The first kilometers are over for Monique de Haas and Barry Gepken from Erica. Together with their dog Maurice they will walk to Jerusalem for the next six months. A journey of 5,000 kilometers.
It is a long cherished wish of Barry Gepken. “I’ve made fun of saying, ‘If you’re a real guy, you walk to Jerusalem’. That’s what we’re trying to do now.” Four years ago Monique, Barry and dog Maurice already walked to Rome. They experienced that journey as very intense. “It really is a reflection,” says Gepken. “You empty your head, you think about things you wouldn’t get to otherwise. You walk through nature and notice things that otherwise wouldn’t come in.”
Before their journey the three were blessed by pastor Stiekema in Emmen. That was an important moment for Barry and Monique. “We are religious and a pilgrimage has arisen from the church,” says Gepken. “It is nice that the pastor has blessed us and all the people then wished you all the best on your journey. Now we can go on our way.”