Interesting stranger

We were having lunch in a cafe (cum shop cum community hall) in a small village on the coast of Skye last week when we and a holidaying Scottish couple got chatting to a young Swiss backpacker.

He is going overland through Europe to South America (via Japan/Russia) without using air transport. Apparently he runs a solor panel installation scheme in Switzerland so is very interested in being carbon neutral in life.  https://www.footprintless.org/


The Scots couple were trying to explain the idea of a Bothy (free basic shelter) and how he may find one by a lough somewhere nearby on a mountain trail.  My husband was trying to explain the weather forecast was for rain in the late evening and my (motherly) brain was trying to commute his route round the world if he was in Scotland having come from Ireland via France by hitchhiking. Was he sure he wanted to go via Korea?

We were talking about getting up to the Faroe Islands and going to Denmark by ship.  I was sure one of our neighbour's friends had contacts in Faroes so promised to get some information and introductions when we went home ourselves.

As a mother of similar aged young males - I am admiring and worrying in equal measures.