Collecting Moments

In June, we covered 635 kilometers in southern Norway, catching rides with both locals and foreigners. In hitchhiking circles, Norway (along with other Scandinavian countries) is often described as a great place for thumbing, with the shortest waiting times. However, we found it even more difficult than Sweden , which in our experience is not the easiest country to hitch in. Meanwhile, of all the Nordic countries, we'd put Iceland and Denmark at the top of the list of easiest places for hitchhikers. But ultimately, we can't complain, because in Norway the weather was on our side most of the time, which is not always the case in that part of the world, even in summer. Here's a short collection of our hitchhiking stories in a non-chronological order. Tønsberg - Oslo That day can definitely be described as one of the most remarkable hitchhiking days we've ever had. Of course, nothing can beat the journey in Myanmar where we ended up teaching English in a remote villa

When I first started traveling alone, one of my initial destinations was Venice . As I wandered through the city’s intricate maze of canals, I often wondered what lay behind those red brick walls and arched windows. I wasn’t curious about the exquisite palazzi converted into luxury hotels. I wanted to know how Venetians lived: what their apartments looked like, where they ran their daily chores, and when they ate breakfast and dinner. Without living with the locals, the city seemed to lack a human touch. Fortunately, I have since discovered several hospitality exchange platforms and began traveling for people, not places. Sightseeing has almost completely lost its appeal for me and my partner. We’ve seen Petra and Angkor Wat , but our most memorable moments come from staying with locals and hitchhiking . That day in Norway, we were on the way to meet our couchsurfing host. Her address mentioned a place called Vidaråsen, which seemed too small for anyone to know. We decided to wri

We woke up in a sleepy fishing village on the north-east coast of Lanzarote. Our couchsurfing host had kindly offered us a cozy room in his house in Punta Mujeres. We thanked him for his hospitality and packed our bags. Our destination for the day was Famara, a surfers' paradise on the opposite side of the island. There we had found a host on Trustroots, a hospitality exchange website that reminded us of the old days of couchsurfing, when it was more about community than business. As we always do, we chose our favorite means of transportation - hitchhiking . It's not only faster sometimes than public transport, but also more adventurous. You never know how your day will unfold, who you'll meet on the road and what stories you'll get out of the experience. Our first ride was with a familiar face. We had seen that guy the day before in the harbor, walking his white fluffy dog. She was so popular among the kids in town, we could tell her owner was a kind person. He was

We began our Lanzarote adventure in Orzola, a charming village on the island’s northernmost point. When we arrived, its whitewashed houses, kissed by the ocean’s salty spray, sparkled in the fading light. Orzola was once a humble fishing village, but now it attracts visitors who come to board a ferry to the nearby island of Graciosa. Also, the GR131 hiking trail starts here, which was the reason why we decided to stay in Orzola. Despite the windy and gray weather the next day, we woke up early and headed out to chase the sunrise from the eastern shore. We were rewarded with a spectacular sight. The sun emerged from behind the clouds, smiling at us with a warm glow. We saw it as a sign of the successful journey we would embark on in a couple of days. Before we set off on our hike, however, we had to meet our legendary nomad friend Simon and his faithful dog Paddy. Simon had been a globetrotter for most of his life. In the seventies, he hopped on a hippy bus from London to India - and

Our winter adventure started with a night at the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria airport, where we planned to stay after arriving late. We had slept there once before, in March 2019, when we snuggled on the cozy benches of a friendly cafe. This time, however, we faced a different challenge: the airport was supposed to close from midnight to 4 AM, and everyone had to vacate the premises. The information clerk hinted that the security guards might turn a blind eye and let us stay, but we couldn’t be sure. We spotted some homeless people who looked like they had made the airport their nightly shelter. They were not bothered by the closing hours, and seemed to enjoy the meager comfort of the place. We realized luck was on our side, when we heard that a flight to Fuerteventura was canceled due to strong winds. The airport staff was busy dealing with the frustrated passengers, and we were left to find our own spot. Unfortunately, the only seats available were the hard chairs of a closed bistro.

Here's the gist of our hitchhiking journey from Copenhagen to Uppsala in June 2023. In hitchhiking communities Sweden (along with other Scandinavian countries) is often described as a paradise for thumbing. We'd say it's a bit more difficult than Iceland but hey, at least the weather is nicer. You don't stand out there feeling miserable under a pissing rain and a freezing wind at seven degrees Celsius in July trying to hitch a ride out of Reykjavik airport. However, we must admit that this particular summer in Sweden was abnormally warm, dry, sunny and overall pleasant. There are also some things about Swedes that we learned from our couchsurfing hosts. This secret knowledge might come in handy if you are planning to hit the road in this country. Firstly, they need a lot of time to make a decision so you'd better be visible from afar. Secondly, they like watching American horror movies where every hitchhiker is a murderer. Just try to look innocent, that's all

GR221, also known as La Ruta de Pedra en Sec (The Dry Stone Route) winds through the mountains of the Tramuntana ridge on Mallorca. That name comes from the various ancient walls you will encounter on your way which were traditionally built without any cement to bind the stones together. Actually, I would say, you might not even notice the walls due to the amount of rocks you will find under your feet. The route justifies its name on almost every meter of its entire length. It's extremely dry, at least in autumn, so you need to carry a lot of water. Most of the time you will step on stones of different sizes and shapes which will slip, roll and wobble under your hiking boots. So walking poles will save your life on GR221 or, being less dramatic, at least your knees. We walked from Valdemossa to Pollença at the end of October. Total elevation gain was 3830 m, elevation loss 4127 m, distance 80 km. Here's our itinerary. Day 1. Palma de Mallorca Our evening flight from Porto