In summer 2019, I leave on a five-month trip through Scotland and Iceland. I travel on foot and by bicycle on large wilderness, mineral deserts, inhospitable environments and face the elements in search of a return to simplicity through physical effort. In Scotland, I walk for five weeks on the West Highland Way, the Hebridean Way and the Skye Trail. I walk through ruin, swamps and green mountains, ears lulled by the singing tones of the Gaelic language. Then I embark on an expedition to Iceland. Wind is my worst enemy and my best teacher there. It keeps me from advancing and destroys my strength. It teaches me to get rid of my vanity and my pride. To accept unpredictability and impermanence, to discover beauty in every second. I pedal and walk for almost three months, my mind on the alert in this very different world. On this island the landscapes are so raw, so pure that I feel on another planet.
Keywords: wind, effort, nature, hiking, cycling, wide open spaces, solitude, magnificence, volcanoes, bogs, talking to myself, mass tourism, raw