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HEROES ON SWALKS | A travel (film) adventure across Europe

Two self-proclaimed superheroes, two GDR swallows and 3,500 km of travel across Europe. These are the ingredients for a travel spectacle of two adventurers in search of freedom, inspiration and extraordinary encounters.

The heroes:
Mathias Spaan & Quintus Hummel
Place of residence:
Hamburg
Occupation:
Actor
Vehicles:
DDR mopeds, type Simson Schwalbe
Equipment:
Superhero capes
Period:
01.08.18 to 30.09.18

Helden auf Schwalben


The project HEROES ON SWALKS

Out of a beer mood, many a partly bizarre idea was born. As crazy as it may seem at first, it is not uncommon for this "crazy idea" to be put into practice with a great deal of commitment, fun and success. So there are always exciting reports of Simson fans to read, who go on a great journey around the world.

Exactly this adventure has now also two Hamburg on the flags - or better their flutter capes - written. Driven by the vision to bring romantic insanity and positive energy into the world and to make the sometimes quite gray everyday life a little more colorful, Mathias & Quintus start their 3,500km long journey in August 2018. Starting in Hamburg, they will travel through Holland, Belgium, France and Portugal to Gibraltar on the south coast of Spain. They will complete the journey on their much-loved GDR Swallows, sleeping in tents or setting up their nightly quarters on foreign sofas - the perfect way to get to know the country and its people better.
But how does their venture differ from others? Well, the first thing that certainly jumps out at the viewer is the superhero costumes and flapper capes. Color-coordinated to 100% to their mopeds, these alone already provide for mighty good mood and certainly also each quantity sensation. For this reason, the "robes" are also only taken off for showering or sleeping. In addition to the costumes, the slaggy boys will capture their joint adventures on film with professional camera equipment, in order to subsequently create a documentary film of a special kind from the material. The film about freedom, adventure and superheroes will be shown in selected cinemas in 2019.

We think Mathias and Quintus' HEROES ON SWALVES project is not only great, but also worth supporting. Since their mopeds are no longer the youngest and the breakdown service will probably be a bit overwhelmed with the aged ladies ;-), we have provided a few spare parts.

By the way, this trip is not the first one of the two studied actors. Already last year Mathias went with his Swallow to Helsinki and Quintus drove together with his brother and the quite battered duck across Europe. So they seem to be adventure-tested.

So guys, we wish you a great start and lots of success. May the superhero power always be with you!







HEROES ON SWALKS | Unboxing Video

1. Stage - Germany

Route: Hamburg - Bremen (camping site Wüllenheide) - Oldenburger Münsterland (camping site Thülsfelder Stausee) - Ülsen

It is the beginning of August ... finally the journey starts! Freshly slipped into their superhero costumes, Quintus and Mathias throw themselves on their swallows. On the first 100km to Bremen they are accompanied by astonished looks (quote "like monkeys in the zoo") or sometimes called insane. Also always with them: the merciless summer heat. Instead of fluttering capes, there are damp costumes that cling "beautifully" like a second skin. The first breakdown is not long in coming - Quintus Schwalbe has a flat tire...


2. Stage - Holland

Route: Kampen - Hoorn - Amsterdam - Gouda - The Hague - Rotterdam

Quintus and Mathias are pursued over several kilometers. What sounds eerie at first turns out to be an extraordinary encounter. Antonie - so the name of the "pursuer" - is an older gentleman, who announces full of enthusiasm half in German half in Dutch his weakness for mopeds - accompanied by a photo album full of moped snapshots. Also there, a photo of a squeaky-yellow Schwalbe. And there is another photo: the heroes with their swallows

As is so often the case, the night is spent in a tent. This time on a farm near Amsterdam. The peculiar camper romanticism is not long in coming, even in Holland. From lousy DJs playing music god late into the night, to e-cigarette steaming old men in fine-rib undershirts and mooing coolness as a good-morning greeting. In den Haag, the two then meet Wolf. No, not the bad wolf, but Wolf the artist & Couchsurfing host. He is the pure embodiment of fantasy and immediately holds a speech on the same. Quintus & Mathias are fascinated...

The long journey and the high temperatures meanwhile claim first victims. The heroes are no longer heroic to the noses of their fellow men. On the contrary: they stink like hoopoes, so that standing still is really no longer an option. Time for a deep cleaning of the heroes & especially their costumes and some soothing rest & recovery. The opportunity is offered by Couchsurfing in Rotterdam.


3. Stage - Belgium

Route: Antwerp - Mechelen - Brussels

Once again, it's a truly humid affair. This time, however, not because of heat and resulting sticky superhero capes, but because of rain. What a welcome in Belgium! The heroes use the time wisely: the previous footage is viewed and thoughts are made about the further course of events. To complete such a journey with a film camera is quite a different matter. Capturing extraordinary encounters & moments with the camera and not losing sight of the route and the schedule is not that easy. Apart from a few minor mishaps - such as lost cameras or "moped flying screws" it means: scene in the can and on we go. Quintus & Mathias have become such a well-rehearsed team that it usually doesn't need many words anyway.


4. Stage - France

Route: Guise - Saint Quentin - Paris - Chartres - Tours - Poitiers - La Rochelle - Carcans -- Le Pond - Seignosse

Vive la france! France meets the heroes most openly. At every stop, Quintus and Mathias pose for photos with their swallows and explain with hands & feet where they and their swallows come from. The interest is huge! Probably because of this, the two get the impression that a swallow store in France would be a hit. In Paris they get to know the artist Claude, among others, with whom they also spend the night. He tells them his life story - of an apartment given to him as a gift, a house in Italy and naked ladies, as well as of conscientious objection with jail time. The heroes can't get out of their amazement. The heroes also don't miss the Big 5 of Paris - sightseeing is a must

On it goes. They spend the night again on one of the many campsites - this time including Alcatraz feeling. But not only there the two feel like prisoners or "criminals". Because of their robes they are a bit suspicious to some French people. Not least because of this, they are frisked several times in the supermarket by the checkout staff. Fortunately, in contrast, the Couchsurfing hosts are very open, but also very different. Every encounter is like a little surprise bag. You never know beforehand what exactly awaits you and most of the time it is a super experience. So it's not surprising that the place to sleep is sometimes an old garage - provided by a death metal band. With liters of Jägermeister, they work together on a "song", including swallows honking interludes. The "lasting impression" is guaranteed

No trip without incidents. After the flat tire of Quintus Schwalbe, this time Mathias gets it. With 40 km/h he was knocked out of the curve - shoulder damaged, mirror off. But what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger. Reward for the gate tours - after 2,000km the heroes have finally arrived at the sea and enjoy the sun, the beach and the water! "We take a 100m run-up and then we flutter into the sea, complete with cape and costume. Wet and happy, I watch the sun set on Quintus' shoulders." What more could you want...? It's HALF TIME!


5. Stage - Spain

Route: Zarautz - Vitoria - Pancorbo - Burgos - Tortoles de Esgueva - Cantalejo - Segovia - Madrid - Aranjuez - Fernan Cavallero - Fuencalient - Cordoba - Fuente de Piedra - Estepona - Gibraltar

Heroes on swallows" becomes "Heroes on swallow". Only Quintus crosses the border to Spain with his swallow Penelope in proper style. Mathias has to make do with a place in the ADAC Mobil - Schwalbe Charlotte in tow. The reason is a piston seizure. Both the yellow angel and the local workshop are not up to the challenge. The two make a decision: "From today, the journey continues on a Schwalbe. We'll part with half the luggage and distribute the rest among our backpacks." Penelope & Charlotte merge into the blue and yellow Penelotte. But it's not just the swallows that have to shed feathers - the hero capes are also rearranged in a "chivalrous ceremony."

1.000km before Gibraltar, the heroes become sentimental once again and review what they have experienced. Was the journey as the two had imagined it? Did the experience and the encounters change them permanently? What will happen after their return? They let their thoughts wander over cheap Spanish beer...

In Madrid it becomes spiritual. The aunt of the 20-year-old Couchsurfing host Jolios lays the tarot cards for the heroes. The experiences are also quite "lasting" in other ways, especially in the subway. The heroes and their capes, by now clearly marked by the long journey, reap pejorative looks in droves. "Being looked down on from above is a feeling we will never forget. All the more impressive the people who have an open door for us despite dirt, sweat and punctured pants. Hopefully we've learned something from this."

The last kilometers to the finish are a real ordeal. If you squat on each other for 24 hours, it can be exhausting. A misplaced toothbrush or a half-charged camera battery can tip the scales. If Penelotte then breaks down because there's not enough fuel, caution is called for. "We take turns pushing Penelotte through the prairie at 30°. 4 hours later, sweating wet, we reach the longed-for destination: gasoline!" Recovery & distraction from the exertions promises the last time Couchsurfing with Antonio - a bon vivant, as he stands in the book. In addition to a place to sleep and the much-needed laundry for body and clothes, Quintus & Mathias enjoy the often experienced hospitality one last time. Together with Antonio they go to the theater and to dinner including a few beers. The end of the journey is within reach

Suddenly the time has come: 2.000m above sea level - they have reached their destination. "At the highest point of Gibraltar, in the middle of our last shot, a monkey comes and knocks over the camera. With bright red heads, we can only laugh tiredly about a broken lens after 49 days that feel like a year." ...


HEROIC CONCLUSION

Nothing went as planned and yet the trip was a truly wonderful adventure. From the outside, you could say that pretty much everything went wrong. True, too! Nevertheless, we think that it was the unplanned circumstances of our tour that made this hero's journey so special. Whether it was an accident or a piston seizure, every detour, every obstacle put us in touch with great and interesting people.
The encounters on the trip were simply awesome and surreal. We met a clown, a witch, great musicians with wry trumpet notes or subtle guitar sounds. With our horns, we and a death metal band recorded our own song. To name a highlight is actually impossible. The whole trip was an absolute hit. Perhaps the best moment was the first day: when we stood completely naive on the side of the road, not knowing that the next 50 days would change us. How? Wait and see! But that we learned something from it is absolutely certain. We have bags full of experience that still need to be digested. So many impressions: About people, hospitality, imagination, heroes of everyday life and about us and our pain limits. We also wrote down a few recipes now and then :).
Our friendship was put to a hard test, we discussed and argued, but always made up again. At the end we had our completely torn superhero costumes by the way only cordially little of the former superhero shine over. Many looks came from above, according to the motto "Who are these unkempt, crazy guys". All the more we tried to carry and transport our fantastic message to the outside world. We really hope that we were able to capture our ups and downs with the camera. Even that didn't always work out, but as well as it could. The best moments are shy deer and hate to be caught! For both of us it was a trip we will never, ever forget. And it was worth every meter. Thank you for accompanying us!

As soon as there's any news about the film, we'll be in touch!

Mathias & Quintus.





HEROES ON SWALK | Conclusion
Comments
  • Das Ganze hört sich spannend, anstrengend und für immer bleibend an.

    Als Essigp.- Besitzer und Fahrer träumt man auch von einer längeren Abenteuertour. Da ich bisher das komplett überholte Stück (SR2 mit Unterbrecherzündung) die letzten Jahre nur zum Herrentag genutzt habe und immer wieder von Fehlzündungen und ausgehendem Motor, trotz großer Anstrengungen während des Jahres, geplagt wurde, bekommt das Vorhaben gut 3000km zu fahren noch mehr Hochachtung. Natürlich ist die Schwalbe etwas "neuer", doch der Motor ist im Kern ähnlich. Kolbenfresser bei hohen Temperaturen gab es früher häufig, wobei ich mich auch auf den ACE oder ein kleines Ersatzteilpaket mit Kolben/Zylinder, Flickzeug, Bowdenzug u.ä. eingelassen hätte. Bei den Übernachtungen hätte ich mich auf Camping nur im Notfall eingelassen und eine Übernachtung mit Dusche und Frühstück als Standard eingeplant. Das liegt aber daran, dass ich das Campingalter schon überschritten habe.
    Deshalb bleibt als Ziel einmal an dem Simson-Treffen teilzunehmen und das Feeling dort mit den technisch Gleichgesinnten zu genießen.
    Schöner Beitrag nicht nur für Simson-Fans.
    Gruß Klingel aus Schwerin

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