TUESDAY, JULY 2ND – TRAVEL TO GERMANY:
Up at 4:30 am again to get Carlene Carter’s band off to the U.S. Had plenty of time to work out with bands in my room, too. Trying to do my exercises for my shoulder religiously so I can avoid surgery!
Had breakfast with Howard and some of the guys and finished packing. The bus was at the hotel ready to go at 10 am as scheduled. We are timing our trip so that we will be at Marche’ for lunch. J
Lunch at Marche was excellent as usual. We arrived in Untermeitingen at around 3:00 pm and dropped all the equipment at the club. Went to the hotel by the club where the band is staying and got them checked in. Then the promoter took me, Howard and David to Augsburg to the hotel where we will be staying. It’s a wonderful hotel where we stayed a couple of years ago. It’s been totally renovated since our last visit. Got everyone checked in and had about an hour to unpack and work. My dear friend, Silvia, from Schweinfurt, Germany who will be visiting me in Augsburg sent me a text that her train was delayed due to the tracks being closed, detours, etc., etc. Luckily, everything worked out and she made it to the hotel just as we were ready to go to dinner.
We had a really nice dinner at a restaurant where we had eaten on our last visit. I ordered the fish and while it was excellent, there were a few too many bones for my preference. Afterwards, we walked to a really nice coffee shop that looked like it had been an old Roman bath at one time.
It is so great to see Silvia again. We have been friends since I met her in Bosnia in the early 90’s! She’ll be able to stay all day tomorrow (guess we’ll be forced to go shopping!) and then has to go back to her base in Schweinfurt to take care of her “boys and girls” on the 4th of July.
I worked for several hours but got in bed by 2 am. This hotel has an “adequate” workout facility and Silvia and I are going to hit it hard at 8 am tomorrow.
Jude
WEDNESDAY, JULY 3RD – FIRST SHOW IN UNTERMEITINGEN:
Got up at 7 and drank about a pot of coffee. So did Silvia! We worked out for an hour then had a really great breakfast in the hotel restaurant – egg white omelets and yogurt!
Showered and dealt with some problems that came in via email overnight. We left the hotel at about 11:15 am to “shop”. First stop was trying to find a bank that would change dollars to Euros – not an easy task in this part of Germany. The banks will only exchange for people who have accounts with them. Finally found one and got some change so I can sell cds tonight. It had started to rain, so we went back to the hotel and grabbed my umbrella. The forecast is for lots of rain and wind. L
We shopped for several hours as there are great stores here. I only bought some clothes for Zac and Zoe but Silvia got a great sweater and dress. I still have tomorrow to shop as well.
We were hungry and Silvia spied this little “Crepe” café. We had an amazing tomato and mozzarella crepe. Need to remember where it was and go back tomorrow. Came back to the hotel to answer emails and print out set lists until it is time to go.
David, Silvia and I rode over to Bill’s club so David could do a quick “rehearsal” on a song they are singing with in Norway with an artist from the Faroe Islands. Then we had dinner at the club because the food there is excellent. All 3 of us ordered the weiner schnitzel. Siliva “justified” eating the fattening food because we had worked out hard this morning and eaten a really light lunch. J We were not disappointed. It was a great meal.
We came back to the hotel and I worked on emails. Met Silvia in the lobby to go have a “drink” before the show only we both decided it should be some awesome dessert since we had already blown out diet anyway. Walked to a little Italian restaurant and had the best tiramisu EVER. Silvia was pretty upset about one of her “soldiers” who is really going through a tough time. I don’t think the general public realizes how serious PTSD really is. I helped her find someone that her soldier can talk too since he’s in the U.S. and really think she may be saving his life. She’s a wonderful, caring “mom” to all the soldiers she comes in touch with.
Both nights of shows have been sold out for weeks. It was a great show with 5 or 6 encores….I lost count! Silvia helped me sell cds – okay she sold most of them while the guys signed autographs. We were back at the hotel by midnight.
Susan emailed David to let him know his coke can made it home but hers exploded in her suitcase. David said she should have poked a hole in the bottom and drained the cola out before flying. So, I decided to do just that with mine and Penny’s. Means it will “weigh” less, too. Even as I was getting out my Swiss Army knife, I was thinking, “Boy I sure hope I don’t slice my finger off trying to do this”! Got the hole poked in the bottom of the can and most of the coke drained out. But the last little bit wouldn’t come out. So, decided to poke another hole in the empty coke can. The knife folded up and darn near sliced off the end of my finger! Fortunately I have miracle “tea tree” ointment with me. J
Bed time. It’s 2 am and I want to say goodbye to Silvia at 7 am.
Please remember our wonderful U.S. Military tomorrow on the 4th of July (and every day of the year).
Jude
HAPPY 4TH OF JULY:
Have to say, it’s sad to once again not be celebrating the 4th of July with our military. Can’t remember the last time I was in the U.S. on this holiday.
Got up at 6:50 am to hug Silvia good-bye. Then went back to bed for 2 more hours. Had a quick breakfast with David and then ran 5 miles in the rain. It was just a drizzle and it felt wonderful. Of course, all the locals were bundled up like it was freezing temperatures. J
Howard and David had lunch with their friends Tom and Christa but I bailed because my iPad won’t charge through my computer and I forgot my wall charger. Asked the front desk where I could buy one and they directed me to the store where Silvia and I went yesterday (German “Wal-Mart”). I knew I could find it without getting lost. But, of course, the didn’t have it. They sent me to another store that also didn’t have it. Bill had told me that there was an Apple Store in that area so I asked at the last store I went into. They gave me directions to The City Center which of course, I could not follow. I was standing in the middle of the street turning my map around and around trying to walk the way the map showed when this nice young girl came up and asked if she could help me. She gave me completely different directions and even offered to walk me there! I thanked her but told her I had to stop by my hotel first. I asked the front desk where The City Center was and they said straight out the front door, down the hill about 5 minutes walk away!
OHMYGOD….it was a 2 story shopping mall with all the stores I love. Fortunately Silvia and I did not know it existed yesterday or we would have missed the Bellamy’s concert. And, I found it too late in the day to do very much damage. I WILL remember where it is when I come back. I walked up the street from the hotel and had a cheese crepe for lunch.
Took me hours to get everyone checked in on KLM. Very, very difficult website to negotiate and every time I’d get the information typed in, it would “freeze” and I’d have to start over again.
I worked until 7:30 pm and then walked to a little Italian restaurant that Howard and David had recommended. I ordered the Crapese Salad (imagine that) and a pasta with gorgonzola cheese and spinach. They brought the wrong salad – instead of just tomato mozzarella, it was prosciutto ham wrapped around mozzarella cheese and grilled with little cherry tomato. It was amazing but a “meal” in itself. I could only eat half of it and not even half the pasta when it arrived. I had them give to me in a take away box and brought it to the venue for “someone” to eat after the show.
We left for the show at 9 pm and again, a packed house. I won’t have Silvia to help me tonight but my friend Sonja is here and going to assist. I need to sell the rest of the cds tonight so I won’t have to fly them with us!!! Had to work during the show but was able to listen from backstage. I lost count of how many encores they did tonight.
Sonja helped me sell cds. All we had to do was make sure everyone in line knew that the physical cd will only be for sale in Switzerland. All other countries around the world, it’s iTunes download only. We sold ALL the cds while the guys signed autographs. It was great to see Sonja again and get to chat with her while we were “selling”. She’s a very special friend.
Back at the hotel at 1 am to finish packing and working. Almost 2:30 am and I’m getting up at 6 am. Leave for the airport at 8:30 am.
Jude