11
edits
Changes
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
no edit summary
'''Hitchhiking with a caravan''' seems slightly insane, but apparently it's very well possible, as has been proven by [[Utrecht]] musician Tjerk Ridder, who traveled through [[Europe]], [[hitchhiking]] with a caravan, but without a car.
'''Birth of the idea'''
The concept of caravan hitchhiking was invented by [[Utrecht]] cultural entrepreneur Dennis Nolte, who wanted to go to the Oerol Festival with an old caravan . As he didn't have a car he came up with the idea to hitchhike to the event. It took him and his girlfriend 3 long (but sunny) days to cover the 200 kilometer distance, including a ferry-trip from the mainland to the Island of Terschelling.
'''Going international'''
A year later, Berlin-based cultural entrepreneur Peter Bijl took the idea across the border, hitchhiking from [[Utrecht]] to [[Berlin]], using Dennis' caravan. It took them four days to cover the approximate 600 kilometers. Along the way they learned that on teir particular route a Polish-language cardboard sign works even better than a German-language text.
'''Growing from a hitchhiking-joke to a pan-European hitchhiking-project'''
In 2010 Dennis Nolte, Peter Bijl, Tjerk Ridder and a few others took the basic principle of caravan hitchhiking and created the 'Tow Bar Needed' project. Their aim: Hitchhiking from their hometown [[Utrecht]] to all three European Capitals of Culture in 2010: Essen in Germany, Pecs in Hungary and Istanbul in Turkey. The first stage of the project, going from Utrecht via Essen to Pecs, a distance of over 1600 kilometer, was covered in January and February 2010. The hitchhiking trip required 33 different rides through 4 countries. Important lesson learned: It can get cold in central Europe in January! And the lower the temperature, the more difficult to find people willnig to take the caravan over slippery and snowy roads.
The second stage of the project will therefore be in summer, taking Tjerk Ridder and Peter Bijl from Pecs in Hungary, through Croatia, Serbia and Bulgaria to Istanbul in Turkey. A distance of again 1600 kilometer, through a less well motorway-covered part of Europe. They will depart from Pecs on June 10th 2010.
==External links==
* [http://trekhaakgezocht.nl/van-utrecht-naar-oerol/ First caravan hitchhike trip ever recorded]* [http://trekhaakgezocht.nl/utrecht-berlijn/ Taking caravan hitchhiking into Europe]* [http://utrecht-europa-en.trekhaakgezocht.nl/ Wanted: TowbarThe 2010 Caravan Hitchhiking Project]
* [http://www.tjerkridder.nl/ Tjerk Ridder]
{{stub}}
