There’s two of us on this journey.
First, Irina: I was born in Romania and currently live in Berlin, Germany. I weave images and words for a living. The Inglorious Travels are my first long solo journey and they were possible thanks to an understanding boss and the books of Nicolas Bouvier.
When I travel, I’m not after sights, amenities, bucket lists, or margaritas; I see travel as an extension of my life into the great big world and into the life of others. I am happiest when I find a situation, a bus seat or a street corner that allows me to observe everything around. Now that I’ve already wandered for a while, I realized that ‘mass tourism’ is even more ‘mass’ than I had thought, and the attempt to find the untrodden path fails because of the very cliché that this has become. There is certainly nothing unique on the travel front anymore, but when you are open to the world and let it sift through you, it leaves a unique imprint. Inglorious Travels are one such imprint.
Then, there’s Leica 109, the camera. It was not off to a good start, but it pushed through and performed wonderfully no matter the task and the environment, certainly outdoing itself (and the manufacturing limitations). If there is a contest for the most resilient camera anywhere in this world, then this Leica is a serious contender.
