A couple of days ago I was still in France completing one of my “Hitch Bucketlist Masterpieces of Human Engineering”: the Millau viaduct! One of these pillars that keeps it all standing is taller than the Eiffel Tower and it spans the entire valley. My French driver spoke good English as he had just been back from a five-month backpacking trip himself. He told me more stories of the bridge as there were loads of protests against it. A one-way voyage over the bridge costs a whopping €9.40, so I offered to contribute. My driver rejected the offer. This bridgeContinue reading
france
Hosted by my French Friend in Frontignan, France
Remember this guy from the hitchhiker’s picnic in Tirana? We just reunited in France, where Yohan’s family lives in Frontignan. Thanks to this French friend and his family, I have a comfortable bed for one more night before I have to go speed-hitchhiking to the south of Spain. Together, we made a little calculation yesterday and it’s more than 1500 kilometers I have to do if I want to avoid Barcelona and Madrid (yes please)! I have about five days to make it to meet the other side of my family there. At the HitchGathering, some women told me theContinue reading
HitchGathering 2015 in Saint-Laurent-du-Pape, France
Five days and four nights without internet at the HitchGathering was a great opportunity to get to know this community of hitchhikers. They come together once a year to be among like-minded people at this ‘hitchhiker’s conference’. Some of them went to great lengths to meet up at this place in France and hitchhiked from farther away than I did. A good bunch of hitchhikers also needed to obtain a Schengen visa before coming here. It’s not easy being an ambitious international hitchhiker without a strong passport. I met up with awesome people who have contacted me through my FacebookContinue reading
Die, Drôme: Celebrating My 24th Birthday in France!
24! I’m currently celebrating my birthday with my mom, step-father, and dog in France at a campsite. I’m kind of couchsurfing their campsite, or squatting it? Heck, I don’t know what to call it. We’re in Die in the Drôme department of France. It’s full of beautiful mountains and rivers. I think this is the 8th time or so I’ve celebrated my birthday in France; we used to go here almost every year when my sister and I were younger. So it’s like the good old days with a Francophone gâteau d’anniversaire! In recent years, I’ve spent my birthday abroadContinue reading
Monaco Adventure Travel
Besides meeting the newbie hitchhikers from Czechia yesterday here in Monaco, I also met these two cyclists from Poland who are doing a big European tour. I met them in the daytime when I felt more optimistic about adventure travel in Monaco and hadn’t downed a beer yet. But I haven’t seen any backpackers or that category of travelers since… Greece..! That was more than one month ago and suddenly I meet two duos in one day! That gives me some hope. These guys also have a Facebook page (that I still need to find) but unless you speak Slavic,Continue reading
Moody Monaco Mornings (Sleeping Rough, Not Freecamping)
Today’s a moody morning in Monaco. Either that’s the truth, or it’s my bias because I’m moody as heck. As you might have followed from the previous Monaco posts, I didn’t find anywhere to freecamp in crowded Monaco and most places didn’t even let me in because I had a backpack. But I managed to sleep rough at a business at the waterfront. Not truly relaxed, but I had a nice view of the yachts. It reminded me of my boat hitchhiking adventure to Malta earlier this summer. Though I have other plans, I wouldn’t mind crewing another yacht onContinue reading
Freecamping Amalfi Coast Before Traveling to Savona (Italy)
Those were a good 860 kilometers hitchhiking from my freecamping spot at the Amalfi Coast to Savona. Here you can see where I freecamped along the Amalfi Coast. The road here is so beautiful. If I had the necessary money and the courage to drive a motorbike or scooter on the Amalfi Coast, that would probably be the best way to enjoy it. You can see the bendy tree, and if you turn around you’ll see the hill with the transmission tower. A Fast Hitchhiking Day to Savona Savona is all the way in the north. That’s where I’mContinue reading
Siracusa: Eat Pray Love Streets in Sicily
After hitchhiking yesterday from Pozzallo to Siracusa, I was feeling a little #EatPrayLove—though I REALLY dislike that movie. Siracusa has some cute small streets that reminded me of it. And somehow these streets activate the girly travel girl Instagram pose instincts in even the ones most aware of performative femininity. Makes me want to buy a dress or something? (And then I look at the photo and think ehm, you tried!) Anyway, I ate some Sicilian stuff that came highly recommended. But the only name that stuck was “arancini”, which is a sort of fried rice ball with for exampleContinue reading
Hitchhiking Failure of the Year: No Malta to Sicily
Philosopher Jagger once said “you can’t always get what you want” and that’s what happened last night. I couldn’t find a boat willing to take me to Sicily from Malta. It’s a hitchhiking failure! Therefore I was forced to use the extortionately priced ferry! After more than three weeks in Malta and almost one week at the marina, enough was enough. And I’m very sad about it. Mick Jagger also said, “but if you try sometimes, you might find, you get what you need!” Though it was frustrating, the people from La Marina Trattoria were so kind to feed meContinue reading