Record hitchhiker Stephan on Welsh tour
Monday 30 August 2010
Stephan SchleiSTEPHAN Schlei, who is claimed to be the world's most travelled hitchhiker, was among the spectators at The Airfield and Park Hall this weekend.
According to Wikipedia, Schlei - who hails from Ratingen in Germany - had thumbed lifts totalling more than 621,371 miles before the Guinness Book of Records removed all hitchhiking records.
He is on his second visit to Wales, having been here previously in the 90s, and his mission is to complete visits to all the Welsh Premier clubs during his stay, having recently achieved the same feat in both Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic.
After watching The New Saints play Bala on Sunday, Stephan is currently heading to Haverfordwest for Tuesday night's Loosemores League Cup tie at the New Bridge Meadow.
He then plans to watch Llanelli play TNS at Stebonheath Park on Saturday and to be back in north Wales the following day to take in Bala's Maes Tegid.
Then it's back to south Wales for Neath in the League Cup, returning north to visit Farrar Road and Bastion Road.
And, as if that isn't enough football, he also plans to take in a game at Hull City's KC Stadium on his way back home to Germany.
Schlei is unfussy about where he sleeps on his travels - he carries no tent, patronises no hotels or hostels, relies on very few friends and usually just dosses out in the open or in abandoned buildings, on a ground sheet in a sleeping bag.
He spends only the winters at home in Germany between tours, which are mostly to football matches.