Gabin Forcier: meeting young Esperantists, episode 3.

It has now been 2 months since my adventure began, and, after hitchhiking for 6,000 kilometres, I am beginning to get closer to what I came in search of: living with Esperantists. 

After meeting Jordi in Almeria, I headed for Granada, where I met Antonio, who lives surrounded by some breathtaking scenery. His house is in the middle of the olive groves and his nearest neighbour is over 5 kilometres away! I stayed for a week in house, which he built virtually by himself and which is 100% self-sufficient (it has solar panels and a 150 m well for water). For the first time, I found myself in the company of someone where our only common language was Esperanto! It led to a couple of amusing scenes, but we got on well. The language that was created to allow people of different cultures to communicate was keeping its promises! This encounter confirmed my desire to continue learning this language and meeting its speakers. 

Following a short visit to Seville, I began to travel back to the north of Spain, then to France and finally to Italy. The change in temperature and climate was really noticeable when I spent a night camping in the snow on the French-Italian border! 

In Italy, I met Selena and Enrico in Padua. They learned Esperanto in 2001 and 2006, but do not use the language as much as they did a few years ago. Moreover, they still enjoy meeting people from all around the world, when they themselves are travelling or as guests in their home.