archeyes

Something surrealist happens tonight. We have just left Paris by bus, it is now 20:44. This must be a new episode that follows the sun set magical colors. Now everybody is starring at the moon, the full moon, lightening our way. This northern French landscape, crossed by the highway we are about to drive in, is not inspiring me anything. A hollow that precedes every journey. It may correspond lexically to a semicolon, an end and a beginning at the same time.
We may spend 15 hours in the bus, this doesn't make expect arriving more than it makes me dream about all the views and sceneries we will enjoy. The most surrealist thing is that we will cross five countries in less than 24 hours, less than a day. But today is ending, and the end is gorgeous; few clouds makes the sky looking like a midnight-blue bas-relief. This one is contaminated by human made lights, but masterfully embellished by a sublime moon.

Nearly half a day later, it is now 8:30; the bus is heading to Hamburg, the second largest city of Germany. Earlier, we have gone through Netherlands and Belgium. The sky is still partly cloudy, but this does not prevent the sun to high shine. Once again, I have enjoyed a phenomenal sunrise on the meadows and the green fields of Germany. I do not care if the trip will last longer, but I really look forward to be in Hamburg. May be because I think about a friend of mine living there, or is it because this city represent to me the real German spirit, a country I do love too much. Shall I really leave it barely arrived? Of course, Scandinavia, Denmark and Copenhagen are waiting for me!

I will never forget that day, even though I had a very similar experience four months later, moving from Budapest to Prague by bus through Hungary, Slovakia, Austria and finally Czech Republic. However, the earlier was life changing. It was the “Danger”, one of the three words describing traveling: The Unknown, The Present, and the Danger. An old Cuban wise man has told these words to a globetrotter friend of mine. The Unknown is about discovering. The present is the only time you live in a journey, forgetting your past, forgetting your plans for future, and focusing on present moment. The Danger is only about losing landmarks, backgrounds and foundations. It is all about reconstructing from new. To travel is to become a phoenix; it is to turn to a palimpsest, rewriting yourself upon your life.