Apr 2, 2009

Journeyman

Photo: Wikipedia
While taking with us the unusually (but pretty neatly) dressed hitch-hiker from Belgium to Luxembourg, I was not aware that he is one of the not so many travellers called wandergesellen. There were times that they were just an usual part of everyday life in large parts of Europe (at least in Germany, France, UK, Austria and Switzerland). In English there is an appropriate word 'journeyman', used for a specialist craftsman after completing of his apprenticeship, before reaching the status of a master. But it is not really remembered that such 'journeyman' was really travelling in the past.

The one which was with us, for a short distance from around Arlon to Mamer, came originally from Zurich, Switzerland. He explained a bit, that according to tradition, after his apprenticeship was completed he went for a three year trip around the world, working and changing the place of stay at least once every three months. In his travels he reached even Mexico and now he was headed for France and maybe still further to reach Zurich in a year while maintaining at least 50km distance from it during his travels.

Photo: Wikipedia

Borderland

Landscape shots from the border of Luxembourg and Luxembourg (the country and the Belgian province)



No traffic sign means only that if you do not have a reason (to access your house for example) then do not enter. Five years ago the country sign was still blue and the other sign was only a speed limit of 40 kph.