THURSDAY, JUNE 2ND AND FRIDAY, JUNE 3RD – NASHVILLE TO MALBUN, LIECHTENSTEIN:
Leaving today with the Bellamy Brothers for an entire MONTH in Europe – hopping from country to country. They perform in Liechtenstein, Norway, Faroe Islands (also with Heather Myles), Austria, Germany and Switzerland (with Tracy Lawrence). We return home on Sunday, June 26th but I depart again on Tuesday, June 28th to Hawaii. Chase Rice performs 3 shows at 3 military bases for the 4th of July weekend. Then I fly home for 3 days and depart back to Faroe Islands and Norway with Carlene Carter. Busy 6 weeks after being “locked down” due to COVID for the past 2 ½ years!
For once we didn’t have an early morning departure. Everyone arrived at the airport at 9 am for our 11 am flight to JFK. Flight was fine except it was FREEZING on the plane. David had to put on socks. I would have, too, if I had brought any in my carry on bag! We landed a few minutes early and got everyone into the Delta Lounge for the 6 hour layover! No problem for me. I have worked non-stop since walking into the lounge. The food in the lounge was really good and for me, the time flew by because I was so busy with “work”.
The flight departed on time but before we boarded, we witnessed a really bad representation for Delta Airlines. The gate agent was yelling at everyone who was standing up waiting to board that they had to line up next to the wall. Actually, they were already lined up next to the wall but he kept yelling at them and finally walked over and said “this wall, not that wall”….as though they were supposed to know what he meant. It got so bad that one of the passengers got in his face. We thought there was going to be a big altercation but I guess whatever the passenger said to him got through to him and he suddenly became nice and polite.
David was sitting right in front of me and the power outlets did not work. The flight attendant tried to fix it but was unable to do so. He didn’t want to move to another seat because he already had everything out of his carry on bag. So, the flight attendant took his iPad and mobile phone and charged them for him from another seat whenever they needed to be re-charged.
The food was excellent, the movies not so much so, and there was very little turbulence the entire flight.
FRIDAY, JUNE 4TH – MALBUN LIECHTENSTEIN:
We landed Zurich a few minutes early. I went through Immigration first and the officer quizzed me about EVERYTHING. When he finished, I told him that all the people behind me were on the same schedule and he didn’t ask them anything!
After everything going so smoothly, things took an ugly turn for the worse when our baggage came out. One of the equipment cases with all the consoles and in-ear monitors was missing. There was a very long line of people waiting to file a claim with Swiss Port. I stood there for about 15 minutes and then an agent came out and told everyone wanting to check on their bags that did not arrive from Istanbul needed to move to a different location. Then, I was the first person in line. The agent was young and friendly but obviously not very well prepared to handle his job yet. He would not let us file a claim because he said he had to “wait for the list”….and could not explain exactly what that list was!
Galen had checked the piece of equipment and I showed the agent his Delta App which clearly said that his piece of personal luggage was on the flight from Nashville to JFK and then loaded on the flight from JFK to Zurich. The case, however, said that it was only loaded on the flight from Nashville to JFK and never made it on the flight from JFK to Zurich. I knew that it was sitting at JFK airport. Ridiculous that the baggage handlers had SIX hours to load it on the correct flight yet they couldn’t do it.
While we were waiting for “the list”, I called the Delta Diamond Line and had them check on it. They also had no information on “where” the case might be. I did convince them that when it was found, they would put it on the first flight available and not wait until the same flight the next day that we took. We continued to wait and wait and wait for “the list”. Finally after TWO hours of everyone sitting in Baggage Claim, I had enough. I told the young agent that I wanted to file a claim NOW…even without “the list”. He finally sent me to another agent who processed the paperwork. While she was filling everything out, the young agent walked up with “the list”. And guess what, the list did not provide any information other than the fact that the bag was not on our flight and they had no idea where it was!
The promoter had said he was sending a Sprinter Van with a trailer to pick us up but instead a large tour bus arriving. Very nice “perk” after the fiasco at baggage claim. It was about a two hour drive from the airport to the Jufa Hotel in Malbun. We stopped at our favorite restaurant – Marchee – and grabbed lunch to go and went into our favorite market – Coop – to buy snacks for the room. There really isn’t a “store” anywhere near where we are staying unless they have built one since I was there in 2019.
The hotel is nicer and newer than the one I stayed in previously and the manager is exceptional. I got everyone checked in and rode up to the venue to check it out. We had agreed that everyone except Howard and David would walk the short distance between the hotel and venue. However, I did not realize it is all uphill! Also, Tim injured his foot about a week before we departed and is in a walking boot. So, he’s going to need transportation as well. The Production Company met us at the venue and they have enough equipment to cover the items in our lost case, so the show will definitely go on.
Galen received a message from Delta saying the case was located and being routed through Amsterdam to Zurich and arriving at 6:22 am tomorrow morning. Our promoter called a taxi company and we hired them to go pick the case up at the airport. From prior experience with Swiss Port, I knew that they might allow the bag to sit in their offices for days until they had a lot of other bags that needed to be delivered to Liechtenstein.
Dinner at the hotel was good and I was able to stay awake and work until 1:30 am! Hoping the weather cooperates today. Yesterday the production company had to shut down the venue because of strong storms coming through. It’s pretty normal to have a heavy thunderstorm every afternoon in this area during the Summer.
Jude
SUNDAY, MONDAY, AND TUESDAY JUNE 5TH, 6TH, AND 7TH –DAYS OFF IN LIECHTENSTEIN AND FLIGHT TO NORWAY:
Well, this will be the shortest “road report” in history for me…
I felt bad after the show on Saturday night and by Sunday morning was flat on my back with a wicked cold and/or flu! Fever, aches, chills, coughing, congestion, nausea. Just miserable. I am thankful that if I had to get sick, it happened on our days off. I literally stayed in bed all day for two days and nights drinking water with electrolytes and not eating anything at all because of the nausea. Thankfully David had some good “drugs” that had me feeling a lot better by Tuesday. I was very disappointed to miss my day with my friend Aida and her husband Stefan though.
Today, Wednesday, we flew from Zurich to Oslo to Haugesund, Norway. We flew SAS and the ticket agents were the rudest I’ve ever encountered. I was going to take one guy’s name and report him but of course, he was not wearing a name tag. His type never are, probably for that reason! I was able to eat a half a croissant at the hotel before we departed. Learned the hard way that it is not good thing to take an antibiotic on an empty stomach. I was so excited not to have to wear a mask on flights any longer. But, because I am still coughing, sniffling and sneezing, I wore mine all day in hopes that I didn’t infect anyone else in the group!
Our flight was only about 20 minutes delayed but we had a long layover in Oslo. They served a meal that was a salad with lettuce, potatoes and chicken but I couldn’t eat any of it. For the first time, we did not have to pick up all our bags and re-check them for the flight to Haugesund. The promoter said that everything would be closed by the time we arrived Haugesund so I encouraged everyone to eat dinner at the Olso airport. Randy Hall and I found a restaurant that served Ramen which sounded exactly like something I could eat. It was delicious!
It was a short 35 minute flight to Haugesund and again SAS served all kinds of snacks…none of which I accepted. Have to take it easy until I’m sure I’m 100% again. All our equipment and luggage arrived and we drove for about 20 minutes to the hotel. We stayed at this same hotel several years ago when we performed at a theatre in Haugesund. It is located in a great area on the waterfront with lots of restaurants and shopping. I think mine and David’s favorite Indian restaurant is next door! Hope I feel good enough to eat there before we depart on Thursday.
What I remember most about Haugesund was going jogging and getting attacked by seagulls who were “nesting”. I ran into a culvert and they would not let me out. One was stationed at both ends and would “attack” every time I tried to run out. Finally after about half an hour a nice man came by walking his dog and “saved” me. LOL!
Of course, EVERYTHING was still open when we arrived. I think the entire group went out to eat at one of the nearby restaurants.
Tomorrow is another day off (which I’m again thankful for!) and then we perform at the Kopervik Country Festival (about a 25 minute drive) on Thursday. Hope the weather will be beautiful!
Jude |
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