Thursday 15.8, (Day 15) Sibenik- Deringaj

Let me tell something about Ivan. He used to live in Zagreb with his family. Eventually, apparently he got frustrated to the atmosphere of a city and alienation from nature. They decided to move to Sibenik's countryside, where he bought a piece of land and built a new home. They planted fruit trees, different vegetables, herbs, founded a chicken farm. Some of the bio waste, such as fruit peels, go to chickens. Chicken's feces act as fertilizer to the ground, so there's no need for artificial fertilizers. They have partly succeeded in closing the loop with waste. True waste management!! They also make wine by using grapes they have. Food they use is almost always produced nearby. Ivan said one particular sentence I remember: " Natural, green, but not extreme!". 

However, thing which harms me, when living in a countryside, is the necessary need for a car. And eating animals, which is, however, from organic and local livestock. Ivan is very interested in politics an bravely puts critique on politicians and arguments with them, which I support. For that reason, we had interesting conversations. He had also been in the Yugoslavian war. 

Ivan came to wake me up. Straight when I joined to others, I got a cup of coffee. They were going to buy some bread from a bakery. I joined with them with the cup and we drove to the bakery. Personnel were Albanian and professionals at doing such delicious breads. I stared at the products with my mouth open, with the coffee cup in my hand. Then buying some stuff for a big dinner with their relatives, which was going to take place in a national park. Our plan was that I continue hitching after we have had the dinner.

When we got back, we ate scrambled eggs (from the chickens of course!). Ivan had to say few times that I have to focus on eating, not talking. After breakfast Ivan showed the chickens. For the first time in my life, I picked up eggs straight from the chickens and could hold them in my hands. I felt so sincere. Then eating ficus straight from a tree.

Then, we packed all our stuff to cars and headed first for a traditional visit to a monastery island in the middle of a lake, near a national park. There was a mass going on. After the mass, we wished peace for each others and for the first time, I ate Holy Bread, albeit I'm not a Christian. We strolled around that beautiful place. Monks take care of the wonderful gardens they had over there. We returned back from the island and met more relatives, which were familiar and comfortable. Then we drove to an old, small, original village. 

Sitting in an old village

In the cellar, meat hanging with white mold on it

We went to a cellar. there were meat pieces hanging from the ceiling, with white mold culture on them. They were going to be delicious, in which the mold decays the meat and gives a certain taste. 

We continued to a former battleground, in which Ivan had been to, fighting for Croatia 20 years ago. It's odd to imagine the landscape in that way. There weren't any visual links to the war. However, there are still mines left in the ground. 

Then, we went to Krka national park. The whole family, consisting of relatives and friends, approximately 20 people, gathered together to eat. And what did we eat?? We ate a whole lamb. For the first time, I ate brains :P.

Wondering the right route to Deringaj

Company from youth to elders

Everybody's watching when vegetarian feasts on lamb meat

 I kind of forgot I had to continue hitching. Instead, I went swimming with others to a lake, a very special one, one reason why the place was a national park. There were waterfalls, little ones, so you could go under and get yourself a water massage. There was also an old hydro station, apparently the oldest one in Europe. Water flowed to a depression, so it formed a natural Jacuzzi. Of course I went there and well.. It was unbelievable! There was also a delta, which formed a diverse habitat for different species.

Then a coffee and after we drove away, to a little town which had a party because of the religious holiday. The town had a nickname: "Oklahoma City". The sun was already setting. I got worried that how can I continue hitching, if I'm going to be alone in the dark night of Croatian countryside. What happened?? Something unbelievable. They decided to drive me straight to the festival, distance being around 70km. The gratitude I felt had no limits. How can these things happen. They even gave me 3 liters of home made wine and a piece of lamb for provision! Younger ones came with me so I had to say goodbye to the ones who had taken so good care of me. We were all pretty tired. Finally, we got to the festival and it was the time for goodbye. For a while I felt as being a part of the family. I will never forget them. I can't ever show them the gratitude I felt. It was the end of one adventure and beginning of other one. I found my friends (from Finland) from the camping area and got very happy. I could even sleep in their tent. It was strange to speak Finnish with them. Soon I felt asleep. 

Travelled distance for the day: 121 km

Wednesday 14.8, (Day 14) Split - Sibenik

I woke up around 7 am at the ferry. I went to a deck to see the view. Croatian coastal line is just beautiful. Ferry was already approaching the harbor so I went to a bottom deck with my sign to ask for a lift to Zadar. After asking from many drivers, nobody could give me a lift forward. I stepped out from the ferry among others and went to harbor exit to hitch with a sign. I stood there around 20 min until a guy came and said it's a better spot a bit further. I didn't follow his tip, instead I went to search for a bus to Dugopolje. That was a place Hitchwiki.org recommended. Public transportation is rather feasible so I was okay with it. The driver was helpful and soon I could get out from the right stop, which was a petrol station. It was along a highway which goes partly to right direction.

So my aim was to reach Deringaj, where a psychedelic music festival called Lost Theory, was about to begin on the same day. I couldn't imagine the effort I had to do.. I started asking from the drivers on the petrol station. No result. Some of the people were going to different direction, somebody's car was full, somebody was going to Sibenik, somebody said the car was full although it wasn't. That's one thing which really frustrates me. But no can do. I decided to stay positive and polite. After an hour or two, I went to the road with the sign, with no result. I came back. I made a sign to Zagreb, if it would work better. One more hour. I was getting really desperate. And it was damn hot, like in Italy in August. My water reserves decreased and decreased. I got a 4km lift to a better spot, from a family. Although I just briefly met them, the woman promised to accommodate me if I sometimes arrive to Zagreb. It cheered me up a bit. They drove me near to a high-way toll, where all the cars have to stop and they go to right direction. However, there was a sign "no autostop" although it doesn't make any sense, because we don't cause any threat by hitching in front of a toll. Cars have to stop there anyway.

I wasn't alone. First there came a couple, other at least was from Poland. They also thought hitching in Croatia was surprisingly difficult which I had noticed. Then another couple, two boys also came there hitching. I stood there around an hour and came really really frustrated and tired. After eating only some fruits for breakfast, standing in front of the sun for 4 hours, there's nothing surprising about it.. I was also in a hurry, going to the festival. It was such a surprise for me that hitching can be so hard. On the first hand you meet amazing, helpful, local people but on the other hand, you might stand next to a road for many hours with no result, starving there. In those situations, it's hard to stay positive.

But finally!! A car stopped, an old van. I went straight inside. There was a middle-aged man. He was going to Sibenik. I decided to go because I wanted go forward, no matter how far. His name was Ivan. His English was okay enough, but he could still explain lots of things and I understood. While he was approaching Sibenik and I was supposed to take another lift to continue, he offered if I would like to stay with his family for the night. I thought myself for a while. I wanted to go to the festival but I was also very tired and hungry. Although I didn't know Ivan and I was alone, I decided to agree, because he seemed like an honest man. 

He showed me some big dried pieces of meat which were hanging in his friend's cellar. It was a bit gross, but I'm sure they were going to be delicious. I hope they weren't unlucky hitch-hikers.. Then we arrived to his home in Sibenik's countryside. He had built the whole house himself. I could clearly notice he had ideals of what is he doing. He had a garden with lemon, ficus and apple trees, grapes, herbs, melons and much more.. And chickens! Amazing..

We went inside to the living room and there was a part of his family: his wife, their daughter, daughter's boyfriend, boyfriend's mother, his sister and his sister's husband.. and me :D. Younger one's spoke good English but also his sister. They all smiled at me and soon I felt as being a part of their family for a while. They gave me a glass of juice. It felt like heaven.. I was so thirsty. And then we ate together. It was stew with vegetables and lamb. It was all local.

I was so hungry. First time in my life, I ate a kidney. . They kind of saved me and they must have felt hilarious when watching at me, eating like a starving little animal. Then some local dessert and different local wines, some of them they had made themselves.. Aahh, I wouldn't ever have imagined to end up in this miraculous situation.

Getting cured by lovely people

Then we went to Sibenik with a little group. They showed me historical places, such as a castle and medieval inner city area.. and a local supermarket!

Me, Ivan's daughter Tanja and his boyfriend Dario. View from the castle of
 Sibenik

It became dark and we returned back. We talked about politics and global issues. Ivan is very interested in those things which I like. Then I could explain my grass-root ecological thinking with a glass of home-made wine :D. I even think they understood me. Then I could go to sleep to a room, which was under construction, on an air-bed. And I slept so good. Skipping the festival on this day was definitely the right decision.

Distance travelled for the day: 87,7km

Tuesday 13.8 (Day 13) Ancona

A driver parked next to me in the morning, nearly drove to the fence in which my hammock was attached. even more, he looked at me weirdly. Next surprise was, that the noisy pigeons had shitted on my stuff. The ironic part was, the napkins I used for cleaning had two loving pigeons on the cover. Damn pigeons.. I wanted to empty some of the additional stuff so I left all the made hitching signs leaning on a wall.

I went to seek for a nice place to sit down and eat breakfast which consisted of a melon I bought from Naples. I also found some more cardboard. After walking through a horrible tunnel full of cars, I entered to the city centre. I bought some food and postcards from a shop. I sat on a nice promenade to write the cards. There was a lovely accordion player playing wonderful songs like Girl from Ipanema and Tango d'jealousie. It gave me such a good mood. Then a woman came talking with me. She wanted to give me one euro. Just because she wanted to. I accepted the donation with great gratitude, because she was really willing to.

After I went sleeping to a park for few hours, to have my siesta. Finally I continued my tour around the city, stopped to another park to make a hitching sign for Croatia. Apparently, it works as a good ice-breaker because a couple teenagers came talking with me because of their curiosity of my doings. They were really enthusiast as I told about my trip. They couldn't speak that good English but even helped me to carry my stuff when I started to go towards the harbor of Ancona. They gave me few euros and cigarettes. It's sweet when young people get so inspired. Maybe they will do something similar in the future. I had to wander around the harbor to search for boarding pass, but in the end I entered to the ferry (which goes from Ancona to Split). After enjoying one of the most beautiful sunsets from the ship deck and feeling the slight and warm wind, I went to look for a bench to sleep. I found a very comfortable and soft bench and could sleep quite well :).

Monday 12.8, (Day 12), Caserta- Ancona

I said goodbye to Carlo's family around 9 am. The moment was emotional so I think they liked me. I even met Carlo's grandmother. She was really sympathetic. I took a train to Naples for a few hours visit.

When walking from the train station I saw a guy wearing a Moomin- T-shirt. The text in it was also in Finnish. I asked about it. He hasn't ever even been to Finland! He was from Morocco.. Interesting..
 I went to National Historical Museum of Naples. Lots of stuff about the Roman times. There was even a room for erotic part. What took my focus, was a picture, in which a donkey mounted a lion. Underneath, there was a text which said: " Ass mounting a lion". I got a bit confused.. Obviously someone had misunderstood something.

After I wanted to find a park. After strolling around I didn't find a proper one, but the open, vast landscape over this old city was really nice. Fruits were also really cheap. Plum tomatoes 1,20e/kg, cantaloupe melon 1e/kg!! By coincidence, I found a building fully covered with stylish and thought-provoking graffities. There were young people sitting in front of it, around a table, so I went to talk with them. The place is a social centre, a 20 years old squat. I got a private tour to the place from a nice, helpful woman, who is a volunteer in there. They do all kinds of useful workshops and events in there, such as rehearsal camps and free Italian courses for immigrants. They really wanted to help people. I could easily let my stuff with them outside when I went inside the building. I also tagged my band's name, Tsapuska, to the wall :D.

Naples is famous for pizza, so I had to find myself the best one. Unfortunately, the best (according to locals) pizza place in Naples, called Sorbillo, was having a break. I still got a good Margarita, straight from a stone oven! And Peroni, per noi, which means: "Peroni for everyone". Then, I had to run for a train to Ancona. There was a two hours break in Rome, where I found a cappuccino for 0,80e! I played harmonica at the railway station and few people wanted to buy it from me. And then running to a train again, to Ancona. When I arrived there, it was midnight. First I started sleeping at the train station among other passengers and homeless people. Someone spoke Russian. One even begged for money but I said all I could offer was a piece of melon in the morning. After 3 hours of sleep, guards woke me up and I had to go away. After 15 min walking, I found a random field next to a petrol station. There was an empty (but locked) building next to it, full of pigeons. Their noise was harassing. I set up the hammock in a lousy way, but I could still sleep.

Thursday 8.- Sunday 11.8, (Days 8-11) Benevento- Caserta

I woke up early and noticed that I had slept almost next to a road. So, I would have had a lot easier access under the bridge by the road than through the jungle-like-man-sized weeds. I started hitching from the same petrol station than yesterday, but soon an old man came and said I should go forward and try there, closer to Caserta. I tried and it worked! After 30min, Mercedes-Benz stopped. An old man, Giovanni, took me around 30km closer and left me to a road on the country-side. I saw goats running in the fields with their bells clinging and an empty old house covered with vines. Cool! I got a lift to Maddaloni, 8km from Caserta. I stayed at a parking area, ate some breakfast (nuts and dried fruits) and waited for Carlo, my Italian friend, who was going to pick me up from there.

Finally he came with his friend, Giovanni. It was so nice to see him again. We went straight to a bar, the thing I needed :). We sat on a terrace, smoking cigarettes of victory, drinking Macchiato and Peroni. Certain old man, got inspired when he met me and offered Peroni's for us.

Finally, we went to Carlo's family, where I stayed few nights. Mother, father, sister, grandmother and a cat. After an amazing dinner (eating rabbit for the first time in my life, tasted like chicken) I said myself I won't be a 100% vegetarian :). Then, Skype-call, Facebook, shower, a short nap, we went out, to see Caserta with Carlo's friends, to see more friends. I learned about the situation with local mafia (Camorra). Then in front of Reggia di Caserta (similar to palace of Versailles, just bigger).

We used cars to go almost everywhere and it was extremely strange for me, to be honest. Lots of people outside. I met Francesco, Carlo's one nice friend, had a guitar! Both of us got excited from Nu-metal and started to compose a new song. All you need is D-drop tuning :D! I also had to say: "Tu sei la piu bella ragazza mai vista" (= you are the most beautiful girl I've ever seen) to some girl. There was damn chill house music outside. They played Masters At Work! So euphoric. I was like a Duracell-bunny, dancing myself outside, jumping around places and talking about my trip with people. Most of the people just laughed. A crazy blonde guy, running around places talking strange stories. Friends felt tired and we went sleeping. I could sleep in a bed!! unbelievable. In my humble opinion, car culture in Italy is horrible, and protectionism for property is massive.

Giovanni and a certain traveller

Carlo and a certain traveller

Distance travelled for the day: 54km
An interesting fact: After counting all the costs of last eight days of travelling and the donations I got (excluding ferry price), I used only 22e. It's possible to travel very cheaply. Well, I didn't count the costs of dried fruits and nuts I bought in Finland.

Carlo climbing a bamboo

9.8. After a slow morning, we went to Reggia di Caserta, through a secret route, so we wouldn't have to pay entrance fee. The place was very beautiful and big, but not taken care of very well. Closed green houses, gardens left alone to grow wild. But in a way, I like when places are left alone like this. More things to explore. But then, cultural value of the place, however, is diminished. The place has so much potential. Nice sculptures, although covered with plants. And the landscape! So royal.. Original plan, few hundred years ago, was much more ambitious, but they ran out of money.
First time in my life, I tasted an orange straight from the tree, but it was too sour. We also saw a viper, a poisonous snake. Then we met Carlo's friend and went to the same bar as yesterday. The old man was also there, and offered Macchiatos for us. I also heard I talk too much. Their prejudice about Finns was a bit different :). It started raining very hard, and we had to use car (again) to return Carlo's house. Then watching Fight Club!

Tuomas and Reggia di Caserta

Barbed wire and Caserta at background

Reggia di Caserta

Reggia di Caserta

Home-made liquor made from walnut

10.8. I bought a ticket to a train in advance. We used bicycles :)!! Then we went to Giovanni's place to eat and play a magic card game with computer. A bit nerdish, but in the end it was fun. I wasn't oriented to play with computer during my trip :D. Carlo's mother had made an amazing dinner with tasty, spicy sauce, with shellfish and special bread. Then we went straight to eat pizza with his friends, where I met Mario and Vincenzo, Carlo's good friends. I was told again I talk too much. Pizza and Peroni was only 5e. I took a dogbag full of pizza with me.

11.8. From the pizza restaurant, we went to a bar, drinking limonchello and local spirit. I got drunk. Then meeting new friends, like Salvatore! Talking with various people. It was fun. Then we went to pack our stuff and drove through the night to a beach. It was 8 o'clock when we arrived. We spent almost the whole day there. Swimming, getting sun burned, talking bullshit, sleeping and bad jokes. I went to talk with a girl, because her hair was blonde. I wondered if she was from Scandinavia. She wasn't but had roots in Poland (Ahh.. Poland). And her hair was coloured, because blonde hair is so awesome ^^. She could give me this photo, taken of us :):

All my friends were very tired after the day. At home, I had a nice conversation with Carlo's parents about Finland's situation. I really enjoyed it, wondering together about educational issues and differences between Italy and Finland. This was the last night in Caserta.

Wednesday 7.8, (Day 7) Campobasso- Benevento

The park, in which I woke up, was awesome. There wasn't other people around and the park had plenty of plum trees and few pear trees. So, what can be a better idea than collect lots of plums and pears and eat them as a breakfast? Nothing! Nice.

Then I went for a stroll in the town, bought some beer, cheese and lemonade and sat down to a pizzeria with cold beer. One guy came talking with me for a while. After a while I continued to a park to make a sign. I sat down under a tree. There were kids playing in the park with their mum. A man approached me. He looked tough one, a bit fat and with bad teeth. I got cautious but listened what he had to say. He didn't speak English at all but tried to say something. Apparently he was asking me to go drinking and eating with him. The playing kids came next to him but he chased them away by threatening them with a branch. Their mum came talking with him. I finally realized that he was the man of the family. I refused from his offer. He went sitting down on a bench, alone, while his family kept on playing. He took contact only to the woman and ignored his children completely, even when his son started pissing in the middle of the park. When they got hurt during their play and asked help from him, he just stared elsewhere, smoking cigs. He tried to ask random people to go drinking with him. I know it's sometimes hard to be a dad, but he gives so bad example to his children. That's not educational at all. Luckily I'm not a father.

I went hitching and after an hour I got a lift from a guy who delivers pizza. His name was Francesco and he had enormous pizza on the backseat. He said it was for her girlfriend and it's the size of his heart :). He was a fan of The Clash and we listened Guns of Brixton several times. Obviously, this lift was nice. He drove me a bit further than he was planning to go, to a place called Attilia. It was an archaeological site, consisting of an old Roman time village with ruins of basilica's, market place and an amphitheater. I could even imagine the Roman time environment, because of all the farms around the valley and little traffic. I noticed, that during the night, my melon juice had started to ferment in the water bottles. So, I had accidental hitching drink, to make it funnier. After few hours, I got a lift from a nice guy to Benevento. He gave me bananas and orange juice!!

I started immediately to make a sign at the petrol station where he left me. Personnel in there came talking with me and donated a water bottle and half a pack of cigarettes. Hitching didn't work. After 2 hours, I went to look for a place to sleep. It was harder than I thought. I ended up struggling through a man sized weeds, so like a jungle, filled with sounds of grasshoppers! Without a machete. Finally I got myself under a bridge. There was two trees where I could put my hammock. They were spiky. I was damn sweaty that it was moist to sleep and hard. And it was only 10 pm when I went sleeping. And all the sounds of the jungle were so permeable.

Distance travelled for the day: 66km

Tuesday 6.8, (Day 6) San Benedetto Del Tronto - Campobasso

I woke up into amazing moment at the beach. Sun was just about to rise from the horizon, beyond the sea. It was a bit cool, only a slight wind and just few people walking along the beach. It was very early but I couldn't sleep anymore. Personnel from the bar said I could stay on the chair till 8 am. He was kind to do that. 

I went swimming to the sea which had cooled down. So refreshing! I could take this day easier because I had appointment with my friend on Thursday and only few hundred kilometers left. After I went straight to continue my big project: Eating watermelon. I saw few white butterflies flying towards the sun, to the sea. Thought-provoking and poetic.. People stared at me while I sat on the beach, eating huge melon. I was tired but I couldn't sleep on the chairs because they were private. I went to sit on a grass next to a promenade, to make a sign.

 It was problematic to go for a toilet because I couldn't leave my stuff alone for a long time. I had to find some other way. I had watched a video on how to piss publicly without noticing, so problem solved, partly. Apparently some group of Bangladesh people noticed me and stared at me for a while. I ignored them and continued drawing. One of them came talking with me, just for curiosity. I got a bit cautious although he was just interested about my things. Making a hitching sign really works as a good ice breaker. I was running out of water and didn't want to buy water bottles so I started collecting juice from the melon to my bottles and could fill them!

 Then to a shower at the beach, to a shop to buy plum tomatoes (2,00e/kg) and to a junction near the highway with a sign towards Pescara and Termoli. After 2 lifts and 2 hours, I finally got to an Autogrill (petrol stations along the highway). The latter driver offered me a coffee and a water bottle. He was an engineer and pretty smart guy (almost every academic guy I met in Italy were engineers). While searching a lift from Autogrill, a family passed by and after a moment, a young woman from the family, came back with a rice bowl and offered it to me. I took it with a great gratitude and came so glad. She spoke good English. We started to talk about various things. She was so helpful! She gave her phone number if I would need any help in Italy. Also her aunt came and eventually had some courage to talk English with me. Then, she gave 10 euros, just for the support. These kind of people really return faith to humankind <3.

It took 2 small lifts, few disappointments and finally, I could get a longer one from a nice couple, which were going hiking, also really friendly and supportive. The woman said I have a beautiful voice :). They also gave me a boiled egg and drove me to a petrol station, which was on my way to Campobasso, although it wasn't on their way. 

It had come dark. There was a young couple, filling their car. I went speaking with the guy. First, the girl was really cautious and scared of me but they finally they agreed to take me. It gave me such a good feeling when she started to trust me. She even gave me a cig. They drove me to Campobasso and gave some cupcakes :). They left me next to a park, which hadn't been taken care of. Therefore, it was easy for me to find a good spot to put hammock.

Distance travelled for the day: 247km