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Reports

During my travels, I received free accommodation for a night in exchange for writing a daily travel diary. This diary documented how I reached my next destination, the hosts who welcomed me, the food I was offered, and other experiences along the way. Below, you will find the archives of these extensive reports. Please note that English is not my native language, and most entries were written quickly, often around midnight. Enjoy!
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Friday, 17 August 2001
--> Aalborg (DK) 2nd day

It was great to have a sleep in again. Lisbet woke me around 11 am this morning, as she had prepared breakfast with me. Today would be a relaxing day.

The next thing we did was to buy Extra Bladet, the Danish newspaper where journalist Lars Fogt wrote an article about my project in the internet section.

This time it was a funny thing, to be on the same pages as Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez and Lara Croft (see photograph of newspaper).

Later the afternoon Lisbet took me to the public library in Aalborg, so I could spent some time on the internet to check the most interesting emails.

During that time, Lisbet made some phone calls with the local media and a reporter of the local TV2 station was eager to report about my project.

The reporter would be at Lisbets home in twenty minutes and they would have to hurry to get it on time on television tonight.

A newspaper that Lisbet called said they didn’t have a reporter this week, so there won’t be a report possible.

What would happen if a bomb would explode in Aalborg? Nobody would know, because “our journalist is on vacation right now”?

We hurried back to the apartment and awaited the reporter and her camera man. They settled inside the apartment and took some shots of me typing on Lisbets computer and interviewed us both.

I mentioned the amount of invitations I have on this moment and that I can do a nice tour through Denmark.

Lisbet said about how we met at this party, but she didn’t know if she would invite me over as a complete stranger.

Within ten minutes the team had departed yet and it would be broadcast on the local news network at 5.30 pm.

Together with a friend of Lisbet we walked through the city centre again, where they showed me the Jomfru Ane Gade the local party street. At the moment a lot of people were enjoying the sun and the beers on all the terraces, but at night there would be music blasting out of a dozen of pubs.

We had a drink at Lisbets favourite pub and she missed to be around here the last six weeks. Just the weeks before she went to Copenhagen, she had to save some money and couldn’t afford to go out a lot.

The sun was burning on my face and I enjoyed it. I must have a rare body color right now, because only my face, my arms and my legs get a sun tan… In Holland that is called a carpenter’s skin.

At 5.15 Lisbet and I left to watch TV2 at home. However it was all in Danish it was for me quite an achievement to have reached Danish television. Just for the fun of it. And it was also nice to see how fast they made it an item on the show; it was only 90 minutes ago when they filmed us.

While I used her computer to write yesterdays report, Lisbet started to make the promised Dutch pan cakes.

Lisbet was in The Netherlands last year, as she and a friend wanted to see the famous car races in Zandvoort. In the city of flowers in Holland, Aalsmeer, she had her first taste of Dutch pan cakes and learned to make them herself.

And it was fun to play around with the syrup, jam and sugar on it and delicious to eat them. The last time I ate them was with a Dutch family in Forbes by Alford in Scotland (UK), so I am quite on a diet, haha.

After dinner we prepared to go out and hit the town, this time serious.

First Lisbett took me to an internet cafe so I can publish my latest pictures and reports and then we visited Fast Eddies Pool Hall, a funky pub in the centre of Aalborg, where Lisbet had won a bottle of Bacardi in a competition a long time ago.

Together with two friends of her, Mette and Thomas, we spent the night pooling around until the bottle was empty. Oh boy, did I sleep well!

Good night Aalborg again!

Ramon.


Watch the recordings of "Jorden rundt uden en krone" (Guy travels around without any money) on the website of TV2 Aalborg!
Click here for the video! (yes, I know, I look tired...)


Where am I at this moment?
Click here to see the map.

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