「１度の旅行で世界中の国訪問」　デンマーク人男性、１０年ぶり帰国

【オーフス（デンマーク）ＡＦＰ＝時事】世界で初めて、１度の旅行で飛行機を使わずにすべての国を訪れたとするデンマーク人男性、トルビョン・ピーダスンさん（４４）が先週、１０年ぶりに帰国した。２０３か国目となった最後の訪問国は、５月下旬に訪れたモルディブだった。（写真はデンマークのオーフス港でコンテナ船から下船したトルビョン・ピーダスンさん）
　デンマークの港湾都市オーフスで２６日、コンテナ船から降り立ったピーダスンさんは「これをやり遂げて帰って来るのが夢だった。きょうその日が来た」とＡＦＰに語った。
　その一方で、「これからどうするか分からないことだらけで、複雑な気持ち」だとし、仕事の再開や日常生活への適応が不安だと述べ、ほろ苦い心境を吐露した。
　「トール」の愛称で知られるピーダスンさんは、国連平和維持活動や海運業界でのキャリアを経て、２０１３年１０月１０日、今回の世界旅行に出発。飛行機は一切使わず、列車、バス、船、あるいは徒歩で移動した。
　２０年１月にミクロネシアを出発後、次に向かった香港では新型コロナウイルスの流行で２年間足止めされた。国境再開後は、パラオを足掛かりにオセアニアから太平洋の国々を巡った。
　ブログには「すべての国に２回行った人物が３人。１度の旅行ですべての国に行った人物が２人。さらに今、それを飛行機なしで１人が成し遂げた。感無量だ。２人目の幸運を祈る」と記している。
　ギネス世界記録によると、飛行機を使わずに地球一周した最初の人物は英国のグラハム・ヒューズさんだが、１度の旅行ではなく２回の帰国を挟んでいる。
　ピーダスンさんはパートナーの女性と、移動しながらの遠距離を乗り越えて交際を続けてきた。この１０年間、女性はピーダスンさんの旅先を２７回訪れた。１０回目の時にピーダスンさんからプロポーズしたが、コロナ下でオンライン結婚を余儀なくされた。
　旅のきっかけは、父親がメールで送ってきた１本の記事だった。「最長でも４年、早ければ３年半で完了できると思っていた」という。ピーダスンさんの世界旅行の様子は、ソーシャルメディアとブログに記録されている。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2023/08/01-17:06）

A Danish man who claimed to be the first to visit every country in the world in a single trip without flying landed home Wednesday after 10 years away.
Torbjorn Pedersen stepped off a Maersk container ship in the Danish port city of Aarhus, after visiting his 203rd country and final country -- the Maldives -- in late May.
I've been dreaming about coming back home and having it over with and done. So that's today. At the same time, I'm anxious about the future, Pedersen told AFP, describing the return as bittersweet.
A lot of things are up in the air and in the unknown, mixed emotions, he said while listing concerns about restarting his career and trying to adjust to everyday life.
Known as Thor, he has travelled by train, bus, boat or even on foot on the voyage he set off on October 10, 2013.
The 44-year-old -- who previously had a career within the shipping sector -- is the first to make the feat.
Leaving Micronesia in January 2020, he continued to Hong Kong, where he found himself stuck for two years because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Once the borders were open again, he set off for the island country of Palau, then continuing the countries of Oceania and the Pacific islands.
- Took longer than expected -
Three have been to every country twice. Two have been to every country without returning home in between. And now, one has done it completely without flying. What can I say? Good luck to the second, he wrote on his blog.
Keen to meet new people, the former UN peacekeeper never hired a car, preferring to instead to travel on public transport.
Despite the geographical distance, Thor and his partner have managed to keep their relationship alive.
During the decade of travel, she travelled to visit him 27 times. On the 10th occasion, he got down on one knee and asked for her hand in marriage -- but unfortunately the pandemic forced them to get married online.
His wife Le Gjerum said she found his stubbornness in completing the task admirable but added she was looking forward to having a daily life together.
The inspiration for the trip came from an article his father emailed him.
He was first apprehensive but didn't want the regret of not doing it, he however conceded that he originally thought the trip would be completed in less than half the time.
I thought it would take a maximum of four years in total, maybe three and a half if I went a little fast.
Thor, who documented his journey on social media and in a blog, was also an ambassador for the Red Cross.
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Britain's Graham Hughes was the first person to circumnavigate the globe without a plane, but his journey was interspersed with two returns home, which Thor did not do.