CURRENT MISSION

Find out what's around the corner

ABOUT ME

Being a historian of the Middle Ages at Utrecht University (and parttime visual artist and gardener), I have specialized in medieval travels, particularly in pilgrimages to Jerusalem. Next to studying past travelers, I like to do a bit of travelling myself as well from time to time, and meeting locals and new people along the way.
I am calm and contemplative, but also very curious and sociable. I am easy with doing things alone, so I don't have to be entertained all the time, though I do like to hang around with people.

Interests

History, Visual arts (both making and looking at), natural curiosities, Learning new languages, reading, playing music, going to concerts, drinking coffee, good food, playing backgammon and other board games, being outside, finding things on the side of the road, being surprised by the unexpected.

Music, Movies, and Books

Music: Garage punk, Tom Waits, De Kift, Kaizers Orchestra, pots and pans music, or anything that clatters and rustles, raw and primitive music that shimmers under thick layers of dirt.
Movies: Magnolia, Coffee and cigarettes, anything by Wes Anderson, spaghetti westerns, independent animation.
Books: among my favourite authors are F. Bordewijk (really, if there is one last thing you should do in this life: learn Dutch just to read his works), Wolfgang Borchert (same for German), John Steinbeck, Albert Camus. I prefer to read literature written in / about the places I visit while on the road (which is a great book too, by the way).

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach you some basic Dutch, random useless but interesting historical facts, gardening tips, how to play guitar, the meaning of life, etc.

Countries I’ve Visited

Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ethiopia, France, Georgia, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Latvia, Norway, Palestine, Romania, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Germany, Netherlands