In the Spring of 2013 I left my job, my flat and my hometown and hit the road. I had little savings, so to cover the long distances I had in mind, I decided to hitchhike. I discovered how little one can rely on money, and how feeble all our contructed needs (job, security, salary...) were, creating a safety barrier between ourselves and the world. I discovered a way in which to be close to people wherever I passed; the wonderful people who gave me rides (because only the best people give you rides). My road took me all the way North, leaving the Arctic Circle behind and finally reaching Nordkapp, the
Nordkapp to North Africa
A hike and hitch-hike that spanned 15,000km and took Pablo from the arctic of Norway to the brink of the Sahara
furthest North point in Europe (70º58'N). There I decided to hike in solitude in the arctic mountains in Abisko Park, because I had never seen such pristine nature. Alone in the big white expanses, I found a silent understanding with the world around me. But this beautiful world was also a dangerous one, and after ten days of hiking I was swept into a glacial river. Wary but undaunted by this close shave, I continue my travels. And where do you go after you have reached the northernmost point? Go South.
Quiet after my time alone in the arctic, I listened to people's stories wherever I passed. As I jotted down these stories, I began to give shape to what would become the novel Primavera (co-written with Anya and waiting for a final revision process). In August, I met up with Anya and Matthieu Tricaud (the great french director and crazy founder of La Malle des Indes) and the road continued. Again in Spain, we hitchhiked together down through Granada, Cadiz, Antequera and took a leap into the next continent.
You can read about all of these adventures in our upcoming novel, and you will see them reflected in some of the poems of Titleless Mythology.