Captain Fabel!!
I have my license! I am Master of Commercial Sailing Vessels. I can be Captain on yachts up to 40 meters now, all over Europe. And 1st officer unlimited. Jalla! Not that I need any license for sailing my little 9 meters Rana, but who knows what bigger boat future might bring:-)
My departure is planned half June. I will leave Amsterdam and set sail for the Med. Since I love France and the French language I will most probably collect my first stories along the West coast of France and then pass through the Canal du Midi, then do the French South coast and finally finish my first season in Antibes.... I will not yet cross the Atlantic this winter for there are so many more beautiful countries to visit in Europe before I will explore the other side of the Ocean. I have all the time in the world and I love the unknown which is always full of surprises. The departure is set but my path will unfold by itself along the way. As usual. I never plan my voyages... I used to hitch-hike all over Europe, ex Yugoslavia, Central and South America and the Caribbean without any plan following my intuition and inner compass. The road was always full of miracles, amazing people and stunning places. That's my way. I feel like an explorer searching for gold, but not in the brutal way my ancestors did, robbing, killing without any respect and interest in the people or the nature to whom the treasures belonged. I don't want to own the gold I encounter, I just want to learn, discover and if welcome and necessary help the owners to become aware of the value their gold has or could have.... their dreams, their powers, their fantasies, their light...
I am now creating the performance which I will take along and perform in each harbor I'll visit on my way. And the coming weeks I will invite some Dutch storytellers, known and unknown, to initiate the miraculous story museum with their most beloved story, so I won't forget Amsterdam and Holland;-) and I can share these Dutch stories on my way.
I want to thank everybody for the small and big donations which all together helped me a great deal in realizing this project! You are always welcome to come and join me for a stretch this summer. Contact me if you're interested in sailing along.
I live on board of the Rana now and we are berthed in Uitdam, a beautiful and quiet village on the IJsselmeer, close to Marken and Monnickendam. It's a little paradise in the Polder:-) Nature is celebrating spring in every sense. Lamb, geese, horses and all sorts of birds and fishes are just born, yellow and pink flowers everywhere and spring is in my head and heart as well. I am so exited! One and a half month and we will sail away.... A dream come true! Viva la vida!
Nous sommes partis!
A la prochaine!
ps: It feels rather strange to write my blog in English, for until now most of my readers are Dutch....should I not write each blog in the language of the country in which I am? But then many of my friends and followers will not be able to read all the blogs... and if I would always have to translate everything in 3 or 4 languages I won't have time to travel anymore:-) Does anybody have a suggestion? I speak French, Spanish, Portuguese, English, German and Dutch and I would love to learn every language in the world....I wish there was one universal language we could all speak.....
My departure is planned half June. I will leave Amsterdam and set sail for the Med. Since I love France and the French language I will most probably collect my first stories along the West coast of France and then pass through the Canal du Midi, then do the French South coast and finally finish my first season in Antibes.... I will not yet cross the Atlantic this winter for there are so many more beautiful countries to visit in Europe before I will explore the other side of the Ocean. I have all the time in the world and I love the unknown which is always full of surprises. The departure is set but my path will unfold by itself along the way. As usual. I never plan my voyages... I used to hitch-hike all over Europe, ex Yugoslavia, Central and South America and the Caribbean without any plan following my intuition and inner compass. The road was always full of miracles, amazing people and stunning places. That's my way. I feel like an explorer searching for gold, but not in the brutal way my ancestors did, robbing, killing without any respect and interest in the people or the nature to whom the treasures belonged. I don't want to own the gold I encounter, I just want to learn, discover and if welcome and necessary help the owners to become aware of the value their gold has or could have.... their dreams, their powers, their fantasies, their light...
I am now creating the performance which I will take along and perform in each harbor I'll visit on my way. And the coming weeks I will invite some Dutch storytellers, known and unknown, to initiate the miraculous story museum with their most beloved story, so I won't forget Amsterdam and Holland;-) and I can share these Dutch stories on my way.
I want to thank everybody for the small and big donations which all together helped me a great deal in realizing this project! You are always welcome to come and join me for a stretch this summer. Contact me if you're interested in sailing along.
I live on board of the Rana now and we are berthed in Uitdam, a beautiful and quiet village on the IJsselmeer, close to Marken and Monnickendam. It's a little paradise in the Polder:-) Nature is celebrating spring in every sense. Lamb, geese, horses and all sorts of birds and fishes are just born, yellow and pink flowers everywhere and spring is in my head and heart as well. I am so exited! One and a half month and we will sail away.... A dream come true! Viva la vida!
Nous sommes partis!
A la prochaine!
ps: It feels rather strange to write my blog in English, for until now most of my readers are Dutch....should I not write each blog in the language of the country in which I am? But then many of my friends and followers will not be able to read all the blogs... and if I would always have to translate everything in 3 or 4 languages I won't have time to travel anymore:-) Does anybody have a suggestion? I speak French, Spanish, Portuguese, English, German and Dutch and I would love to learn every language in the world....I wish there was one universal language we could all speak.....
