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Their last journey together

A few weeks before Fleur’s death, Heslenfeld drove him to England in the Volvo to visit Ross Revenge, the ship associated with Radio Caroline.

The offshore station had been part of Fleur’s life since he began listening to it as a pirate radio broadcaster operating from a ship in the North Sea. He later supported the station financially and helped restore Ross Revenge.

“The independent, rebellious spirit of Radio Caroline appealed enormously to him,” Heslenfeld said.

The car still carries Radio Caroline stickers, while its radio remained tuned to the station’s 648 AM frequency when the Dutch adventurer began the current trip.

Possible donation to Romanian medical organization

Thijs Heslenfeld said it is now in contact with Asociația Caravana cu Medici, a Romanian nonprofit whose volunteer doctors provide medical services to communities with limited access to healthcare, including in rural areas. He discovered the organization after asking his social media followers to suggest a useful new home for the vehicle in Romania.

“I’ve since spoken with one of the organisation’s founders. They bring volunteer doctors and medical services to communities with limited access to healthcare,” he told Romania-insider.com.

The two sides are now discussing a possible handover in Bucharest next week, but Heslenfeld stressed that the donation has not yet been finalized.

“The connection is particularly meaningful because Fleur was a doctor himself,” he said. “I think he would have loved the idea of his car continuing its life helping doctors reach people who need medical care.”

A longstanding connection with Romania

Thijs Heslenfeld first visited Romania around 20 years ago during the winter, traveling through Bucharest and Brașov and going skiing.

“One memory has stayed with me particularly vividly: the Aro Palace Hotel in Brașov. At the time, it was a magnificent Art Deco hotel that had barely been renovated. Everything seemed to be in its original state, with all the character and imperfections that come with it. With snow covering the streets outside, it was one of the most memorable hotels I’ve ever visited,” he recalled.

His interest in Romania began even earlier, while watching the fall of former communist dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu’s regime in 1989.

“I was 24 when I watched Nicolae Ceaușescu’s final speech on television and saw the crowd begin to turn against him. Those images made an enormous impression on me.”

Fast forward to present day, during his current journey, Thijs Heslenfeld said he particularly enjoyed Satu Mare, Maramureș, and the Romanian countryside.

“I find something in Romania that I increasingly miss in Western Europe: a combination of toughness and gentleness, spontaneity, and genuine human connection,” he stated.

Adventure beyond spectacular destinations

The Dutch adventurer’s career has included work as a laundry driver, newspaper reporter, lawyer, and copywriter before photography, writing, travel, and wilderness guiding gradually became his profession.

“I’ve always needed variety, independence and new challenges,” he said. “Spending my life behind a desk or working for someone else was never going to suit me.”

His travels have taken him to Antarctica three times, aboard traditional sailing vessels for weeks or months and into remote wilderness areas. He has also worked with Indigenous communities and photographed refugees in Lebanon and Jordan during the Syrian war.

“Antarctica is unlike anywhere else on Earth. The silence, the scale, the complete absence of human civilisation in so many places - it’s difficult to describe. But I wouldn’t say those experiences are necessarily more meaningful than photographing refugees in Lebanon and Jordan during the Syrian war, spending time with communities in Africa, or even this relatively simple journey across Europe,” he said.

“Every place has its own story. Sometimes a conversation with a stranger leaves a deeper impression than the most spectacular landscape.”

Now, he says, the trip to Romania inspired him to consider organizing similar journeys once or twice a year.

“What this Volvo journey has reminded me is that adventure doesn’t necessarily require crossing the Sahara, sailing to Antarctica or spending weeks in the African bush. Sometimes all you need is an old car, a passport, and the willingness to set off without knowing exactly what will happen.”

Thijs Heslenfeld shares his work and expeditions on his official website.