Farewell to the Old Year

The last sunset of 2014.
Somewhere behind this horizon, towards the south-east, lies the far-away destination. The countdown will begin tomorrow.

Theory of Colours

It is clear that I will make drawings during the journey. It was not so clear what kind of colours I would use.

Transporting my little vials with the liquid Ecoline colours is always a risky business. A lot can happen, even between the shelf and the table. Over the years, my carpet has turned into a Dalmatian with colourful spots.

It is therefore out of the question to load the Ecolines onto a horse.
But how can I make beautiful, colourful drawings on the road?

The solution is provided by so-called watercolour pencils. You can use them for normal drawings and colourings. When you brush over the colours with a wet brush afterwards, you can create a watercolour effect.

It is a very exciting idea that I have to carry only a case with pencils, a couple of brushes and a plastic container for the water, and will be able to make detailed drawings wherever I am.

But it means that I have to learn a new technique. In order to be able to master it reasonably well on the journey, I begin to practice now. Everything must be tried out, and there are many experiments: The amount of water, the pressure of the pencil ... I have to get a feel for the expected results when mixing the colours.

This is not easy at all. But slowly the results are getting better. It does not look like a real watercolour painting (at least when I do it). But like something else. My own technique.

The Old Era is ending ...

Soon it will be exactly a year ago when I decided to go on the pilgrimage.
156 days until the set day of departure. More then ever the venture seems to be crazy, impossible, hardly manageable. And yet: such a lot has happened during that year! The first idea and the current situation are worlds apart. Worlds of experience, and worlds of learning.

One and a half years of preparation have indeed not been too much.

My old life is a fire that is cooling down. Almost every day, I do something "for the last time". The dreaded time when the old is not there any more and the new has not yet arrived is approaching swiftly. This black hole that needs to be overcome.

And I still haven't got used to the new rhythm of life. I still feel under pressure, wanting to achieve things, to be finished quickly, to "apply" somewhere, hoping for success.
The closer the unknown comes, the more support I need from the patron and destination of my journey: Aldo Moro. I write letters to him. Ask him for his help, feel his warmth, and enjoy small signs.
But John F's energy is also needed more than ever. He is the pioneer, the adventurer. The "new frontiers", the departure into the unknown, were the topic of his life. On an intellectual as well as on  a physical level.
His courage gives me stability. Although - or because - it was he who said: "The stories of past courage can teach, they can offer hope, they can provide inspiration. But they cannot supply courage itself. For this each man must look into his own soul." But:

"We are not here to curse the darkness, but to light a candle that can guide us through that darkness to a safe and sane future. For the world is changing. The old era is ending. The old ways will not do. " - JFK