Hello chaps, just a quickie before I away to my slumber, a sketch map so far…
So, eight days ago, down to London Town to see Logan’s Close at the New Cross Inn oh boy, that was fun and a wee bit different as Seankeys wasn’t down with them. Carl filled in some keyboard parts, it was fine, the crowd had a great time from Half and Half for a starter through to Eleanora to finish (more details later).
Friday was another day in London and as luck would have it, those Grubby Little Mitts were on at the Soho Theatre! Couldn’t resist another peep, that’s another 5☆+ performance!
Since then I’ve been in three countries and am going back to the first tomorrow. First off Belgium and Bruges, next, not Germany but Switzerland and Basel, then it was Germany but not Hamburg, Aachen instead, where I currently am until tomorrow morning when I head back to Belgium and Brussels. Then homeward bound on Tuesday 3rd, the day that this year’s Fringe programme comes out in solid form.
It’s been fun, interesting, informative, eye-opening. More about all that later, right now a large comfy bed is calling me – my only hotel stay of the trip, the rest all hostels! Well, it calls itself a hotel, it’s a tad odd.
So, that little trip I did – three countries, six gigs, ten stops, in twenty days. The postcard blog posts idea started well, then kind of, erm, but I did keep it going – with excuses. Next time I’ll do better. Oh yeah, there will be a next time, when the stars align again.
I’d only stayed one night at an Airbnb before this trip, and that was a BnB that advertised through Airbnb, so this was my first real experience of Airbnb-ing; and so many different experiences! Boy, my comfort zone felt terribly faraway at times! I also stayed a few nights in hostels, also very varied experiences from exceptionally good to godawful. More on all that later…
I did have some trepidation about how well I’d eat on my trip. Oh, not that I wouldn’t like the food, but how I’d figure out what things were and how to pronounce the words. My awkwardness and embarrassment almost swallowed me whole a few times! (that also includes being in strangers’ kitchens). Plenty of the time I lived off yoghurt, bananas, ham, cheese, and bread, bread, bread, ha, and individually wrapped pieces of Yorkshire Parkin I’d baked to take with me (for sustenance when I had nowt else). Oh, I did eat plenty from the food counters at all the train stations; so much bread – how I managed to misplace half a stone over there is a mystery!
Did you ever see a wurst croissant?
The whole Interrailling thing went fine, just a few blips. The app is extremely good (mind I was keeping things relatively simple, not bothering to reserve seats or any overnight journeys with sleeping requirements). Different options and itineraries can be looked at and saved until you’re ready to make a final choice and book it in, and then the app asks twice whether you definitely want to go ahead and book. Sometimes I was literally about to step on a train when I booked it – ok, so that was in case plans went awry.
My train travels were certainly enlightening! I’m happy to report that German trains are not as perfect as they are perceived to be, oh, not by much but how nice to see some flaws (it’s a British thing to unfavourably compare our train services in particular to Germany’s). You humans are so fascinating to observe, and yes, different nations do have different traits, or stereotypical behaviours (oo, that word stereotype does upset some folk). Train passengers were one thing, but pedestrians in Germany and Austria, wow, I definitely wasn’t in the UK (traffic still oncoming round the corner when the green man is on – I flinched every time!)
Linz, Austria.
My wandering feet did a lot of wandering and exploring. Some days I probably walked for five, six hours, just taking in the sights and sounds, admiring the different architecture. Statues and sculptures on walls became a thing for me, especially the ones flashing a knee (honestly, there were some many). Lovely parks over there too, I strolled through plenty between bed and venues. Venues, ah yes, the actual reason for being over there, Logan’s Close on their European Tour.
Yes, ostensibly it was for a friend’s party andLC, but really it was almost like a cover story that excused me also romping around Germany. Then, sadly, the party had to be cancelled; my journey to Bremen was quickly rearranged. Somehow it seems that our friendship was cancelled too, not a peep since – not that I haven’t tried! Okay, so be it, but, if I had known, then I might have forgone the Munich gig and headed off for Logan’s Close’s next gig in Trento. Hmm, Ingolstadt to Trento, then two days later up to Vienna just for my flight home – bet that’s some stunning scenery! Bloody humans!
Oh, the Munich gig was good, the guys were on fine form, but, there’s a certain hostel I’d not bother with again (later). Sure, I would have missed Eurovision, but then, Logan’s Close or Eurovision? No contest! The gigs I did get to, Bremen, Berlin, Hamburg, Prague, Ingolstadt and Munich were amazing. Time and time again, just little touches would blow me away, the attitude, the grand swirls, the spaces in their sound, the sheer exuberance, the obvious joy and shared smiles – all of it together, so potent, such an incredible high!!
God yes, I’ll be doing that again, just next time a little more aware! I shall leave you with a few aftershow pics in Ingolstadt…
Hallo Germany! Have you heard the news? That’s the awesome news that Logan’s Close are heading your way at the very end of April to play seven gigs as part of a European tour! The tour dates were announced last Monday, starting in Odense, Denmark on Sunday 28th April, then on to Germany and Bremen on the 30th; a ten day wander around Germany (with a wee side excursion to Prague) finishing in Munich before heading south to Italy. Get your tickets now!
Exciting for yours truly too – I’m coming over! As luck would have it I’ve been invited over to the continent for a friend’s birthday just as Logan’s Close will be making their way to Odense, well, when the universe dishes out such an opportunity it would be rude to turn it down. Trains, it’s all just a train journey away, I can do this (he says trying to sound positive). Okay, so it’s many, many years since I went Interrailling, no mobile phones, no interweb, yes, we managed perfectly fine, thank you!
As yet I’ve only booked my flights – did that so I can’t chicken out of going! There’s quite a variety of Interrail passes these days, and there’s an app now, of course; there is still a paper version, I’m weighing up the pros and cons, and just how many days travel do I want? The beauty of Interrailling was always last minute decision-making, not committing early ’cause you never knew what or who may be round the next corner. So far I have planes and trains planned, just need someone with an automobile to complete the set 😁
I haven’t seen much of Germany, just Hannover and wherever it was that my school exchange trip went (it was a long time ago, somewhere in Westphalia is all I remember), so it’s all going to be new to me! Certainly I want to see the lads in Berlin and Hamburg; Bremen is tempting, not least ’cause they’re playing in a place called the Heartbreak Hotel! That would be a lot of travelling in a few days, oh I enjoy train-travels, that I’m fine with, but would it all pan out okay?
After Hamburg the Close head to Köln, then Mannheim the day after, I’m reckoning maybe one of those two, for no apparent reason I’m thinking Mannheim. Oo, I loved Prague when I went some years ago, a return visit would be grand. That leaves Ingolstadt and Munich, both or just one of them? From whichever I’d head back to my friend’s to chill for a couple of days before flying home.
I haven’t begun to think of where I’ll stay each night! And those days when I may have to be up early for an onward train! A bed near the train station or near the venue?! Should I cheap hotel it? There’s Airbnb, I guess, or maybe hostels. Oh, my head’s hurting just contemplating it all. Tips on places to stay or avoid, good cafés, cheap feeds, local transport are most welcome. This moose doesn’t really have a scoobies how this will work out! But hey, it’s gonna be an awesome adventure, a magical musical tour 💛
Bruce on the Fringe 