1991 » England. My first encounter with a major capital. The impact was immense.
1993 » Trans Europe. Trip with my parents all around western Europe. The encounter with the European museums; the Mediterranean culture and Florence.
1994 » The French Alpes. I have filed the 30 hour bus ride under the “never ever again”. That was the week when I fell in love with the Alpes, but most importantly, that was the week when I fell in love with Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon. Listening to the heart beat still takes me immediately back to Annecy…
1996 » Barcelona. I was in love with Dalí. Picasso and Gaudí joined in. For a long time it was, along with London and Edinburgh, my favourite city. Stopped charting.
1996 » Holland. Youngsters from all of Europe gathered together. Amsterdam and the country side are amazing, but that week was all about friendships and people. Oh, and bikes too.
1998 » East USA. After the plastic Florida, the rough iron Big Apple. For my astonishment, it met all my great expectations. The Chrysler sets the pace.
2000 » Berlin. Like a Phoenix, it’s rising amazingly, but there are still many ashes. It’s like Speer and the Reich. The magnificent and the grotesque, hand in hand.
2001 » Venice. The Erasmus. To live Venice was my most spiritual experience (closely followed by my The Dark Side of The Moon sessions). Wondered the Italian land from Rome to Pompeii, Slovenia and Croatia. Yet, nothing like those St. Marks square sunsets. And Radiohead at the Arena di Verona? Mamma mia!…
2002 » Boston. After the degree, the autumn in Massachusetts. Boston sets the perfect Euro/American mix. Spent a month there alone. Finally understood that baseball over a Corona. Then back to NY. Rainy ground zero. Rainy America.
2003 » Patagonia Express. Rio. Then a 10 000 Km adventure from South Brazil, Uruguay and the great Argentinean landscape to cross the Andes. Too bad we crashed the car in the desert before making it to Chile. Tough days. Out of this world memories. The Andes Condor and the Pacific. We made it!
2004 » Cuba. I don’t smoke, but couldn’t help the charm. Crossing southern territory, its all you dreamed about the bare naked Caribbean. Watch your bag though!
2005 » Caribeean Sea. Why the idea of a cruise never appealed to me before, I can't tell. The Cayman islands are a boring enclave of banks. The Honduran wildlife is thrilling, and Belize's lost pyramids in the jungle made me feel like Indiana Jones (just no hot blonde on this episode). Still, the highlight was Miami. I love it!
2005 » Chicago. If you are an enthusiast of Wright (I am),a fan of the American Skyscraper (I am) and a blues lover (I am) you’re in for a treat!
2006 » Huambo, Angola. An emotional journey through the Africa where my parents were married and my brothers were born. After 30 years, my father was back to the place where dreams took him ever so often. It was the most powerful experience of my life. To see the smiles and sheer humble humanity of that punished people made me think a lot. My father sleeps better now. I don’t.
2007 » La Panamericana. The Andes. North Argentina and the Atacama desert blew me away. It's totally out of this world. Into Bolivia's altiplano, past 5000m and you better chew some coca leafs. Bolivia was the most amazing experience, and the Uyuni salt flat the most surreal place ever. In Peru I scaled to 6075m and penetrated the Inca jungle to discover Machu Picchu. The journey of a lifetime.
2007 » Croatia. The Adriatic voda. Zagreb is a perfect mix between friendly people, monumental architecture and striking squares and parks. Yet, it was the coast line that blew me away. Pag is one of a million islands that make you wonder where the great sea actually is. I'll never forget playing picigin on the warmest, clearest water I've ever seen. Still, those were days of an emotional journey, and when I departed, I left a part of me behind.
