Today I start driving the Europastrasse E75. Off to Vardø, off to the Arctic Circle and the Arctic Sea.

Here we go. Right now!

So I went to the local port authority to learn more about my starting point and route. After a few discussions, it becomes clearer: the E75 probably leads around the airport. But just to be sure, I’ll drive both routes so that I don’t get off on the wrong foot. I should add that “probably” is my word. The folks at the port authority, who also put in a call to the police, were pretty sure. More on that later. My question: where is it all written down in black and white? We’ll believe Google, but Google is just second-hand information—we should remember that.

And I realize: The E75 is something dynamic, like all other Europastrassen. They change constantly—that surprises me a bit.

Probably starting point of the E75: at this gate.

Today, the first serious problems became evident. Where does the E75 begin, and how does it run??? So I ask openstreetmap.org, here.com, and of course Google Maps. Three different mapping services, three different answers. One says it runs right through the town, one says it goes around the airport, and a third says both stretches of road are the E75. So what to do? Will my project fail already in Sitia? :-//

Whenever you consult the cards, they tell you only what happens when you give yourself over blindly to fate (tarotwissen.de).

There are no longer any printed maps here, by the way.

When I arrived in Sitia yesterday, driving into town after having traveled about 2,500 km, I had the feeling that I’d finally reached my destination. Until the realization came that I’d only arrived at the planned origin. There are palms all over the place, here, and I’m going almost to the North Cape. :-//

How to put a car on a boat in order to reach the E75.

There are clear signs that I’ve reached the Sea!

I think I crossed the Rubicon (Rolling Stones, Streets of Love).

“It was at three in the morning that I stole my way out of Karlsbad, since they would not have permitted me to go otherwise.” That’s how Goethe’s Italian Journey begins. He eventually chose to take the E45, which goes over the Brenner Pass. That’s how he got to Arcadia.

But his coach wasn’t so anxious to get there, so he took a few days longer than I did. His destination was Rome, while mine was Ancona and then Crete—where the E75 begins. That’s the true starting point for my investigation of what exactly an Europastrasse is.

In my case, too, it’s tough prying myself away from home. And I’d be interested to know how long Goethe’s travel preparations took. His text suggests that he snuck out of his birthday party at three in the morning, got into a coach, and left. But things are never that simple.

It’s well known that Goethe wasn’t a good photographer, but he still had stuff to pack. I, in any case, took weeks to finally have everything ready. And now I’m off, first taking the E45 towards the E75.

P.S.: In Bozen, I paid a visit to the Batzenhäusl, just like Goethe. Call it homage

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I’m in the midst of gathering things together, packing, trying stuff out. Here’s the ultimate test of my portable campfire.

It’s the phase of pragmatic quandries. Summer or winter tires? What kind of kitchen things will I take along? Should I choose books or an e-reader? And do I need bug spray or antifreeze more … or, in fact, both equally?

So the core of the matter is: What awaits me on this drive up the E75? Though at second glance, it’s actually a multi-core matter (and hence state-of-the-art!).

The E75 will take me through nine different countries and to three different seas, ultimately connecting two starkly different islands—and I can’t even begin to count the number of languages spoken along the way. The cultural diversity that we’re currently fighting tooth-and-nail is enormous—in a word, it’s Europe. That which awaits me out there will be a challenge. But the important questions right now are: What kinds of footwear should I take along? And … summer or winter tires?

So once again: what does await me? No matter what it is, I’ll need to be well equipped. Continue reading →