The man's dream: With 44 PS through Europe - Part 2

Continued (click here for part one)

Peter Gebhard is living the ultimate man’s dream: in a Volkswagen T1, the Kiel native is travelling adventurous routes around the globe. In Mens World by Eric:Barbier, he offers a glimpse into a breathtaking journey from Istanbul to the North Cape.

Unexpected danger for the duo

The supposedly harmless stretch between Sweden and Norway turned out to be quite different. An evening with Norwegian alcohol smugglers almost ended in disaster. The ringleader of the smuggling duo, a man scarred by a five-year prison sentence, wanted to go for a joyride with Erwin in the middle of the night, completely drunk. Panic at the isolated campsite: no help in sight. Peter remains convinced to this day that he would have been easy prey. Especially as the camera equipment in the van would have represented an attractive source of extra income for the smugglers.

“We were like winning the lottery. You can sense the violence – but you never know if it will actually erupt.” So the German wakes his wife up on her mobile, gives her the smugglers’ names and registration number – which apparently puts the Norwegian off. Peter’s brow is furrowed as he recounts these stories. Time and again he touches his head, as if he can scarcely believe he was there; only to defuse the situation immediately afterwards by describing the borderline experience in a sonorous tone as a “cool story”.

Danger is a constant companion on his travels around the globe. During an earlier Pan-American project, a gang of youths in Panama tried to rob the passionate footballer in broad daylight and held a machete to his assistant’s throat. A scar on his right forearm still reminds Peter of the incident today. Seven days later and over 7,000 kilometres away at the Icelandic waterfall Gullfoss, he found himself in the next precarious situation. The photographer had just finished setting up his camp for the night in a deserted toilet block as darkness fell and locked the door behind him when the peace was shattered by aggressive US soldiers. As mental preparation for the impending Iraq War, the men were tasked with making their way alone through the hostile environment. Worn out by hunger and cold, their spirits were running high. Peter didn’t sleep a wink that night and avoided making a sound so as not to be discovered. It was only when the sun rose in the morning and the soldiers’ mood improved thanks to some chocolate given to them by tourists that he ventured out of his hiding place.

Back to basics

But none of this deters him from his passion. Because in most cases, everything turns out fine. And because the “modern storyteller” possesses the rare talent, in a society characterised by narcissism, of building bridges with strangers. He travels the world with his eyes wide open and wants to take a stand against growing intolerance. Peter gestures expressively, the cake fork clasped firmly in his right hand like a sceptre, and speaks of the dangers of insularity. Of a Europe that is ‘falling apart’. And he compares people to lemmings blindly following their smartphones. He rarely uses a sat-nav.

Each new project thus also becomes a return to the roots of his thirst for adventure. Even as a child, Peter was obsessed with the old Diercke atlas in his father’s cupboard; his father was a church musician. He meticulously drew in fictional new roads and kept the colour-coded size details of the cities up to date. He wrote his first adventure stories on the family typewriter before setting off for Iceland by train at the age of 16, without his parents. It was the start of many trips to the north, which served as a journey of self-discovery. And where he also discovered his love of photography.

20,000 kilometres in three hours

8 pm, showtime. Time to continue the story. Peter has swapped his VW camper van jumper for a checked shirt and greets his guests personally at the entrance to the cinema. Over the next three hours or so, he will challenge preconceptions, showcasing equally breathtaking landscapes and warm-hearted people in regions that most would give a wide berth. And he’ll report on just how difficult it actually is to travel nearly 20,000 kilometres across Europe in a vehicle over 40 years old, without power steering and with safety standards that are a bit of a joke. He’ll talk about the diverse encounters and a dozen friendships that developed during his Bulli adventure: For example, with Carla from Italy, who opened a jazz club in Trieste and, upon seeing Erwin, immediately invited the drivers in for a drink; Robert in Albania, who spontaneously offered him shelter; Walter Frankenstein, who survived as a Jew in the Nazi regime in Berlin’s underground; and T2 camper van drivers from Baden-Baden, whom he met by chance at the North Cape.

The hour hand on the clock has already passed 11.00 pm as the last audience members leave the hall, naturally bidden farewell by the host. Due to the limited space in the foyer and the stoic calm of the sole cashier serving drinks, the interval was extended, throwing the schedule into disarray.

Peter Gebhard doesn’t dwell on such trifles; for him, it’s the guests’ feedback that counts. And that’s positive. The following day, he’ll be heading back to Paderborn. To the place where he’s found his home port – unlike his many colleagues, who are at home everywhere and nowhere. Recently, the family swapped their city flat with a garden for the mountains of South Tyrol. Nothing extreme – Peter doesn’t need that on holiday. He’s no adrenaline junkie.

“I’m no masochist”

But the peace and quiet is deceptive once again. The next projects with Erwin are already in the planning stage. Even if the low engine power doesn’t allow for quick journeys from A to B. Peter, who likes to get about a bit more briskly in his T5 camper van in everyday life, has to get used to slowing down on every trip. “At first, you suffer. But if I were only suffering, I wouldn’t do it anymore – I’m not a masochist, after all.” The preparations for the trips alone are incredibly extensive; combined with live shows, the photographer often doesn’t finish work until after 4 pm. “If I had to do this work for someone else, I’d be dead and buried by now.” So what keeps driving him time and time again? “I get so much back from the people who open up to me. It’s all inside me; that’s what makes me rich.”

Experience Peter Gebhard live on his tour: you can find all the dates here.