1st.Major Project "Balkan Flexipass ticket"

Balkan_20080830_0294.jpg .The train is fumigating when passes the Romania’s borders, Giurgiu Nord

Balkan_20080830_0295.JPG. Gas Pipeline , Romania

Balkan_20080830_0297.JPG.Victor and marios, Thessaloniki Bucharest

Balkan_20080830_0299.JPG. Alexandru, Bachelor in Management. University of Sheffield in Thessaloniki

Balkan_20080830_0300.JPG. Ruse, is the last stop in Bulgaria’s border. Is a big city with interesing history.

Balkan_20080831_0302.JPG. Sorella Romanian travesty, From Bucharest to Giurgiu Nord Without ticket and passport. At the Romania’s border she had been forced to get off the train

For someone that doesn’t know or remember my idea for the major project is to travel by train across The Balkan countries. I decided to do that because I live in one of these countries and I wanted to find out similarities, firstly between people, secondly between landscapes and finally between cities. From my first research I found out that there is a train ticket that called «Balkan Flexipass train ticket and you can use it to the following countries: Serbia, FYROM, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey and Greece. Since there is this ticket I felt that might be a good link about the Balkan project. I wondered that some people might use this ticket to travel around Balkan for financial reasons or for travelling or for other purposes and I wanted to look for that.

But how can I avoid making a photo travelling project?

And is this really my major project?

In the beginning I sent a letter to the Hellenic railway company asking information about Balkan Flexipass train ticket but since now I haven’t any reply.Despite this negative fact, on 30th of August at 00:09 from Thessaloniki I took the train to Bucharest, the trip lasted 19 hours. I did the first trip as a test for having my own opinion about this situation and to find out ways to do this project. I spent my trip with three Romanian guys who they were going back to their homes. Alexandrou was student in Thessaloniki and the reason for his last visit in Thessaloniki was for the graduation ceremony.Victor is an Economical immigrant who works in Chalkidiki (close to Thessaloniki) in a resort hotel (Sani Resort Hotel). He works to Sani resort hotel six years now (from April to August). And finally the last one is Marios a peligram who spent two weeks in Holy Mount Athos .

During my first trip I realised that it’s not so difficult to take photos of the passengers since you spent a lot of time with them. In this carriage there are 7 or 8 cabins with 4 people in average. I am looking for a story but …..Where is the story? I know that Romanians, Bulgarians, Serbians are visiting often Thessaloniki for the reasons that I mentioned above but I don’t feel that I need to buy this train ticket for recording this situation.

I wonder if it’s better to stay next to the train cashier desk and looking for people who are buying this Balkan Flexipass ticket and asking them to make their portrait. This it might links to the big Balkan community which is located in Thessaloniki.

I want to combine these two ways, the portraits and the train’s photos. Because from the portraits I can have the anthropology issue and from the train’s photo the landscapes and the situation of the trip. I don’t know if this could work into so short period (One Month). I would be pleased if you could give me any comment.