The voyage
How does one get the idea to travel through Europe for a year and a half with a horse carriage? And how to prepare for such a voyage?
During our three year sailing voyage along the coasts of Europe and the Caribbean, we experienced many things which raised even more questions in us. Refugee boats in the Straits of Gibraltar, fruit rotting unharvested in Greece, monocultures in the South of Spain requiring huge amounts of pesticides. We decided to do something positive and constructive to counteract the current developments. This gave us the idea to raise public awareness and interest to the issues of agriculture and genetic engineering. And how better to get people’s attention than through a carriage travelling through Europe, visiting schools, universities, markets and public events?
From our sailing voyages we knew that we could get by with very, very little. So we decided not to use a caravan, but instead build a carriage in the classic Vis-à-vis style, with a full canvas enclosure. In this way we can travel –and sleep- reasonably well protected from the elements. We can rearrange the backrests to form a full-sized bed, an awning on the side protects the horses from rain or excessive sun, disc brakes and a solar panel for the running lights provide safety on the roads. An electric fence keeps the horses at bay during the night, while allowing them to freely move about. It also allows us to stay pretty much anywhere, without needing stables or fenced in meadows for the night. We cook on a camping stove, keep warm with hot water bottles, and carry enough water buckets for outdoor showers.
Temperatures, topography, and relevant projects dictate our travel route. A clockwise course through western Europe was the logical choice, allowing us to spend the winter in the – relative- warmth of southern Spain. From the lake of Constance, to Basel, along the Rhone to Avignon, and along the coast of Spain to Malaga. In the spring we can return via France, Belgium, Holland and Berlin to the south of Germany. We quickly realized that it is not sensible to plan every stop in advance, but instead travel only as far as the horses can comfortably manage.
With the preparations for the voyage in full swing, we took our course in carriage-driving, and went to safety seminars. At conferences and conventions we learned much more about GMOs and their application throughout the world, discussing the subject with scientists, researchers and farmers.
We did not have the means to start this project on our own. We are therefore extremely grateful for the trust our sponsors showed in us. Because the carriage, harnesses and other equipment had to be ordered long before our departure, when we had nothing to show but our ideas and the will to realize them. But everything worked out just in time.
In June 2008 we travelled around the lake of Constance for three and a half weeks, covering 350 km. We presented our project to many schools in Germany, Austria and Liechtenstein, and were happy to see how well the horses worked.