WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9TH – DAY OFF IN STOCKHOLM:
It was another long, miserable 10 hour drive from Malmo to Stockholm. It doesn’t seem to matter that the roads in Sweden are not curvy and narrow like Norway. The “best” bus driver is the one who left us in Oslo and won’t show up again until Stockholm. This driver slams on the brakes every few minutes and steps on the gas pedal and releases it constantly. Means we are thrown around on the bus consistently. I got up several times in the night and each time “someone” was up sitting in the front. When I got up for good, David had taken his comforter off his bunk and was trying to sleep on the “half sofa” in the front lounge.
It was raining again and very disappointing since this is our only day off on the tour. As we neared the hotel, Staffan (Swedish Tour Manager) sat up front to guide the driver to the hotel. I had told both drivers after the “fiasco” at our first hotel that I wanted them to call each hotel and confirm WHERE buses can park to unload passengers and luggage. They guaranteed me that this had been done. I woke everyone up and told them we had to get off the bus so it could go to the venue to park. Staffan told us that the bus was parked as close as it could get but we would have to cross the street and walk about 200 meters to the hotel. I got off first with just my roller bag and walked exactly where he said. No hotel! By the time I turned around to find out where I was actually supposed to be going, everyone was already heading my way with all their luggage. Tim pulled up the hotel on his iPhone and found that it was on the opposite side of the street from what we had been told and much farther down the street.
When I arrived at the hotel, I asked where bus parking was and she pointed directly across the street for an area reserved just for buses! I pointed this out to the driver and told him to be SURE he picks us up there on Friday morning.
Our rooms were not ready and breakfast hours were over at the hotel. We walked down the street to a sandwich/salad café and ate lunch for breakfast. Rooms were still not ready when we returned. Since we had stored our luggage, some of the guys went sightseeing. I just sat in the lobby and worked. It was after 12:30 pm before they started getting any of the rooms available for us. When I got into my room, there was one single twin size bed and no space anywhere to even open a suitcase. I went back down to the lobby and asked for a different room that at least had space for my luggage. She gave me another room – the same size but with 2 twin beds! At least I can put the suitcase on one of the beds and open it! The bathroom is the length of the bathtub and there is about one foot of space between the sink and toilet which almost touch the bathtub. This room makes cabins on a cruise ship look spacious!
The gym they advertise for this hotel is actually at a different hotel about 5 minutes away. The Spa is also at a different hotel. There’s no “kettle” in the rooms and no way to make tea or coffee in the room. There’s not even enough floor space for me to do my exercises. No way this is a 4 star hotel as required in the rider. And I’m furious because I just found out Howard and David have similar rooms!
I worked all afternoon because I’ve done most of the sightseeing things many times. Walked over to Vapiano – an Italian restaurant – and got takeout food for dinner.
After having great shows and great hotels in Norway, Sweden is a huge disappointment.
Jude
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10TH, 2020 – PERFORMANCE IN STOCKHOLM:
Got up at 8 am and did my stretching exercises. Then went downstairs to have a cup of coffee and get a “to go” plate for breakfast. The rain had stopped and I wanted to jog but knew the breakfast hours would be over before I got back.
The street beside the hotel went straight down to the river and then there is a path along the river that goes on “forever”! It was a fantastic jog and lasted for about an hour. I saw Tim sitting on a bench by the water as I was running along. I also got some really great photos on the way back.
Showered and decided to eat the yogurt that I had brought back to the room. As I was eating, I felt something “hard” in my mouth. Yogurt should not have “hard” pieces. I spit it out and found what looked like a piece of my tooth! While I was in Switzerland a few weeks ago, I noticed a “rough” spot on the back of one of my teeth. It didn’t hurt and I forgot about it until the Friday before I was supposed to leave on this 2 week tour. The rough spot had gotten bigger and felt like a piece of tooth was missing. My dentist was out of town but the dentist who covers for him agreed to meet me at his office event though there were closed on Fridays. He was super nice and discovered a cracked crown! My options were to spend the day with him having him put on a temporary crown – and if the tooth was damaged – do a root canal as well. I just didn’t have time. I set an appointment with my dentist for the week after I return from Japan and prayed I wouldn’t have any problems while out of the country. I’ve been eating on the opposite side of my mouth trying to protect that area. Naturally, I thought it was that tooth but when I looked in the mirror, it had not broken off! But the exact same tooth on the other side had a big piece broken off – the piece I was holding in my hand! I pushed it back on the tooth and for a second considered using the Super Glue I have with me to glue it back in. Then I thought better of that and had the front desk find a dentist. I took the piece of tooth with me.
I took a taxi but it was less than a 5 minute ride. The dentist really nice and after examining me, said he could glue it back in and “hopefully” it would last until I get home on Sunday night. He did a great job and I gave him tickets to tonight’s concert! I walked back to the hotel and missed the ride to sound check by about 5 minutes. Called a taxi and went over to the venue and walked through everything with Staffan. It is a beautiful venue and seats a little under 700. I was worried because there has been NO advertising and as of Monday, we had only sold about 307 tickets! But the sold ticket count today was over 500!
The band was running late with sound check because the equipment was not set up when they arrived like I requested plus there were other issues. I left at 4:30 pm because we have to leave to come back over at 6:15 pm. Some of the guys barely got back in time to change and go back to the venue. I had planned to order room service but the restaurant didn’t open until 5:30 pm. It closes at 9:30 pm but the front desk got them to agree to stay open until 10 pm so we could order room service when we returned.
The bus driver warned me that there was a fan waiting in the lobby with lots of items he wanted autographed. I went down and explained to him that they would not have time before we departed for the concert and asked him to give me the items. I told him I would have them autographed and return to him after the show if he would meet me at the stage. He said he wasn’t going to the show! He had a CD cover, album cover, and a stack of photos he had printed out. I told him they would only have time to sign the covers and one of the photos. When I brought them back to him, I asked him how out of the thousands of hotels in Stockholm did he find out that the Bellamys were staying at this one. I had already asked the front desk and they said the never give out that information. He said he went to the venue and asked someone who spoke Swedish and they told him!
I met the “co-promoter” Peter on the venue tonight and had a serious chat with him about the hotel rooms at this hotel. He swore he did not tell his staff to book “single standard rooms”. He was going to call and find out what happened. Of course, it’s too late now. We stay at this hotel tonight and then will only be at the hotels in Gavle and Lycksele for a matter of hours and not overnight.
We had a large meet and greet including our bus driver for the last ferry cruise, Sulo’s publisher (Swedish Artist who recorded a duet with the Bellamys), a reporter/friend and several people from the best Music Store in Stockholm.
Show started at 7:30 pm and there were very few empty seats. And, it was a GREAT audience. Bellamys got a standing ovation. We departed immediately after the show and made it back in time to order room service. I ate very cautiously. So far, so good!
We were supposed to depart at 10:30 am tomorrow for the 2 ½ hour ride to the Gavle Hotel. However the bus driver informed me that the bus had to be parked in Gavle for a minimum of 11 hours or we would not be able to make the long over night drives from Gavle to Lycksele and Lycksele to the Stockholm airport. Doesn’t make any sense to me as we have two drivers! So now we have to depart at 9:30 am and will arrive before check in time. Hoping we can get rooms when we arrive. I did have the bus drivers call the hotel and make SURE they knew where to pull up and let us unload.
Bedtime now!
Jude