Then onto Italy, where I met Sebastiano in the Veneto, and followed him all the way to Slovenia. Then on through the Balkans to Greece and Turkey. Along the way I would meet other travellers, following and sharing stretches of road, meals together on stoves, improvised cooking over gas bottles, always with the stars on the ceiling for entertainment.

In Turkey, I took a break, drawing and trying to perfect my skills. A visit from my parents and a small parcel from Café du Cycliste warmed my heart. By the time I left Istanbul, I knew a few words to talk to people. I took the ferry across the Bosphorus. I crossed desert landscapes, sometimes alone but often with travelling companions. Then the along the Black Sea, with lush vegetation and humidity.

The Graphic Novel

Thanks to this trip, I've found something else; drawing and writing stories, telling what I see through smoke bubbles... There were no plans to draw at the beginning, it was just a matter of finding the right medium. For me this this has become just as important as the journey, if not more so.

I read and listened to everything, and I took notes to practise telling a story, creating a narrative, chapters, characters... I listened to Riad Sattouf podcasts and read Marjane Satrapi, taking notes and sketching in my black Moleskine book. From there it grew to a larger sketchbook and a watercolour kit.

I take inspiration from a lot of American graphic novels. But I don’t follow any particular codes or standards. It’s an autobiographical story but punctuated with free-form parts that are sometimes more contemplative.

A year of drawing, reworking illustrations and dialogue let my style mature and confidence in my work grow. It was with my mind hooked on the pedals that I envisaged drawing comics.

I didn't force myself, I just enjoyed the ride. I was happy.