THURSDAY, JUNE 13TH – LIECHTENSTEIN TO FAROE ISLANDS:

Very long travel day, today.  Hard to believe that we only have 4 more days left on the tour.  It has flown by!

Got in bed at 1:30 am and up at 5:00 am to shower, eat a quick breakfast and head to the airport.  We were supposed to be transported in the same vehicle we had for sightseeing on Tuesday but when the driver showed up, he was in a MUCH smaller van.  It only had 6 seats total and 3 people had to sit together in the very back.  Not a great way to ride for 2 hours to the airport but nothing we could do at that point.   At least he brought the trailer for the luggage and equipment.

It took exactly 2 hours and he was a fantastic driver.  After some slight confusion as to “where” we could check in, we got everything checked in and only about $300 in excess charges.  After clearing security, we made an emergency stop at Sprungli for chocolate.  I told the guys to buy the “Truffles Du Jour” and they did and loved them.

Our flight was delayed for about 30 minutes but we had planned a long layover in Copenhagen.  Sarah Jory’s group was already there waiting on us and it’s great to be working with her and Mark again.   We landed and picked up all our bags and exited Customs to re-check them for the flight on Atlantic Airways.  We were able to print out bag tags at the Kiosk but not our boarding passes.  After some more confusion, we found where we could check in and it was “painless”.  The festival has a partnership with Atlantic Airways and all the fees for excess baggage were waived.

Once again, we had to clear security and then we went in search of something to eat.  We finally settled on sushi and it was good but very expensive.  Certainly not as good as we have in Japan and at about 5 times the expense.  Our flight to the Faroes left on time and right before landing, the pilot announced that there was a very strong wind which would make the landing difficult.  This has happened every flight I have ever taken into and out of the Faroes.  Flights are cancelled on a regular basis because they are right in the Jet Stream and there is only one very dangerous runway.  Pilots have to be specially trained to land there.  We bounced our way down through the clouds and landed safely.   It was actually a lot less traumatic than some of my previous landings here.

We picked up our bags and I noticed a really beautiful security dog “checking” everyone as we exited.  All our bags arrived and we headed out through Customs.  As we walked out, the dog stood up on it’s hind legs and put his front legs on Ben’s chest as if to say, “It’s him”!  While it was funny, it really wasn’t.  I was sort of freaking out that he might have something on him so I stayed behind with him.  They had the dog sniff his bags but he wasn’t at all interested in them, just Ben.  They kept asking Ben if he had anything on him and he assured them he didn’t.  They finally took him into a separate room and I assume, strip searched him.  I think I aged another 10 years waiting for him.  When they came out, they said he was free to go but one of the lady’s there was asking me questions about the festival.  I told her his name is Ben Haggard and she told him she had never heard of him and the only “Haggard” she had ever heard of was Merle Haggard.  He told her Merle was his father and then the questions started up.

Allan was waiting for us outside Customs and everyone was ready to get on the bus for the “shortest bus ride ever on a tour”.  You can literally walk from the airport to the hotel in 5 minutes but we needed the bus for all the luggage/gear.  And, of course, the fact that it’s cold and the wind is blowing at about 50 mph!  Before we left, the lady from Customs came on the bus and showed Ben her iPhone where she had “We Don’t Smoke Marijuana In Muskogee” playing on YouTube.  LOL!

Our rooms were ready for us and we ordered dinner as soon as we got checked in.  We had a nice “group” meal in the hotel restaurant.  Last year it was a “buffet” for lunch and dinner every day and had the same food for every meal.  The hotel is under new ownership this year and we were able to order off the menu. I also learned at dinner that one of the guy’s pedal boards did not arrive.  He and Allan went back to the airport but they didn’t have any information on where it might be.  Hopefully it was left in Copenhagen and will show up on the next flight here.

The hotel is not near anything except the little village where the festival is held (and of course the airport) and the festival doesn’t start until tomorrow night.  The restaurant/bar closed at 10 pm, so everyone (except me) made an early night of it.  I’m working and it’s almost 1 am again.  But, shutting down very soon!

Jude

 

FRIDAY, JUNE 14TH – SARAH JORY PERFORMANCE AT THE “SORVAGS COUNTRY AND BLUES FESTIVAL”:

I think it must have rained all night and was still raining this morning.  I had breakfast and some of the guys started wandering in as I was finishing up.  At 10:30 am, we departed in a nice mini-bus for our “sightseeing” in the major town in the Faroes.  It was raining pretty hard on the drive over and very foggy so the guys didn’t get to see a lot of the “beauty” of the landscape.   First stop was at a very exclusive shop which only sells items made in the Faroe Islands.  I found exactly what I was looking for within minutes.  We wandered around the various shops and a couple of the guys purchased clothing that is made in the Faroes.  Joe found a fantastic sports coat but it didn’t fit and they didn’t have any other sizes.  We finally made it to an indoor shopping mall and walked around there until everyone was hungry.  On our way, Allan stopped a man and introduced us.  He turned out to be the Prime Minister of the Faroes and boy was he in a hurry!

We had planned to eat at an Irish Pub but learned that the menu was too limited – 3 entrees only.   We walked to a new “sandwich shop” and they seated us upstairs.  There’s 13 of us and it was our waiter’s first day on the job.  Not good.  We waited and waited and waited for our food.  They finally brought everything except for mine and Allan’s but they were serving people who had come in after us.  I got frustrated and went downstairs to see what I could do about getting our orders.  Turns out, all the sandwiches are already made and in a display case in the window.  They just reached in, grabbed our sandwiches, and handed them to us!  Another couple were waiting for theirs as well and I told them what I had done.  They quickly did the same thing.  The food was good but the service was the WORST.

We walked along the waterfront for a few minutes and Allan showed the guys the “whale” that was available for them to purchase and eat.  We didn’t have any “takers” though.  We walked through “old town” and then met our bus for the drive back to the hotel.  He took a different route because of traffic and every once in a while the sun would come out and the group had a spectacular view.   We stopped at a gas station and I introduced everyone to “Soft Ice” – amazing ice cream that must be what eating a cloud would be like!

Had a couple of hours to work once we got back to the hotel and then had dinner in the hotel restaurant.  We left for sound check and show at 9:45 pm.  There were already a lot more people at the festival than there were last year.  Sarah hit the stage at 11:00 am and was rockin’!  At one point, she invited Eddy (Ben and Noel’s pedal steel player), on stage to play steel while she played guitar.  She said she had never invited anyone to do that before.   It was a highlight of the evening.  When Eddy came off, he said her pedal steel was set up completely opposite from his!  You would never have known it as beautifully as he played it.

Show was over at 12:30 am and we returned to the hotel shortly thereafter.  It “sprinkled” on and off all night and was really, really cold.  Supposedly, the weather will be much better tomorrow.   We’ve been invited to have dinner in town with Tummas – a friend from many years ago.

Jude

SATURDAY, JUNE 15TH – BEN & NOEL HAGGARD PERFORMANCE AT SORVAGS COUNTRY & BLUES FESTIVAL IN THE FAROE ISLANDS:

Hard to believe that June is already halfway over.  Time is flying by too fast.

Getting 6 hours of sleep is a “game changer” for me.  Thankfully emails slow down over the weekend and I can sort of “breathe” again.

Had breakfast alone because it was “early” and I wanted to have time to work out with my bands before showering.  Several of the guys started wandering in as I finished up.

We have sound check today at 2:30 and Tummas (a long time friend) is going to pick us up afterwards and take us into Thorshavn again (Capitol of the Faroes) for dinner.  The guys take the stage tonight at 10 pm and judging from the enthusiasm of the fans at Sarah’s show last night, it will be a great show.

We were having lunch when Allan came in and said “we have a problem”.  Evidently, the production company did not read the itinerary that Allan and I agreed on which said sound check would be from 2:30-4:30 pm today.  They had wanted them to do a 45 minute sound check right before they performed (as the other artists were doing).  The audience is already in the venue when the other artists did their sound check but are “supposed” to be watching the performers on another stage.   I knew the second the fans heard Ben and Noel, they would come to the sound check.  I also knew it might take longer than 45 minutes depending upon the backline being provided.  Evidently, someone at the festival scheduled “children’s activities” to begin on the main stage at 2 pm.  We explained that if they wanted a show by Ben and Noel tonight, then we needed at least a one hour sound check before the fans came into the venue.  That’s when we were also told that the monitor engineer would not be there until 6 pm.   Definitely not “our” problem but the guys said their drummer could get them up and running.  We agreed to go to the venue at 1:30 pm instead of 2:30 pm and be finished by 2:30 pm.

I rode to the airport with Sarah Jory and her band and Allan made sure the excess had been waived.  Got them checked in and then the big bus dropped us in a neighborhood somewhere near the hotel for Allan to pick up the rental car to be used to take us back and forth to the venue.  When we arrived at the venue, the monitor engineer had been called (which was really good).  We also found out that the children’s activities were not scheduled to begin until 3 pm, so the guys stayed on the stage and had a good sound check until 3 pm.

We went back to the hotel and Tummas picked us up at 4:30 pm for the drive into Thorshavn.  I had called him and asked if there was somewhere we could stop and buy some guitar picks but Allan said al the stores close at 2 pm on Saturdays!  But Tummas had a friend bring some by his house for Ben and Noel.  We stopped by his house for a drink so I could see his wife and twin daughters again.  I haven’t seen them since we were here with the Bellamy Brothers a very long time ago.  They were just young children and now they are teenagers!  He took us to the same restaurant where we went with Carlene Carter last year and again….it was amazing food.  I mentioned that I wanted one of the black and white sheep skins but wasn’t sure I could take it back to the USA.  He assured me that I could and before we left the restaurant, he gave me a beautiful one!

We took taxis back to the hotel and had a little less than one hour before heading over for a quick “meet and greet” and then the show.  Found out we were running about 10 minutes late.  When Ben and Noel finally took the stage, the place was absolutely packed….the largest attendance they have ever had!  When Ben started singing, Allan started crying because he said it was so beautiful and so “country”.   Allan has worked extremely hard for many years to make this festival a success and tonight his dream came true.  Ben and Noel performed for almost two hours and would have played longer but there were still 3 other acts waiting to perform.  The festival doesn’t end until 3 am and it will be later than that tonight when it’s over.  Also, we had a HUGE crisis – the bars were out of beer and the trucks couldn’t deliver any more because they couldn’t get through the huge crowd.  I did not want to be a part of the riot when the fans found out there was no more beer.

This festival – like most festivals in Europe – have these “stands” that have 4 urinals around them.  They place them right out in the open and the guys use them while everyone watches.  A little unnerving to me but the guys don’t seem to be concerned at all.  Noel was the only one in our group brave enough to try one.

The guys ended the show with “Okie From Muskogee” and then came back on for an encore of “Mama Tried”.  Afterwards they signed autographs for a long time.  We finally made it back to the hotel at around 1:30 am.  At least we don’t have to get up too early tomorrow.  We fly to Copenhagen at 2:30 pm and overnight there.   Talked to Zac and Zoe tonight and even though this has been a FANTASTIC tour, I’m so happy to be going home (at least for a week!) on Tuesday.

Jude

 

SUNDAY, JUNE 16TH – FAROES TO COPENHAGEN:

Raining and cold again this morning when I got up.  We got SOOOOO lucky last night with the festival weather.  Had breakfast, finished packing and headed for the airport in our huge tour bus – 2 minute drive.  Lots of jokes about “can we stop for a restroom break”, etc.  After checking Sarah in yesterday, I knew the “drill”, so check in was easy.

The guys said a sad good-bye to Allan and we headed through security to the small gate area.   Just as we got through, Noel realized he had left his bag outside by the check in area.  He had to go out through baggage claim and come back through security again.  But, we had plenty of time for him to do that.

Flight was a little over two hours and landing was turbulent again. Collected all our bags and walked over to the Clarion.  It’s a beautiful hotel – formerly a Hilton – and of course, we only have a couple of hours here.  Rooms were ready and “pre-paid”.  We met 30 minutes later and walked back over to the airport.  I had told Mark (with Sarah Jory) that the 7-11 was a great place to eat.  It is much less expensive than hotel food and usually much better.  Mark and his group had walked over there yesterday to eat but discovered “Wok” – a Thai food restaurant right across from the 7-11.  He sent me a text telling me it was excellent.  Boy was he right!  I had stir-fried tofu and it was delicious.  All the guys loved what they had, too.

We walked around for a few minutes – checking out our departure area for tomorrow morning and in search of “Soft Ice” but never found it.  Walked back to the hotel and Joe and I were going to “let our food settle” and the go work out in the great gym at the hotel.  Joe made it and I didn’t.   Just too much to do and way to full to work out.  Instead I’m going to get up early tomorrow morning and work out so I’ll feel good for the flight.  I’m more accustomed to working out first thing in the morning than last thing at night!

Going to bed relative early for me so I can get up very early.

MONDAY, JUNE 17TH – COPENHAGEN TO NASHVILLE:

What travel day!  I got up early and had a good workout in the hotel gym.  Then I showered and went to the airport to check in early so I could meet the guys and help them check in for Iceland Air.  They were in Terminal 2 and I was in Terminal 3.   I saw signs for KLM and Air France and assumed that would be where my Delta flight would be serviced as well.  Nope.  After standing in line for 20 minutes, I learned that there was another area for Delta!  The lines weren’t that long for Priority but one of the agents kept taking people out of the other lines.  Took me almost 30 minutes just to check in.

I hurried back to Terminal 2 and printed boarding passes for everyone.  They arrived just as I finished and I got them situated in the correct line and ran back to Terminal 3.   Long lines in security and even longer lines at Passport Control.  I should have had at least an hour before needing to go to the gate but did not have any extra time at all, not even to go to the Lounge.   The flight departed on time.  I am still having problems getting WiFi to connect when in flight.  No one else was having a problem.  One of the flight attendants gave me her phone and told me to get on “live chat” with Gogo.  I did and they couldn’t figure out what was wrong but told me to type in www.cnn.com.  I did and it connected immediately!  I tried it on the flight from JFK to Nashville and it worked too.  Strange!

We landed JFK early and the bags came pretty quickly.  I went up to the 4th level to clear security because they had a TSA pre-check lane.   Even with pre-check, the lines were long today.   I had to take a bus to Terminal 2 where my flight was leaving from.  I had about 30 minutes to go into the Lounge and answer some email.  Just as  I got my laptop set up and a cup of de-caf coffee, I received a text message that the gate had been changed to Terminal 4!  I had to run to catch the bus (that was packed) and then it took almost 30 minutes to get to the new terminal.  We boarded a few minutes after I arrived.

I always get on the plane as soon as they announce the boarding process because the overhead on the side where I sit is too tiny to put my computer bag into.  I use the overhead across the aisle from me.  Just as I put my bag in, another man got on.  He told me to take my bag out and put it over my head because he wanted that space for his bag!  I told him if he could make my bag fit in the overhead on my side to go for it.  The flight attendant intervened and easily put his bag in the bin beside mine and there was still room for 2 more bags in that bin.

We ran into thunderstorms as we were trying to land in Nashville, so it was really turbulent.  We still landed almost an hour early!  So glad to be home for 10 days – then back to Europe!

Jude