Hitchhiking to Pamplona with Comedian Andy Smart

Between 1977 and 1982 comedian Andy Smart hitchhiked 72,000 miles across Europe – the equivalent of crossing America coast-to-coast 24 times. This is the story of his greatest ride ever.At 20-years of age Andy sold everything he owned and left his home in Liverpool to move to London and pursue his dream of becoming a comedian. But before he did, he had one hitch, one last great adventure, left. It was the World Cup and England were playing France in Bilbao, Spain on his birthday. He planned to hitchhike through UK, down the length of France and into Spain to watch the game. It wouldn’t be easy. He carried a hammock, a piece of tarpaulin and some string to sleep by the side of the road. He had a small backpack, hardly any money and barely more than a change of clothes. But as he stood on the East Lancs Road on the edge of Liverpool, thumb out waiting for his first lift he knew, somehow, that this was a pivotal moment, that his life would never be the same again. He was right, but he never could have anticipated what a wild ride it would be. Highlights include:·    Hear about one of the greatest hitchhiking adventures of all time·    Catch a ride to the Council of the Universe (well, sort of …)·    Take part in an insanely violent game of medieval soccer ·    Run for your life in the festival of San FerminoJoin the CommunityIf you're enjoying the show please consider showing your support by buying me a pint! The show is free but each episode takes about 40hrs to produce. The sponsors cover my costs, but not my time. If you like what you hear and think that two episodes a month is worth the price of a frosty beverage then please go to www.patreon.com/armchairexplorerpodcast. From just $5 per month you will get you ad free episodes and access to our explorers community with exclusive travel discount vouchers delivered right to your inbox each month. Buy me a pint! ... the next round will be on me.Thank you Sponsors!Today’s episode is sponsored by Wondrium. Wondrium is like Netflix for your brain, an enormous encyclopedia of mind-blowing audio and video content designed for curious people just like us. I love it and i think you will too. Go to www.wondrium.com/armchair to get a 22-day free trail with access to thousands of hours of audio and video content, from travel guides and documentaries to courses taught by the world’s greatest professors. All for free, no strings attached. Check it out!Let's Hang outFollow @armchairexplorerpodcast on Instagram and Facebook or head over to www.armchair-explorer.com to find more background information on this episode   Mentioned in this episode:Check out all of our other travel podcasts from around the worldThis podcast is part of the Voyascape Network, a collection of some of the world’s best travel podcasts. Explore more at Voyascape.com. For advertising or sponsorship opportunities across the network, see the link below.Voyascape Podcast NetworkCheck out the Smart Travel PodcastThis week's show is supported by the new Smart Travel Podcast. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Check out Smart Travel at the Link below:Smart Travel Podcast