surreal encounter so I start for my canteen with water... [ Continua a leggere »]

2 commenti

The MasterPeace Journey - Alchemist Alive promo video !

31 March 2012It took some time to complete, because being on the road isn't ideal for editing video's, but my MasterPeace Journey - Alchemist Alive promo video is finally ready. I want to thank Sara Natal and Boris Booij for holding the camera's, Michiel van Meeteren for helping me record the voice over and Katelijne Langezaal for doing the final editing. They all participated voluntarily and it took a lot of their time and energy. I hope you are all happy with the result and proud as I am! Please check it out and share it with your friends and followers on Facebook, Twitter and any other site that you use to connect with people with the links at the bottom of this page. We need more peace pilgrims! [ Continua a leggere »]

1 commenti

The Flying Dutchman

30 March 2012You start on a walking journey and find yourself flying all the time... I hadn't expected this, because my plan was to keep on walking till the end of the line and then fly or drive or hitchhike back to the Netherlands, but last week I had to board a plane for the fifth and sixth time in the last year and a half. This time, because my wonderful grandmother passed away at the respectable age of 95, and I wanted to say goodbye to her in person. I would only be in the Netherlands for three days, so I decided not to share my short visit with you up front. There simply was no time to meet anyone but family and I thought it best not to say anything. So if you were wondering if I was lost in the woods or lying on my back on the beach between the elderly in Benidorm, don't worry, I haven't forgotten about you nor my mission. I am back on the road and will have that Paella how-to pictorial ready for you asap! [ Continua a leggere »]

1 commenti

In the footsteps of Lorca

20 March 2012It is strange how some places or some people keep popping up unexpectedly. As if someone is trying to tell you something. One of the people that I keep on finding on my path is Federica Garcia Lorca. I accidentally passed through his birthplace and the house where he was born in Fuente Vaqueros. I spent the night in Alfacar near Granada, which is one of the towns were he was alledgedly killed and burried (almost eighty years later it is still uncertain). I passed an abandoned cortijo (Cortijo del Fraile, picture above) near los Albaricoques where an infamous double murder was commited in 1928 and which was the basis for Lorca's tragedy Bodas de Sangre (Blood Wedding). In the city of Lorca I got stranded with [ Continua a leggere »]

0 commenti

As long as we beat the English

18 March 2012Walking from Penas Negras to Antas to meet my host Diego I stranded in Turre. I had planned to walk the fourty kilometers in one day, but I hadn't counted on the mountains that covered thirty of them. Turre is about ten kilometers from Antas and when I arrived there at seven in the evening the sun was already down. Since the tourist season isn't in swing yet the hotels and hostels in Turre weren't in operation yet. With night temperatures dropping to two degrees Celsius I wasn't looking forward to sleeping in my tent that evening, so when I saw an English bar across the street I decided to check it out for some information or maybe even a place to crash, old fashioned way. And I got lucky. [ Continua a leggere »]

1 commenti

The beauty of decay

16 March 2012In Librilla, a small town some twenty kilometers south west from Murcia, I stummbled upon Casa Mendez. Built at the beginning of the twentieth century it now stands in ruin. A waist, because it is still clear that this villa was designed and built with much eye for proportion and style. But at the same time I have to admit that ruins, in any form, have always had a pull on me, more than any well preserved palace could ever have. It may be caused by having watched too many cartoons in my youth, resulting in some form of scoobydoo-ification. Ruins convey the mysterious, the lost, past greatness, questions about what happened to former residents, owners, and why, especially when the building still shows its former glory, they are left to rot. In any case, if you are looking for a house in Spain to revive and have some money to spare, I could recommend Casa Mendez. Murcia is a stone's throw from Librilla and the weather is, well, Spanish. But please, don't fix it too much, because it is actually quite perfect the way it is. [ Continua a leggere »]

0 commenti

San Antonio toca la guitarra

5 March 2012Once again, physical problems forced me to slow my pace. Blisters this time, and they kept me in Lorca for a week. However, once again, it proved to me that setbacks are never just setbacks. My host Antonio, who took me to the hospital after I arrived a week ago on Tuesday , immediately assured me that I could stay as long as necessary and that I shouldn’t feel the least bad about it. He liked the company, he said, even though we had only met two hours before. The blisters on the back of my feet had blood in them, so at the hospital they told me that piercing them could cause an infection. I had to sit and wait for them to disappear.As long as necessary turned out to be a week and as Antonio predicted at the beginning of that week, the company turned out to be great. I don’t normally write full reports on my meetings on my blog, mostly because of lack of time, but for once I will. [ Continua a leggere »]

1 commenti

Back in the saddle again

5 February 2012Why am I here? Why am I doing this? Is it really necessery to continue this crazy walk? I have never been one for an uncritical approach to life. I have always questioned my motives and goals as much as I have those of others. I also believe that one shouldn’t be too proud to make a turn if past decisions should turn out to be wrong or unsatisfying. Being confronted with my life in the Netherlands, with everything that I miss out on while I am on my way, my family and friends, it is only natural that these questions come to me now with more force than ever. [ Continua a leggere »]

4 commenti

The Dukes of Haz(z)ard; driving with the heart

7 November 2011For all the heroes of the heart I have the privilege of meeting on my journey. You keep me on my track. “Yeeeeeeeeeee-haw!” Luke and Bo Duke Every now and then I meet people who decided on some radical change, a break with the past, a new beginning, or people not so radical, but consistently pursuing a life less ordinary, away from the beaten track. The reactions they receive from friends and family around them can roughly be put into two categories: they are either crazy, or very brave. The funny thing is that these so-called ‘radicals’ and non-conformists hardly ever recognize themselves in either. Why is that? [ Continua a leggere »]

8 commenti

No pasa nada, or taking a hike with Calamity Heleen

20 October 2011Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend - Albert Camus In the south of Spain you sometimes get the impression that you are walking in North America’s wild west in the 19th century. Especially in autumn when the burning summer sun has turned the landscape into dry yellow plains with grass and bushes sticking out grimly like ghosts of a once green vegetation. You find yourself whistling Ennio Morricone tunes from old Spaghetti westerns when you walk into seemingly abandoned Andalucian towns around siesta time. Which in a way is accurate, because a lot of those films were shot in the south of Spain in the 60's. In rural Spain, not much has changed since then. [ Continua a leggere »]

4 commenti

One year on the road

11 September 2011Today it is exactly one year ago that I walked out off my hometown and set out for unknown roads to Santiago de Compostela, Rome and Jerusalem. Santiago de Compostela is behind me and I am on my way to Rome. But as you will know I added Cairo to my list of destinations. I am proud and excited to be twalking for MasterPeace, creating peace, together. It is still a long way to go, but I am confident that I can make it, with your help. I cannot thank enough the people that have supported me and the ones that continue to do so. The people that have invited me into their homes, the people that support me financially, my friends and of course my family. It is impossible to describe how many persons one man can miss. In the past year I've said goodbye to more people than I would have liked to, but luckily, some of them have crossed my path more than once. You are always welcome to join me anywhere on my journey. Happy birthday to Twalk With Me, I drink to that! [ Continua a leggere »]

7 commenti

Into the Heart of the City

1 September 2011I am not your ordinary tourist. Sure, I’ve paid to come to Lisbon, but with time and effort. I did not buy an airplane ticket and I did not plan anything, reading about this city’s history and listing the sights that deserve a visit. I have no interest in the sights, the monuments and the museums. I don’t take pictures and until this week I did not experience the normal anxiety that comes from the inevitable approaching departure. I simply landed here and found what I needed but did not expect to find: the non-demanding comfort that is best described as ‘feeling at home’. [ Continua a leggere »]

6 commenti

Twalk With Me for MasterPeace

13 July 2011It was a passing remark from my stepfather while I was on Skype with my mom: “Don't forget what you set out to achieve!” More a warning than a demand, because except for the disappointment friends, family and followers might feel if I do not finish my journey, the only one that would really pay the price for ignoring my dreams is me. Punishment can come in many forms: bitterness, shame, self-loathing, self-doubt, but most importantly, it would mean that I have given up the belief that has slowly been growing in my heart over the past few months, that purpose and meaning are not empty concepts, and that to find them and make them your own you have to dare to listen to your heart and act. [ Continua a leggere »]

6 commenti

When God has left the building...

30 May 2011"Hola! Puedes ayudar?" I am back in Spain, that much is certain. I passed the blue 'España' sign with the EU stars on it a few days ago, but here on the deserted country roads of Extremadura I hear someone call out from the fields and I suddenly realize I understand him. Something that didn't happen all too often when I was walking in Portugal. But what can I do to help? Deciphering what the man on the other side of the fence wanted proved harder. He had the strong southern 'swallow all consonants' accent I had been warned about when I was still in the north. But pointing fiercely with his cane further up the road I discovered the sheep that had apparentely somewhow escaped the barbed wiring. It appeared I was about to become a shepherd, the one to return the lost ones to the flock. [ Continua a leggere »]

10 commenti

Home is where the heart is

30 April 2011I have been carrying my heart all over Europe for the past eight months and it is amazing how quickly you can feel at home with an open mind and grateful attitude. Of course, a piece of me will always be home where my family and friends are, but the world is a big place. Some people shrink by the thought of leaving everything behind to set out for a long period of time. They take comfort in being grounded, literally, in a place where they have been living for so long that it holds no surprises anymore. The truth is, feeling safe and secure has nothing to do with anything outside yourself. In fact, once you decide to trust in what comes and who you meet, you find that things have an eerie tendency to work out. And when they do, that only strengthens the initial trust. [ Continua a leggere »]

6 commenti

The north of Portugal in 5 pictures

15 April 2011Portugal is dangerously hospitable. There are rarely any nights that I sleep before three o'clock in the morning. Eating till late, making music, going out on the town or to a friend's house, there always seems to be a reason to add another hour, to start another conversation and have another drink. I've already met some amazing people, but it is hard to find the time to tell you about it. To not completely keep you in the dark I have decided to share some pictures of my twalk through this beautiful country. [ Continua a leggere »]

2 commenti

Shhh, night swimming and the pilgrim whisperer

22 March 2011The water is still and shallow, and warm compared to the surrounding air. No one to share this tranquil, silent meditation under the black Galician sky with. Just me, a full moon and a couple of birds talking to each other from one tree to another, two blackbirds in private conversation. I’ve heard the song of the male blackbird that wants to impress the opposite sex before, but this is quite different. No lyrical outbursts or extravagant melodic variations, if there is passion between these two I am sure it has already been acknowledged from both sides. More Satie than Mozart, they deliver the perfect soundtrack to this night. I am in the outside pool of the Palacio del Agua in Mondariz. [ Continua a leggere »]

4 commenti

The end of the beginning: Santiago de Compostela

8 March 2011This Sunday I walked into Santiago de Compostela. Almost half a year after my departure from Leiden in the Netherlands on September 11. The first goal of my journey is complete. For now, no blog with experiences, reflections or thoughts. I just want to thank everyone who has helped me get this far. Firstly, I want to thank all the people who have been so kind and trusting to open up their house to me and offer me a place to sleep and a seat at their diner table. Secondly, all the people that have supported me by donating money to my cause. Although I spend most of my nights as a guest in somebody's house I do have expenses, and without your generous donations I would not have been able to continue as I have. The continued support of my sponsors is invaluable. Thirdly, all the people that have supported me with heartwarming messages, retweets and likes on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Couchsurfing, LinkedIn and by email. Some of you have been friends for a long time, others I have yet to meet, but the support is in all cases very welcome. They lighten the weight of my backpack and bring light in the more clouded moments of my journey. Of course also the social media themselves, because without the tools, the job cannot be done. Further, the people from the press that help me by informing the world of my project. A special thanks goes out to [ Continua a leggere »]

9 commenti

Between past and future... where are you?

25 February 2011As quiet as the mind can be when the body is wandering during the day, it can cover miles and miles of known and unknown territory in the night when the body is at rest. I try not to think about the last person lying in this bunk. Not to think whether he showered after completing the thirty kilometer walk from Luarca to here. But most of all I try not to think on which end of the bed he put his head and where his feet. When I am a guest in someone's house I don't need to bring sheets or a sleeping bag so I don't carry them around. But I couldn't find a host in Arboces and I had to check into an 'albergue de peregrinos'. So now I lie here, with my face directly on the mattress and my body under four tough and itchy cotton blankets, and it´s still cold. I try not to think about all this, but apparently thirty kilometers of walking is no longer enough to wear me out and so I woke up in the middle of the night... twisting... turning... freezing... thinking... do I smell feet? [ Continua a leggere »]

5 commenti

The right angle

5 February 2011Two coffee and two glasses of red wine yesterday, today two coffee and up until now three glasses of vino tinto. With every drink, I get a complimentary plate of pintxo's. Probably to make one last longer and order some more. With the prices here in Gijón I'll be sure to do so. I won't have to pay more than five or six euro for what I just consumed. I'm in a bar called La Consentida in one of the poorer parts in town, trying hard to come up with an article good enough to sell to a magazine and earn some money. Walking on worn boots for a full month my battery was completely empty around the time of my birthday. I have taken some time off and I feel my creative power, if I may call it that, coming back to me. Still, the writing doesn't come easy. [ Continua a leggere »]

4 commenti