HAMPTON: Swedish teen activist Greta Thunberg departed the United States on Wednesday, hitching a ride to Europe aboard a catamaran to attend a UN climate summit in Madrid.

Carrying a large backpack and wearing a heavy knit watch cap, the 16-year-old and her father Svante boarded “La Vagabonde,” a 14-metre catamaran belonging to an Australian couple that will be her home for the next two to three weeks.

The Swedish activist, who became world famous for founding the “school strikes for the climate,” is ending a hectic 11-week North American sojourn that made headlines at every turn as she criss-crossed the United States and Canada.

“We sail for home!” Greta tweeted as her sailboat departed, with a picture of the boat and the open sea.

“I want to thank all the people who I’ve met I North America for their incredible hospitality. And thank you all for your amazing support!” she added.

She also tweeted a link for supporters to follow her trip: sailing-lavagabonde.com.

The boat sailed from Hampton, in the US state of Virginia, aiming to reach Portugal, more than 5,500 kilometres away.

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2019