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Driving through the far north, we can't escape the Sámi culture. Colorful flags flutter in the wind, reminding us of the original people who have called this place home for centuries. It's the last remaining indigenous culture in Europe. It's often thought that indigenous cultures are disappearing due to modernization, but nothing could be further from the truth. Sámi en hun traditionele kleding In Lapland, Sámi culture is still very much alive. Reindeer herding, the joik and living with the seasons are still part of their way of life. And these days, they even have their own parliament. Sápmi The Sami live in the vast Sápmi region, which spans Norway, Sweden, Finland, and a small part of Russia. They were originally a nomadic people: in summer they herded reindeer into the mountains, and in winter they sought shelter in the forests. Symbols used by the Sámi people History of oppression The Sámi have long been oppressed and discriminated against by the government and the non-Sámi population. Under a policy of assimilation, they were forced to adapt to the prevailing culture and were not allowed to speak their language. Their faith was suppressed when the state church was imposed, and their culture was dismissed as "pagan." Racist theories even declared them an inferior race; skulls and bodies were measured to "prove" this. It is a dark chapter in Northern European history. (Film tip: Sami Blood ) Bekijk onze video over Noord Zweden Excuse In Norway apologized and established the Sámi Parliament. Sámi culture is currently experiencing a revival, with recognition of their culture and traditions, although challenges remain, such as conflicts over land and mining. Sámi Parlement, Kárášjohka Noorwegen People in motion Today, the situation has changed. The Sámen are modern, use quad bikes and snowmobiles to round up their reindeer, and are recognized by both the people and the government. Yet, their existence is anything but romantic: reindeer herding is hard and often dangerous work. Especially in the spring, when the reindeer need to be rounded up and the snow begins to melt, serious accidents occur regularly. A fact that might surprise you: it's not done to ask a Sámi how many reindeer they own. That's like asking how much money someone has in their bank account. Soul of the joik One of the most beautiful expressions of Sámi culture is the joik. This style of singing is often wordless, yet it touches the soul directly. A joik can express emotions, people, animals, or nature in repetitive sounds and rhythms. Listen, for example, to this well-known joik song, written in honor of a deceased friend. It still gives us goosebumps. Originally, joik was performed without instruments, except for the shaman's drum. During colonization, many shamans were murdered and their drums destroyed. Only a few examples remain on display in museums. Although shamans still exist, they often don't practice in public; the fear of the past runs deep. Bij de souvenierswinkel Shamanism and sacred places Shamanism, however, lives on. For example, a Sámi woman told us that as a baby, she cried inconsolably until her mother called upon a shaman for help. The shaman predicted that the girl would sleep uninterruptedly for 24 hours, after which the crying would cease. And so it happened. Stone circles on a sacred sacrificial mountain Sacred rocks Sacred places can be found throughout Sápmi. Rocks and mountains where people ask for help or make offerings. Around such a mountain, you often see artifacts lying around: crystals, notes, or other objects. According to the Sami, the rocks carry ancient wisdom; they were there long before humans and will still be there long after we are gone. Stone circles, which you encounter in the landscape, are also often ancient sacrificial sites. "To joik someone is not to sing about them, but to let their spirit live in the sound." But beware: don't anger the spirits. When a sacred rock was blown up during construction of the North Cape Tunnel, a Sámi reindeer herder warned in advance that this would bring bad luck. Avalanches, accidents, and fires soon followed. Finally, on the Sámi's advice, the contractor laid flowers at a nearby sacred rock to ask for forgiveness. Read the Norwegian article here . Symbolism of the flag Anyone driving into the far north can't miss it: the Sámi flag proudly flying from houses and public buildings. The flag reflects the colors of the traditional costume (gákti) and features a circle symbolizing the sun and moon, taken from ancient shamanic drums. Red → fire Blue → water Green → nature Yellow → sunlight Circle → sun and moon Typical Sámi bracelets Samen or Inuit? The Sami are sometimes confused with other indigenous peoples, such as the Inuit. There are similarities, but also clear differences. The Inuit live in Greenland, Canada, and Alaska and traditionally lived by fishing and hunting marine mammals, with the igloo as their iconic symbol. The Sami, on the other hand, are associated with reindeer herding in Northern Scandinavia and Russia. They lived primarily in tents (lavvu). Mirror for ourselves Sámi culture is sometimes still described as primitive, a label more often applied to indigenous cultures. But a closer look reveals something different. While the West often focuses on technology and economic growth, the Sámi live in balance with nature, community, and spirituality. They take only what is necessary from nature, do not pollute the air or soil, and possess a deep ecological knowledge. And then the question arises: what is truly primitive: a culture that lives in harmony with the earth, or one that exhausts it? Perhaps Sámi culture is a mirror in which we can recognize ourselves. Previous Globus 2 videos featuring the Sami: In this video we visited a souvenir shop of a real Sámi In this video we took a walk to a Sami sacrificial mountain In this video we see a Sami sacrificial circle Enter your email address at the bottom of this page and you'll receive an email no more than once a week when we post a new blog post. If you'd like to support us financially so we can keep this website online, please donate via this link .

Nature provides everything: air to breathe, water to drink, food to live. Yet it's not just that that moves us, but also the moments of silence and wonder. A landscape that embraces you, an unexpected encounter, the feeling of being one with nature. What is it that makes nature so deeply touch us, time and again? Potvis gaat duiken Nature, of course, provides more than just food, water, and warmth. It also offers us healing powers. Plants, roots, minerals—age-old allies in healing our bodies. I'm proud to have worked for fourteen years as a director at Weleda, a company that fully relies on this natural wisdom. There, we produced, and still do, 100% natural medicines. These remedies are aimed at healing, not at treating symptoms that often cause side effects, which in turn require new medicines. They are based on knowledge that is sometimes thousands of years old. We have more and more knowledge and we know less and less And yet… we humans often want more. More security, more stuff, more comfort. We don't just take what's necessary, but pile up supplies, build houses bigger than we can handle, and fill closets beyond our means. We grab as if nature were inexhaustible. Bekijk onze video over regenachtig Noorwegen Less is often enough Along the way, we realize how little is actually needed. A small supply of food, water in the tank, the warmth of a blanket, and a view that never gets old. Life in the camper forces us to be simple. Every liter of fuel, every bag of groceries, every piece of trash is visible and tangible. “Nature speaks softly, but who listens?” Just watching Sometimes we can gaze at nature endlessly. Without wanting or needing to do anything, just simply observing all that beauty. Orcas swimming by, reindeer migrating over the hills, moose secretly peering at you from the forest, curious foxes, bears foraging at night, sea otters playing in the waves, a stoat prowling the rocks, and so much more. Animals instinctively know which plant to eat for a toothache or which herbs help with another ailment. An inner knowing that we humans have largely lost. For us, these are the moments when life naturally feels simpler, when it is enough to receive without having to give anything in return. Risso dolfijn Not more Catholic than the Pope At the same time, we're no more Catholic than the Pope. We travel in a diesel campervan that pollutes the air. That bothers me. It bothers me that I contribute just as much to that pollution, just because I desperately want to travel, because I desperately want to live on the road. How can I look myself in the mirror? It's an uncomfortable realization, but facing it honestly feels better than pretending it doesn't exist. Groceries We simply do our grocery shopping at the supermarket. And there, somewhere between the fjords and the mountains, the shelves are filled with products from… the Netherlands. Apples from the Betuwe, cheese from North Holland, tomatoes from "our" greenhouses that we've left thousands of kilometers behind. It sometimes feels almost absurd: being so far away, in the midst of the rugged silence, and then suddenly encountering Dutch products in the shops. Smaller than before And yet, we feel our ecological footprint is smaller than when we lived in a house. No endless attics and sheds to fill, no overcrowded schedules demanding energy, more stuff, more everything. Life in our Globus 2 shows us that less is often enough, and that enough can even be abundance. Advertisement: Click on this banner and then buy something at bol.com A small percentage of your purchase goes towards funding this website. Consciousness and gratitude Perhaps that's the key: not striving for perfection, but for (self)awareness. Recognizing that nature sustains us and that we always have the choice to give back. That can be small: picking up trash along a fjord, consciously choosing local food, or simply being still and grateful. Enough is abundance Because whoever is grateful needs nothing more. Enter your email address at the bottom of this page and you'll receive an email no more than once a week when we post a new blog post. If you'd like to support us financially so we can keep this website online, please donate via this link .

A year ago, we quit our jobs. Not for a sabbatical or a fixed plan, but to live in confidence, without an end time. Our self-built Globus 2 became our home, the landscape our backdrop. Today, I realize this may have been the greatest decision of my life: the choice for freedom. Noorderlicht op de Lofoten Let me start this blog with a big thank you. Several people have, through this link , treated us to a cappuccino or clicked on the Bol.com banner and then made a purchase. We use this contribution to fund our website. Thank you so much! The first steps Our first trip took us to Northern Spain and Portugal. For three months, we tasted freedom. It still felt safe, a soft landing. We learned to adjust to a rhythm no longer dictated by schedules, but by the sun, the weather, and the mood of the day. "Freedom begins where the clock loses its power." The jump Then, on our second trip , came Morocco. For three months, we immersed ourselves in a world of new smells, colors, and sounds. We were challenged, sometimes even pushed out of our comfort zones. But it was precisely there that we discovered how much growth comes from daring to embrace the unknown. Within six months we will be walking in the Sahara and seeing the Northern Lights above the Arctic Circle The North Calls Now we're on our way through Scandinavia, via the Baltic States and Finland to Norway. We've been staying on the Lofoten Islands for a while now. That feels special to me. I've been here three times before, but always on holidays of three to four weeks. That meant almost endless driving days and then a few days in the Lofoten Islands. Hungry for impressions that I wanted to absorb as quickly as possible. Now it's different; we've been here for two weeks. No clock ticking, no to-do list. Time feels endless, as if the islands are truly showing me their souls this time. Photographing in freedom I finally feel the peace and quiet for my greatest hobby: nature photography. No more quick snapping along the way, but waiting for the right light and watching until the landscape reveals itself. Photography is a way for me to slow down, and only now that I have all the time do I realize how much richer it makes me. So, in this blog post, a few more photos than you're used to :-) The mirror Along the way, we meet more and more people who have made the same choice – from young to old, and even entire families who are venturing out into the world together. Yet we also often hear: "Oh, I'd like to do that too." Many people hold themselves back with beliefs like " it's impossible, it's not allowed, it's too uncertain." But are those beliefs really true? Of course, this life demands saying goodbye to certainties, habits, and the familiar life close to family and friends. In return, there is a freedom so much richer than we could ever imagine. Advertisement: Click on this banner and then buy something at bol.com A small percentage of your purchase goes towards funding this website. What this year taught us Last year showed us that life isn't about control, but about trust. It was also a stark reflection: living together in a few square meters isn't always easy. You take yourself everywhere with you, with all your beauty and all your flaws. Making the decision to let go of our jobs and all the security wasn't easy either. But we don't regret it for a moment. No matter how life unfolds, this year no one can take it away from us. Preparing to let go At the same time, this life didn't just fall from the sky. There was a plan at its core, built over years of preparation. We created a foundation, a form of passive income, so we could truly embrace the freedom we now experience. It's precisely that combination of preparation and letting go that makes this life possible. We're not on vacation. This is our life. No end time We don't know where the road will take us next year. Perhaps back north, south again, or further southeast. It doesn't really matter. As long as we keep listening to our hearts and to each other, the path will open itself. There's no end in sight. What place in (or just outside) Europe can you recommend? Enter your email address at the bottom of this page and you'll receive an email no more than once a week when we post a new blog post. If you'd like to support us financially so we can keep this website online, please donate via this link .

We continue towards the North Cape with our Globus 2. Here, above the treeline, lies a world where the landscape is stripped back to its essence. No tall trees, no lush forests, only wind, rock, moss, and grass. We drive across barren plains. Fjell, they call it in Norway, or fjäll in Sweden. It simply means plateau, above the treeline. No more trees, only birch bushes that stay low to the ground, as if bowing to the harsh wind and the snow of winter. Het landschap in het noorden van Noorwegen Tundra or steppe? The barren plain beneath our wheels resembles other vast spaces we've seen before. And yet, every shape is different. Is this a tundra or a steppe? Tundras Tundras are found at the edges of the world. In Alaska, Siberia, Greenland, and Northern Scandinavia. The ground there is always cold. Even in summer, only a thin top layer melts: the "active layer." Beneath this lies permafrost , frozen earth that sometimes extends hundreds of meters deep. No trees grow here. Only mosses, dwarf shrubs, and a few hardy herbs. The soil draws itself with polygons, geometric shapes formed by the perpetual freezing and thawing. Steppes Steppes, on the other hand, exude drought. Grassy plains without trees, but not because of frost – because of a lack of rain. You find them in Mongolia, Kazakhstan, the Ukrainian plains, and even in parts of North America. The wind rustles through waving grass. Occasionally, a shrub grows, but trees are scarce. Two worlds without trees, yet so different. Tundra: cold and wet. Steppe: dry and temperate. Senja, vanaf de top van Husjellet Fjell It's amazing how landscapes have their own words. Words that defy translation because they carry a feeling, a memory of a people. Fjell is such a word. It refers to the barren mountain ranges and plateaus above the coniferous forest border in Scandinavia. Not tundra, not steppe, but something in between. Rugged perhaps, more rugged. The two of us While the world outside is empty and vast, the two of us live in a few square meters. Sometimes it's a search for space within ourselves and silence within each other. In such a small living space, there's no escaping each other's rhythms, words, and moods. But precisely because everything is so close, we're invited to be honest and stay connected. To name what's wrong, but also to cherish what's right. The other becomes our greatest mirror, not always easy, but illuminating. Just like the landscape, living together in Globus 2 requires us to return to the core: what do you truly need? What do you let go of? What remains? "Peace comes not from space around you, but from space within yourself." Satisfying Maybe it's the silence or the vastness, but this environment makes me sentimental. As if the cold and emptiness touch on something I often forget in the midst of life. Here, where almost nothing grows, I feel more. More gratitude, more wonder, more connection with what truly matters. And perhaps that's what these landscapes offer us: not answers, but space to reflect on what we otherwise so quickly pass by. Enter your email address at the bottom of this page and you'll receive an email no more than once a week when we post a new blog post. If you'd like to support us financially so we can keep this website online, please donate via this link .

Those of you who have been following us for a while know we're still in the process of slowing down. We've been on this journey for a year now, and we still have that uneasy feeling of constantly having to push ourselves further and further into our system. Or is something finally changing? Rendieren in Fins Lapland With our Globus 2, we're crisscrossing the far north of Europe. There's a softness in the air. The days are long, the silence deeper. As if nature is inviting us to slow down. Standing still is not standing still We've been searching for slowing down for a long time. Not just in kilometers per hour, but in our entire being. Needing to do less and feeling more. But we haven't succeeded yet. There was always the temptation or urge to keep going. As if we ourselves still had to get used to the idea that rest isn't lazy and standing still doesn't mean standing still. And now, here in the Varanger region in the far north of Lapland, it seems as if it's working out just a little bit. This rugged, silent landscape against the icy Barents Sea, with its endless tundra, whispers: stay a little longer. Advertisement: Click on this banner and then buy something at bol.com A small percentage of your purchase goes towards funding this website. Rhythm is determined by the seasons We are in Sámi territory. Not a legacy of the past, but a living culture. Here, in northern Lapland, the reindeer are still herded exclusively by the Sámi people, who live with a deep connection and respect for nature. Their rhythm is determined by the seasons. It recalls something ancient and essential. Something we have partly lost, but which is still tangible here. Slow down to no longer be a slave to time, but to be in the moment. What happens if we ease off the accelerator for a moment? If we don't try to "check off" as many boxes as possible, but instead truly let a few things sink in? Finally, the peace and quiet to take photos again. To launch the drone and capture the landscape from a different perspective. We've also stopped writing weekly blogs. Not because we have nothing to say, but because we don't want to write from a place of obligation, but from a place of purpose. From inspiration. From a place of peace. That, too, is slowing down. The little voice that says And yes, we regularly feel the unease again. That little voice that says, "You could be much further along by now." But where else are we heading? To what destination are we actually rushing? And what if we're already in the right place? “Just as the reindeer follow the seasons without haste, so the soul finds its way in the rhythm of silence.” In a world driven by speed and efficiency, slowing down is almost an act of resistance. A choice for quality over quantity. For breathing over scrolling. For being over doing. We're slowly getting used to the slow rhythm of our journey. Of days without a plan. Ever closer to ourselves Perhaps that is the greatest treasure of this way of life: that we learn to live with less, yet be more. That, by slowing down, we come ever closer to ourselves. To nature, where haste has no place. Enter your email address at the bottom of this page and you'll receive an email no more than once a week when we post a new blog post. If you'd like to support us financially so we can keep this website online, please donate via this link .

Moving into a campervan and leaving home and hearth behind means quite a bit of decluttering. An attic and shed full of things I had to part with. Only the bare essentials could be taken on board. Clothing, kitchenware, bedding—that goes without saying, but what items don't you need at home that are essential for us in Globus 2 ? Rendieren in Fins Lapland I still vividly remember having to part with almost all my belongings. After all, I wanted to live in an eight-square-meter van. Most things went effortlessly to the kids, the thrift store, Marktplaats, or simply the garbage bin. There were also things I had much more trouble with. Souvenirs, or how about the collection of stones I'd amassed? In every country I visited, I took a small stone home, and by then I had built up quite a collection. Parting I performed a ritual with those "difficult" items. I sat quietly with the item in my hand. I recalled the memory: where did I get this thing, who was there, what was the weather like, what did I smell, etc., etc. Then the next step: what feeling comes up? Can I really feel it, and where do I feel it? Finally, I let this feeling enter my heart. With that, the essence was transferred from the material to my heart, and I could easily say goodbye to the object. This might all sound a bit vague, but it really helped me let go of all my possessions. New stuff And then you're completely decluttered and you buy all sorts of new things you never needed in a house, but which are indispensable for us in Globus 2. Below are the ten items, in random order, that have proven to be truly essential for us. Omnia oven We don't have an oven in Globus 2. No pizzas, no cakes, no casseroles... Wrong! We have an Omnia oven . It's a kind of bundt pan that you simply place on the gas hob and functions like an oven. Kelly makes the most delicious casseroles, pies, rolls, and more. We use the Omnia every week! Thermacell Mosquito Repellent: If you go to Scandinavia, you're going to mosquito country. Finland and Sweden, in particular, can be quite grim. Forests and lakes (stagnant water) are the ideal habitat for our little biting friends. And I can never seem to keep my hands off those mosquito bites! We've tried everything from sprays and oils to spirals, but Thermacell is the only thing that really works for us. When we place this device in the opening of our sliding door, not a single mosquito (or even a bun) gets in. The Thermacell comes in different versions and works with small poison capsules that you slide in at the bottom. It also has a scented sponge that releases a scent we can't detect. It protects up to 20m². We also tried it while walking, but unfortunately, that didn't work as well. Even the locals swear by it! Jump starter. Especially when I was still working and staying at the same campsite for extended periods, I sometimes found the battery dead and couldn't start my Globus 2. The jump starter has saved me several times, getting me back on the road within 5 minutes. Make sure you buy one that's heavy enough for your car. Skotti BBQ Everyone knows that space and weight are key in a campervan. Taking a BBQ with us simply wasn't possible. That is, until we discovered the Skotti BBQ . This simple kit is so flat it fits in a small bag. Once assembled, it's a decent gas grill. We use the Skotti regularly; we love barbecuing outside in nice weather and enjoying the beautiful weather. Handheld Vacuum Cleaner: The amount of cleaning in an 8 m² van is very manageable and doesn't take much time. On the other hand, it does need to be swept every day. Of course, we don't have a hallway to enter, so all the street dirt under your shoes ends up in the house. Kelly faithfully cleans this every day with our dustpan and brush. However, we're missing a good handheld vacuum cleaner that can also get into the nooks and crannies. So if you have a good tip for the ideal camper vacuum cleaner/handheld vacuum cleaner, please let us know! Kijk onze video Dwars door Finland We never needed these either when I lived in a single-family home to ensure we could sleep comfortably level :-) Since we camp off-grid as much as possible, it also means the ground is almost never perfectly level. Now, we don't mind that as long as we sleep with our heads up. Still, we regularly bring out the ramps so we can still find that perfect spot and sleep soundly. Spirit level . Following on from the previous point, a spirit level is of course also indispensable. I've already mentioned that we've now installed an E-Trailer system in Globus 2 , which allows us to see exactly how level we are with a single click. This is truly incredibly convenient. Starlink. I find it almost embarrassing to admit, but internet connection is practically a basic necessity for us nomads, especially for writing our blogs and uploading our YouTube videos . Before we started making videos, we were still able to get by with the Odido subscriptions we had in the Netherlands. We had a total of 150 GB available per month. Now, however, that's definitely not enough, and our Starlink is truly a godsend. Unlimited internet anytime, anywhere. Well, everywhere... we obviously shouldn't park Globus 2 under too many trees. In a country like Finland, that can be quite a challenge sometimes. E-reader. Something we don't currently have, but might need to get, is a good e-reader. We both love reading and prefer to do so with an actual physical book. It's hard to break us of that. You need to be able to hold a book, to smell it. But honestly, in a camper with limited space, a pile of books is just incredibly inconvenient. So, which e-reader would you recommend? OBD2 diagnostic scanner. We also have an OBD2 diagnostic scanner with us. If a dashboard warning light comes on with Globus2, we can use this inexpensive device to read all the data and reset it if necessary. It's incredibly handy. This scanner works on all cars manufactured after 2004. "Essentials aren't just things you carry; they're what carry you to new horizons" Standard camper equipment Of course, we could make an endless list of things we use. The solar panels, the leisure battery, and the diesel heater allow us to stay off-grid for days. But these are pretty much standard camper equipment. We could also create a whole list of smartphone apps we use regularly. That might be something for a future blog post. We're really curious to see what other items we could add to this list. So let us hear from you! Enter your email address at the bottom of this page and you'll receive an email no more than once a week when we post a new blog post. 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During our stay in Estonia we went on a 'hunt' for brown bears. Not with guns of course, but with our cameras at the ready. Hoping to catch a glimpse of these impressive animals in their natural habitat. And with success! Exciting? Absolutely. Scared? No, not really. Just as exciting as when we drove a bit through Russia, completely legally, without a visa or any passport control. Many people ask us: "Are you never scared?" Searching for bears, driving along deep abysses and crossing the Russian border... Op berenjacht in Estland The answer is: almost never. But of course I do sometimes squeeze him. Like that one time in Portugal, on a steep, muddy hairpin bend. Globus 2 refused to climb any further and we slid closer and closer to the ravine. Or in the High Atlas of Morocco, where we were driving on a narrow dirt road, a rock face on the right, an endless abyss on the left. Those are the moments when I feel the fear. But I feel the most tension when we Globus 2 have to leave behind in a busy city. Because if Globus 2 disappears, we will not only lose our means of transportation, but also our house, our home. Who let fear in? Fear is a natural emotion. It warns us of danger, helps us stay alert. But haven’t we become a little too afraid? Afraid of animals, of unknown places, of each other. Not because that fear is real, but because we have become so far removed from nature and from ourselves. As a child, I didn’t know that fear. Who let it in? And why do we so often let it take over? Bruine beer, Estland Disaster scenarios Our society is set up for control and security, literally and figuratively. Fear rules. From warning signs and fences to NATO that sketches disaster scenarios every day. If we let this fear in, can't we also decide to let it out again? "Fear knocked on the door. Trust opened the door. No one was there." Borders and barbed wire During this trip we drove a bit through Russia. No border control, no passport check, just a piece of road between two countries. Yet there are high fences, terrifyingly decorated with barbed wire. Not put up by the Russians, but by 'us'. Are we so afraid that someone will come our way? If tanks ever come, those fences won't stop them, right? Klik op de video om hem te bekijken St. Petersburg It's bizarre when you think about it. Why can't we as humans just move freely around this earth? Who decides that a certain piece of land belongs to someone and that you can't go there unless you have 'permission'? We wanted to travel to Finland via St. Petersburg. Instead, we opted for the 'safe' crossing from Tallinn to Helsinki. Advertisement: Click on this banner and then buy something at bol.com A small % of the purchase goes towards financing this website. Fear or Love? In the course I am currently taking I learn something simple, yet powerful: there are only two basic human states: Fear and Love. All other emotions stem from them. Anger, sadness and disgust stem from Fear. Joy, connection and wonder stem from Love. And maybe… isn’t Fear really just a cry for Love? Alexander Nevski-kathedraal, Talinn Love And then I ask myself the question: what if we would choose Love more often? For trust, openness, connection with each other, with nature, with ourselves? What if we were not guided by the darkest scenario, but by the most beautiful? Maybe then, like the bears in Estonia, we would live a little closer to our origins. Fearless, free and connected. Because ultimately that is what traveling reminds us again and again: that the world is not 'ours' but that we are its. Enter your email address at the bottom of this page and you will receive, maximum 1x per week, an email when we place a new blog. If you want to support us financially so that we can keep this website online, donate an amount via this link .

After Lithuania we arrived in Latvia. For us it felt very different right away. But what makes it feel so different? Beforehand we had thought that the three Baltic countries would be more or less the same. Nothing could be further from the truth, as far as we are concerned. We visit the widest waterfall in Europe and in this blog the problems we had with Globus 2 . Holy Trinity Church, Riga Problems Let's start with the problems. You might think that everything is going smoothly with us. With our beautiful photos, videos and beaming looks, but not everything is just fine. That is also part of travelling on wheels. For example, in Poland we had to have our brake pads replaced. When braking, they squeaked enormously and it turned out that the 'clips' had been mounted incorrectly. And when the brake pads became a bit thinner, the clips touched the brake discs, which explained the squeaking. Solar panels The Victron electrical installation also failed for a day. There was something wrong with the solar panels, which caused the installation to restart every 5 minutes. Contacted the supplier who could read it remotely. Unfortunately, he could not find anything unusual. We then covered the solar panels with a large tarpaulin and the next day the problem had fortunately disappeared. AdBlue and grey water tank tap Globus 2 also reported that something was wrong with the AdBlue installation. It was still possible to drive 1,000 km and then it would be over. So back to the garage. The electro magnets of the kitchen cabinets also stopped working at a certain point. Fortunately, I was able to fix that myself. Finally, a stone (from the dirt roads here) damaged the tap of the waste water tank. This needs to be replaced as soon as possible. Fortunately, I can fix that myself. "Some problems are yours to deal with, but most of the problems you create yourself." Widest waterfall In North-West Latvia lies the widest waterfall in Europe. It is the Ventas rumba of 249 meters wide and can be found near the village of Kuldīga. A surprisingly nice village to visit by the way. The river was extra spectacular, because we were there at exactly the right time. Here you can see the bluenose fish jumping upstream in the spring, because their instinct sends them back to the place where they were born. They will spawn here and then die on the spot. In any case, I have entertained myself for a few hours with photography. By the way, we find the most beautiful spots with the help of the Travel Guide Baltic States that is available here . Feeling Latvia really evoked a different feeling in us than Lithuania. What did they both have and almost immediately when we drove into the country. While we had actually thought beforehand that the three countries would be somewhat the same. Where exactly does such a feeling come from? Is it the landscape that changed from mainly meadows to more forests? Or the people who perhaps looked a bit more western? Or is it 'just' the energy that hangs in a country? We heard from locals that Lithuania is very focused on Poland, Estonia on Finland and that Latvia is more internationally oriented. We think we can notice this. When we are looking for a place to stay and it doesn't feel right, we drive on and look for something else. Can we explain that? No, not really, it's a feeling. However, we hear from many campers that they rely on their feelings when finding a place to stay. Advertisement: Click on this banner and then buy something at bol.com A small % of the purchase goes towards financing this website. Declaration We are also always inclined to find an explanation for everything. But feelings cannot always be explained. It is intuition or perhaps just something that your soul picks up, without your head understanding it yet. And maybe that is not necessary. Traveling teaches us not only about other countries, but also about ourselves. About trust, letting go and listening to that still little voice inside that tells us: “This is good,” or, on the contrary, “Keep going for a while.” So whether you are on the road on four wheels or just traveling through life: dare to feel, dare to follow. Not everything has to be right or logical. Sometimes it is enough that it feels good. Enter your email address at the bottom of this page and you will receive, maximum 1x per week, an email when we place a new blog. If you want to support us financially so that we can keep this website online, donate an amount via this link .

We have left Poland and arrived in Lithuania. Here too, no border control thanks to the Schengen agreement. Even a border sign with cheerful EU stars on it is missing. Gediminatoten in Vilnius Menselijke keten Baltische landen Traveling through Lithuania, we notice that freedom and independence have not always been defended by force. Sometimes a courageous collective resistance is enough. An impressive example of peaceful resistance took place on August 28, 1989. Two million people formed a chain between the capitals of Tallinn (Estonia) - Riga (Latvia) and Vilnius (Lithuania). The human chain of over 600 kilometers was a protest against the Soviet occupation at the time. Not long after, Lithuania declared its independence. This was finally recognized by the Soviet Union on September 6, 1991. Hill of Crosses Another beautiful example of peaceful resistance is the Hill of Crosses . On a sloping hill in Northern Lithuania, there are thousands and thousands of crosses. From simple wooden crosses to crosses of gigantic dimensions. Each cross with its own story. The Hill of Crosses was built in the 19th century as a memorial to deceased insurgents. It was repeatedly destroyed during the Soviet occupation, but was rebuilt each time by local believers. Today, the hill symbolizes Lithuanian resilience, Catholic faith and peaceful resistance. Its thousands of crosses make it an important place of pilgrimage and cultural heritage. “Peace does not begin outside of us, but within ourselves” Peaceful camper life Our travel without end time is also generally very peaceful. We do not suffer from neighbourly quarrels or annoying colleagues and usually have nice interesting conversations with fellow travellers or with the locals. Globus 2 aan de Memel Peace comes from within What we increasingly feel is that true peace comes from within. Not from resolving conflicts or striving for world peace, but from peace within ourselves. When we are in balance, we look more gently at the world around us. Camper life helps us with that. The simplicity, the silence, the freedom – it invites us to return to the core. Far away from the hustle and bustle, we find space to simply be . It is precisely there, on the road in nature, that we experience it most strongly: peace does not begin outside of us, but within ourselves. Advertisement: Click on this banner and then buy something at bol.com A small % of the purchase goes towards financing this website. Pause button It may be easy to say when you are in a small bubble. In the peaceful camper life we do not have to take anyone into account and we do not know deadlines. This simple life makes room for peace in your head. Although we sometimes have trouble finding the pause button, slowing down remains our big challenge. Onze video over Litouwen EUROPAPA By the way, we notice that the people here, unlike us, are proud of their EU membership. The European flag flies in all major cities. At the same time, we also see many signs saying "made possible by the EU". Roads, city parks, monuments, all renovated with European funds. It is not really surprising that they are extra happy with the European Union here. Or do they simply do a much better job of EU marketing here? Bad roads Not all roads have been repaired with EU money... What a drama! The highways are generally fine, but the provincial roads are often very bad. The bad road surface is not repaved, no, only "plaster work" is done on the less good parts. This results in a patchwork of bits of asphalt and holes. Not exactly a nice relaxed drive. But hey, it is what it is, without fighting reality you experience more peace. Enter your email address at the bottom of this page and you will receive, maximum 1x per week, an email when we place a new blog. If you want to support us financially so that we can keep this website online, donate an amount via this link .

We are off again. On to Scandinavia. But then the unusual route via Poland and the Baltic States. In this blog our first experiences in Poland. What can we actually expect from this country? Is it really as unsafe as we have heard? Do we still see something of the typical Eastern Bloc influences? Plan changed In Morocco we had planned a route in advance. Now we want to be more surprised and go where the wind takes us that day. We know that Scandinavia is ideal for this, but what about Poland and the Baltic States? In Poland we had the intention to drive straight to Warsaw. TomTom, however, had a different proposal by avoiding the toll roads. What do we think of a visit to the Giant Mountains just across the Czech border? After a quick Google search, this appears to be one of the most beautiful hiking areas in Poland. So we let Globus 2 follow TomTom's instructions. Adr š pach rotsen in Tsjechië Giant Mountains And what a surprise! This is indeed a beautiful area with fabulous rock formations. We were able to take several walks there and enjoyed it immensely. For the rest of the journey we took a look at the map. Auschwitz and Krakow now automatically come on our path. At the impressive Auschwitz we were surprised that many of the buildings are replicas of the original. In the nice Krakow we were surprised by the legend of the dragon and the origin of the city. If you also want to be surprised, read the collapsible legend below. King Krak and the Dragon "In a cave at the foot of Wawel Hill once lived a terrible fire-breathing dragon... This dragon roamed the countryside and did whatever it pleased: it ate the sheep and cattle and frightened the peasants so much that they never let their animals graze in the fields next to the river, the Vistula. What was even worse, the dragon loved to eat young girls! Many brave knights had tried to kill the monster, but before they could get close enough to strike, the dragon breathed fire and all that was left of the men was a pile of ashes. King Krak wanted this dragon to be destroyed as soon as possible, he always feared that his daughter Wanda would be the dragon's next meal. He invited knights and noblemen to come to his country and conquer the dragon, he promised them that whoever could kill the dragon, would marry his beautiful daughter and become king when he died. Many tried. But the dragon was too big and too dangerous. The people became even more afraid, they hardly dared to leave their homes and the country became poorer and poorer. One day the young apprentice shoemaker Skuba Dratewka came to visit King Krak. He asked him if he could also try to kill the dragon. The king said that he certainly could, but noted that it would be difficult because Skuba had no armor, or a horse, or a sword. But Skuba did not listen, he had thought of a clever plan. After Skuba had obtained permission, he bought a dead sheep from the butcher and from a miner he bought some sulphur, which is a powder that they also use to make matches. He went home and there he cut the sheep open with his sharp shoemaker's knife, filled its belly with sulphur powder and sewed the sheep up again with his shoemaker's thread. He put the sheep in front of the dragon's cave and waited behind a rock until the dragon came out. After a while the greedy dragon came out. He saw the dead animal and ate it up with relish. But the sulphur caught fire, just like a match, and the dragon felt his belly burning. He ran as fast as he could to the river to put out the fire and drank and drank and drank... But he drank so much that he became as fat as a balloon. He fell down and felt very ill. Skuba left his place behind the rock and started throwing stones at the dragon. The dragon tried to spit fire, but because of all the water, only hot steam escaped from his mouth. He blew harder and harder, but suddenly... KABOOM! His fat water belly exploded! Finally the people were free! More and more people came to live around the hill and a city arose. The city was called Krakau, after King Krak, who had given the order to kill the dragon." Source: https://www.polen.travel/en Advertisement: Click on this banner and then buy something at bol.com A small % of the purchase goes towards financing this website. Warsaw On to Warsaw, the capital of Poland. Here too we were surprised. The entire 'old' city centre there is however nothing old. After all, everything was bombed flat during WWII. The city centre has been completely reconstructed based on old photos. Behind the old-looking facades are completely new buildings. We were also surprised that it was relatively quiet there, even on a Saturday afternoon, and we completely missed the bustle of a capital. Gdansk Are we also going to Gdansk.....? Not at all on the route to Scandinavia, but on our previous blog we got the response that this is a really nice city. So why not? After all, we have the time to ourselves. And here too we are surprised again. What a hugely surprising hip city this is! The entire city is full of Dutch-looking mansions. We drink coffee in a Harry Potter café and enjoy local dishes such as: pączki (a kind of filled doughnuts) and the national dish of Poland: pierogi (potato dumplings) Russian border What not everyone knows is that Poland also borders a piece of Russia. A piece, enclosed between Poland and Lithuania, that is of great strategic importance to Russia, because it is located on the Baltic Sea. We were curious to see what such a border with Russia would look like. For example, the border runs right through a large forest here. Would there really be a fence there? Or could we cross the border unnoticed for a moment and also tick Russia off? We were very surprised to discover that there were indeed barriers, large rolls of barbed wire and a high fence running right through the forest. What surprised us even more was that the high rolls of barbed wire were laid by Poland and not by the Russians. "If everything goes according to the book, you have no say." A little naughty Despite the prohibition signs we enjoyed taking a few selfies just behind the barriers at the barbed wire. And in the middle of the forest, no one in sight, that can't hurt...? If we had been more alert we would have seen that there were cameras all along the border and we wouldn't have been surprised by the border police when we returned to Globus 2. After an extensive check of all our papers we were fortunately left alone again. Het drielandenpunt van Polen, Litouwen en Rusland Finally Finally, we are very struck by how clean it is everywhere here. You don't see any plastic or cigarette butts lying on the ground. How do they manage that? Is it upbringing/culture? Now we have to be honest, not everything in Poland is only surprisingly positive. Apart from the Giant Mountains, all the way in the south, we mainly drove through very flat, boring rapeseed landscape. I often tell Kelly that I would like to get to my beloved Scandinavia a bit faster. But luckily Kelly convinces me to give these countries the chance to surprise me as well. Enter your email address at the bottom of this page and you will receive, maximum 1x per week, an email when we place a new blog. If you want to support us financially so that we can keep this website online, donate an amount via this link .

Two months in the Netherlands feels like an eternity to us. Of course it is wonderful to see family and friends in person again and to be able to do all the chores on Globus 2 at our leisure, but we are also itching again. We want to leave again, but where to? Olie verversen Globus 2 No surprise Our destination will not come as a surprise to many people. We are 'finally' going back to our beloved Scandinavia. Actually, we had wanted to go there earlier, but we did not find the winter months suitable to start the "travel without end time" adventure. With the summer months approaching, we are going to take our time for that. Advertisement: Click on this banner and then buy something at bol.com A small % of the purchase goes towards financing this website. Baltic States The plan is not to take the fastest route to Norway. Now that we have much more time at our disposal, we want to take the route via Poland, the Baltic States and Finland. These countries are, for us, so unknown. Who goes to Latvia on holiday? What does nature look like there? What are the people like? This route has been on my wish list for a long time, but it was always simply too far to drive for three to four weeks of holiday. Poland certainly does not have the best image, but we know from experience that an image and reality are often quite far apart. Six months on the road After two times three months on the road, we now dare to be away from home a bit longer. We are taking six months for this trip. This not only gives us time to discover the Baltic States, but we also really take our time for the north of Scandinavia. Stay there until we have seen the Northern Lights? Globus 2 has at least been prepared for colder temperatures in recent weeks, so that the water pipes do not freeze again. "Happiness is, planning a trip to somewhere new, with someone you love" Sami We would really like to immerse ourselves in the Sami culture. I always feel like I am at home there. Could I have lived there in a previous life? I think it would be great to spend a week in a Sami village or make a traditional Sami drum together. Of course with all the rituals that come with it. So if anyone has tips for that, I would love to hear them. Walking Of course, there are also various walks on the program. The best-known three are the walks to: Trolltunga Kjeragbolten Preikestolen Besides these three well-known walks, we obviously want to do many more. But perhaps also other activities such as rafting, a zipline, canoeing etc. Enter your email address at the bottom of this page and you will receive, maximum 1x per week, an email when we place a new blog. If you want to support us financially so that we can keep this website online, donate an amount via this link .

Two months of driving through Morocco and not once was I afraid that something would happen to Globus 2. In the big tourist cities of Spain and in the big parking lots in France that safe feeling quickly disappeared. Finding a safe place to leave Globus 2 is not always easy. The reviews in Park4Night about break-ins often make you even more afraid than you already were. At such moments you have to trust the security that is built into the bus. Is dit een veilige parkeerplaats om even boodschappen te doen? Security This week I was talking to our temporary neighbour at the campsite. He told me that his camper with everything on it was stolen in Italy last year. In addition to your camper, all your possessions are gone in one go and in our case our entire house. There you are, what do you do? You probably can't prevent this completely, but I'm glad we built a number of security measures into Globus 2. Then you can walk through a big city or during a long hike just a little more relaxed. "Safety doesn't happen by accident" Burglary What we have seen regularly in the past 6 months is that campers are broken into by a big jerk on the mostly plastic windows. At the beginning of this year, we installed the E-Switch on our windows and the roof hatch. As soon as a window or roof hatch is broken open, I immediately receive a notification on my phone and I can take action. So you are really quick when there is a break-in. A handy extra functionality of this E-Switch is that if you forget to close the roof hatch before leaving, for example, you also receive a warning when you start driving. This works so well that we also installed an E-Switch on the cupboard door of the top cupboards. We sometimes forgot to close these properly before driving. If they did get in The second security we have built in is for when the thieves do get in. A motion sensor, the E-Movement , which is attached to the ceiling with double-sided tape. This is also from the company E-Trailer and works with the same app and therefore also gives a notification as soon as movement is detected. It is a small wireless box that is easy to install. I like wireless equipment. Pulling wires is simply not that easy when the camper is already completely ready. Camper stolen Then your worst nightmare, they not only got in, they stole the entire camper. All your belongings are gone. What now? I really don't want to think about this ever happening to us. If it does happen, the third layer of security comes into effect. The two previously mentioned modules connect to the E-Trailer basic module Plus . This basic module Plus already has a built-in GPS as standard. Now you can always see where your camper is on your phone using E-Track&Trace. You do need to take out a subscription for this, so that the E-Trailer modules remain connected to the internet. Alarm center To make the security complete, you can also take out a recovery subscription, which connects your E-Trailer system to the NVD security group. If the camper is stolen, a message is sent to this center with one push of a button, including the exact location of the camper. They then take immediate action and the chance that we will ever see our Globus 2 again is much greater. This works in a very large part of the world ! A nice side effect is that if you have camper insurance with Aveco, you can get a cashback discount of 50% on the first year of your Recovery subscription costs until December 31, 2025. Advertisement: Click on this banner and then buy something at bol.com A small % of the purchase goes towards financing this website. Future developments You read it right, I am very pleased with the stuff that the company E-Trailer makes. The young company, which was set up by two students from the TU in Delft, continues to innovate constantly and they come up with new modules on the market almost every year. This way the system becomes more and more complete. And everything is wireless and can be controlled within one app. I have heard that new functionalities will be added to the system at the end of this year. I can't wait to see that. Module Price Starter package Plus (incl. E-level, E-Volt, E-Track&Trace and remote reading option) €349.95 E-Switch (2 pieces) € 90,- E-Movement € 110,- E-Trailer subscription (for a duration of 1 year) € 100,- per year Additional cost for subscription to E-Trailer Recovery subscription €60 per year Accountability When you read this blog you might think what an advertisement, but we did not receive any financial compensation from E-trailer for this blog. We did receive the discussed modules from E-trailer to test them. They do not make any demands on the content of this blog and we are therefore completely free to express our own real objective experience. It should be clear that I am very enthusiastic. Enter your email address at the bottom of this page and you will receive, maximum 1x per week, an email when we place a new blog. If you want to support us financially so that we can keep this website online, donate an amount via this link .