It was no small thing to receive an invitation to film a broadcast with the famous Ben Fogle! Of course, I said yes! I was not at all surprised when the filming was rushed due to special circumstances and shifted to February 2024. So I traveled to my second home in Spain to my soul-brother Johnny. I was sorry the filming didn’t take place in Slovenia, but on the other hand, Andalusia greeted me with a perfect backdrop.

Molino de Guadalmesi is a charming eco-community on the Strait of Gibraltar overlooking Morocco just ten kilometers east of Tarifa. There’s luxurious simplicity with small, off-grid huts, composting toilets, gardens, closeness to ocean, great wind for windsurfing – what else could I ask for?

Ben Fogle and I first met just a few days before my 50th birthday. I didn’t know what to expect. He proved to be a multifaceted empathetic person, who really loves the simplicity of the wilderness while embracing the burdens and comforts of fame as a world-renowned public figure. He has an unusual combination of approachability and unapproachability, which I can perfectly understand. He beautifully reflected my own character, actually. Ben is really friendly but I would never assume friendship.

My participation in Ben’s broadcast prompted the publishing house Primus to translate and publish his latest book into Slovenian, and it was only natural that they invited me to write the foreword. I wrote the following…

 

BE WHO THE WILDERNESS WANTS YOU TO BE

Watching Ben on screen is of course wonderful, but experiencing his peace – and restlessness – between the lines on paper is a priceless adventure. I am a traveler myself, and I know well the restlessness that rattles a ship when it is anchored in a harbor.

Like Ben, I have written a few books too. I know the natural instinct to express my experiences in shorter and longer texts. The motivation is simple: to humbly share my mystical encounters with the limits of myself and nature with those less daring – and mad – than myself.

Ben is undoubtedly one of the most daring and mad adventurers on the planet. He is also one of the tamest people I have ever met. Apparently, the wilderness not only beats up but also tames our spirit if we only allow it.

When the producers of this broadcast of the series New Lives in the Wild invited me to be part of it, my heart skipped a beat. The weeks of preparation flew by. The six days of filming on the Coast of Light (La Costa de la Luz) near Tarifa were unforgettable. Now I can boast that I had the honor of being Ben’s guest, even though in the broadcast it seems he was mine.

It was very instructive to watch Ben during filming, how he obediently followed the producer/director’s instructions and repeated the scenes without much grudge. Because it is authentic it can also be performative; it is performed so genuinely therefore it seems so authentic.

We chatted a lot in between scenes, of course. We exchanged real curiosity about each other. He made me laugh when he said that one of his favorite documentaries was Big River Man about a Slovenian, Martin Strel, swimming the Amazon. Ben told me that he brought driftwood home from many coasts of the world and hung it on his wall – so I cut a piece of cork for him and burned into it my name, date and location. He was visibly touched when I gave it to him.

Ben reminded me of my best moments in the wilderness. When I ventured into the real wilderness, it never hosted me; in that real wilderness I was and always will be either a complete savage or a complete stranger. And rightly so. That is why I always host within myself some fragments of the wilderness that have imprinted themselves on my spirit, while the immense vastness of it, thank God, remains forever hidden and foreign.

Ben reminded me that I don’t have to travel thousands of miles to find the wilderness. A mere hour’s walk from my doorstep there are valleys and ridges where nature’s fists can beat me up well if I only surrender to them. And only if I surrender, will they tame me.

I don’t have to compete with the world’s maddest adventurers to get something from the wilderness. I can go to a nearby forest and find my way home at night – without a light (and, to make it even harder, barefoot!) If you’re afraid of the forest, maybe Ben’s wisdom will inspire you to embrace both your fear and the forest.

Even if you head out into the wilderness for just one night, it will teach you something about authenticity. As Ben writes: it will show you how to be who you really are, not who your society wants you to be.

THE FILMING CREW’S EXPERTISE AND KINDNESS

Writing this foreword took me back to the days of filming…

On the second morning I saw that the crew wasn’t there just for fun when they came down to the Guadalmesi River valley as it rained cats and dogs. The equipment was safe in boxes, and they were only mildly wet under their rain jackets and umbrellas. Fortunately, the rain soon stopped and the filming took place in mostly favorable conditions.

We adapted to the weather, of course. In order for the scenes to be authentic, they had to be repeated several times from different angles and perspectives. When it’s perfectly acted, it’s completely natural; when it’s really natural, it can be well acted. We danced between “acting” and “spontaneity”, the producer moved us from scene to scene with great care, the cameramen masterfully coordinated the lenses and camera positions, the sound engineer waved to make us aware every time a rooster crowed, a dog barked, or a tractor rumbled, so that there wouldn’t be too much annoying noise in the scenes.

The crew worked from dawn to dusk. We walked many miles each day, sat down briefly to eat a gorgous meal that was prepared for us in the community kitchen, and rushed on.

My favorite scenes are when Ben and I run along the coast and when we have a conversation at the beach. I imagine that this part turned out visually superb. Several times I had the impression that the cameramen enjoyed the quality of light and the character of the scene. Like in the workshop, where they sighed at the fact that all the tools were clearly in use, unlike in some other places where the tool-shelf was more of a decoration.

Producer/director Jo Young showed exceptional professionalism in the pre-production. She didn’t miss a single detail. She triple-checked everything so nothing would be presented incorrectly. We exchanged many messages while coordinating the plan and going through my archive of videos and photos. I am thankful to my classmates and friends who contributed quite a few of their photos!

 

A BIG THANK YOU TO THE COMMUNITY!

When I asked Johnny if we could come to film in Molino, he replied: “Bienvenido! Mi casa es tu casa!” I am infinitely grateful to him and the others for their heartfelt support, openness, warmth, flexibility, hospitality, and great food every single days. Nines was also exceptional. And the Dutch volunteers, musicians and guests who made my birthday something truly special. I shouldn’t forget the dogs, goats and the cat Surya. Not to mention the mountains, the river, the sea and the wind. We got along great – like clockwork.

Having such wonderful friends in such a beautiful location is a special privilege. Of course, Molino de Guadalmesi is not for everyone. For us, lovers of luxurious simplicity, it is definitely heaven on earth. I don’t doubt I will visit it again.

It’s phenomenal that I can call such a special place my second home. Well, maybe it’s the third or fourth, but in any case, it surely feels like home.

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The premiere is on Channel 5, Tuesday, March 25th 2025, at 9pm (UTC).