SATURDAY, AUGUST 31ST, 2019 – BEDFORD, UK TO ZURICH, SWITZERLAND:
Five am came way too quickly. I was in the lobby by 6:35 am and Alan was already there with the van was already there for the luggage. The passenger van came a little later and it’s the same company we that picked us up. Fortunately, this driver knew how to find Terminal Two at Heathrow. He had brought a larger passenger van but there was absolutely NO room between the seats – even less than on a small airline. Made for a pretty miserable drive. He said it would take about 2 hours but traffic was light and we thought it would only take 1 ½ hours. But less than a mile before we reached Heathrow, the traffic stopped. Took us another 20 minutes just to get to the Terminal. Alan helped us find some carts and we found the correct check-in desk. As we were standing in line, I realized I didn’t have my rolling duffle with my laptop in it! Major panic attack!!! Susan had it because I had left it on the curb outside where we arrived. Jeez! A really nice lady checked all of us in and when it was Rocky’s turn, he turned on the charm and told her the group is The Bellamy Brothers. She didn’t immediately recognize the name so he said, “Let Your Love Flow” ad she flipped out. She also said she was going to reduce our excess costs. I had Howard and David come over and take a photo with her.
As I was checking in the last person and the rest of the group were waiting for us to finish, this young guy walked up to a trash can beside us, opened up a huge duffle bag, and started taking everything out and putting it in the trash can. We were all standing around with out mouths open and he turned around to David and Susan and said, “I’m not crazy. I have to fly to Aberdeen and the machine rejected my credit card so I can’t pay to check my bag!” I was busy finishing up the check-in and didn’t see the rest of the saga but David said he also left his duffle bag by the trash can. He asked what time it was and realized he had already missed his flight to Aberdeen. Susan felt sorry for him and gave him 100 pounds! We think maybe he was off his meds. I wish he had just gone to the ticket counter and talked to someone about his problem instead of throwing all his clothes and shoes away!!
I knew the security check was going to be thorough but didn’t realize just how thorough. I actually made it through just fine but only because I took everything out of my rolling duffle except for my laptop and plugs. I checked all my liquids. They searched the carry on bags that Howard, David and Susan had and confiscated Howard’s cough syrup. They confiscated a really old container of Carmex Lip Balm from David, but Susan was another story. She had lots of makeup and liquids in both her carry on bags and none of them were in the plastic bags. She was there for over 30 minutes while they bagged things up and searched through every compartment. She said there was 3 shift changes while she was there! I went to the restroom and also got us some water for the flight and when I came back, she was still there.
Once they finally let her go, we went to a really good restaurant for breakfast. Out gate was not going to be announced until 11:20 and we were supposed to board at 11:40. Once it was announced, we were lucky that is was only a short walk from where we were. I really, really hate going through Heathrow!
I was in the aisle seat and Howard was in the window seat and we lucked up because no one sat in the middle seat between us. It was an hour and forty minute flight and I think we all slept most of the way. Landed on time and all our bags arrived. I called Albert (our long time friend) who was picking us up and he met us out front with two passenger vans and a cargo van. It was a short 25 minute drive to the hotel.
We have stayed at this hotel several times and I had given all the promoters a “rooming list” with special requirements. One of those was if the hotel is not air conditioned, then each room has to be provided with a fan (ventilator). This hotel is not air conditioned and the front desk clerk assured me that fans were in each room. When we got to our rooms, there were no fans and it was incredibly hot. I went back down to the desk and she said she would check on the fans but that 6 of the 9 rooms were air conditioned! We were all on the same floor, so I started checking with the others. Rocky and Jim said their room was definitely air conditioned and felt great. Mine, David and Susan’s, and Tim’s were not working. Since Jim is terrific at “fixing” things, he went to work on the air conditioners while I tried to get the front desk clerk to call in their technician. She said she called him and he said he could not do anything until Monday!
Jim fixed my unit but every time he turned on the Compressor for David and Susan’s, it kicked the electricity off on the entire floor. Jim had located the fuse box and was able to turn it back on, but that didn’t help with the problem. The front desk came up with a couple more fans but still didn’t have enough for everyone. She also told me that the hotel is completely sold out. I had Albert call all the hotels in Lenzburg to see if they had a vacant room that was air conditioned. He finally found one and we drove over to look at it. A young girl was working the front desk and she didn’t even know the cost of the room. She said, “It’s won’t cost more than 200 CHF per night”! I had her take us up to the room and it was HOT. There were no vents anywhere in the room which quickly told me it was not air-conditioned. I was really hoping to find a room where David and Susan could move.
I went downstairs and had dinner with the guys. The one really great thing about this hotel is, they have fantastic food! I had a veal with some kind of pasta and it was the best food I’ve had since leaving Nashville.
I came back to my room to work and Galen called me around 9 pm. He said he has to open his window because of the lack of air conditioning but the smoking section was right outside his window. I told him the hotel is completely sold out but suggested he go down and tell the front desk clerk his problem and see if he had better luck charming her than I did. He knocked on my door a few minutes later and had a key to a new room. Go figure!
Talked to Zac and Zoe for a few minutes. They won their soccer game today. Sure do miss them. Only one more week from Monday!
Jude
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 1ST (!!!), 2019 – PERFORMANCE AT “CHILLOUT” IN BOSWIL, SWITZERLAND:
Got up early for a fantastic jog. Weather was perfect and I ran longer than planned. Saw a lot of the guys having breakfast when I returned so I went in to say hello. Also had the brilliant idea to grab a couple of boiled eggs and some cheese to have for my “lunch” later in the afternoon.
Showered and spent the morning working. Went over to the venue with the guys for their sound check. I checked out the dressing room and “meet and greet” area and had Albert bring me back to the hotel so I could work some more. Met Susan and David in the restaurant for a very “early” dinner before leaving for the performance at 6:30 pm.
We have lots of close friends that we have made in Switzerland over the years and I had invited a lot of them to the show and “meet and greet”. Got to see Markus and Brigitte and met Markus’s parents, Heidy, Sandro and his beautiful wife and daughter, Kiki, and Maya. Peter (our host) brought his family and staff in to say hello and then it was show time.
It’s a very small venue with an even smaller stage but the Bellamys put on a fantastic show. The venue looked packed and I have to ask the buyer tomorrow if it was a sellout. The restaurant inside the venue allows smoking, so basically the entire venue smells like smoke. Howard and I are both very allergic to cigarette smoke. Susan and I sat right outside the back door to the stage almost the entire show. I did go inside and take a couple of photos – very quickly! We left immediately after the show and got back to the hotel at around 10 pm….in time for me to work some more before crashing at about 1 am…early for me on this trip!
Jude
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2ND, 2020 – DAY OFF IN SWITZERLAND (AND LABOR DAY IN THE USA!)
Got a record 7 hours of sleep and then worked out with my “bands” in the room. Walked down to the bank and changed some money and then down to the shopping center which houses a huge Migros (grocery store). I forgot to bring an extra bottle of Stevia liquid sweetener but was unable to find anything except the little tablets. Better than nothing and easier to get through security at the airport!
Worked the rest of the day until Susan called and invited me to have dinner with her and David in the hotel restaurant at 5 pm. Albert had emailed and said he was coming by at 6:30 pm to pick up anyone who wanted to go to the castle. The band was still downtown with Sandro and not coming back until 7:00 or later, so I told him not to plan on anyone going. I had too much work to leave.
Dinner was nice and Howard joined us before our food arrived. The hotel really does have outstanding food.
It has cooled off enough not to need air conditioning today. Good thing because the hotel did NOT have the technician come and fix the unit in David’s room. I went to the lobby and asked them “why” no one had been here to fix it. They acted surprised and had someone here about two hours later and they were able to fix it. I had them look at mine but he didn’t have the “parts” he needed to replace the control knobs.
Sandro came back with the guys and I walked down to the restaurant to see them at around 8 pm as they were having dinner. Always great to see him!
Tomorrow is a “travel day” to Germany. Only a one hour flight on Swiss Air but we depart the hotel at 8 am and won’t arrive at the hotel in Hof, Germany until around 5 pm!!!
Going to stop working, pack and get in bed!
Jude