germany amsterdam belgium.....

Germany, Amsterdam, Belgium.......... October 11th, Shirley - the van - fully packed, sun shining and listening to the Pulp Fiction soundtrack we were off! A five hour drive and a quick stop at the Border Shop before we hit Hamburg. Astra Stube was a great venue. We had pasta ata restaurant near by and on our way back to do the show we walked into this funky Calypso band on the street. Dancing the streets back to Astra Stube were we were greeted by german beer and jaeger shots. The audience was amazing and the night was perfect. After the show our host, Nils, took us out to a bar "There's an afterparty tonight, it's YOUR afterparty!" (...Happy birthday darling, we love you very, very, very much...) Late night, Christian disappeared with Nils to this restaurant that was right next to the slaughterhouse and had schnitzel. Since me and Gustav are vegetarians, we had another beer instead......... October 12th, We woke up at the booker's place and walked down to III&70 where we had breakfast waiting. Off we go to Krefeld and the next show. Kulturrampe was very nice, thank you Peter for travelling 70 kilometers to come to the show!!! We were all pretty tired from the Hamburg party so after te show we went back to the hotel room. There's so much strange stuff on TV in Germany....especially late night. A wheel of fortune - topless. Christian is in chock. October 13, I love Amsterdam.... We got in to the city, amazed by all the canals, old houses...it's like a fairy-tale world! We met up with our friend Alma who were kind enough to let us stay at her place for the two nights - an apartment full of dancers! October 14, We were taken to the beach with Signe, who helped us book the Desmet Live show and the show at 'SKEK. It was a very very relaxing day. The show at 'SKEK that night went well, Signe played one of her songs with us. October 15, Lloyd Hotel....wow, the building was so impressing!! Huge old thing that used to be a youth prison in the eighties. We got a room with authentic interial design..... The show was great, one of the best so far, and we had the best double bill ever - the three of us and four opera singers! We met a girl, Larare, who was a guide and she offered us a tour around town the next day. October 16, After walking the streets of Amsterdam we went to Desmet Studios again to do our second radio show. Larae showed up and took us out to town for a night out. French fries with mayo, a walk through the red light district (Christian and Larae even went to a peep show - came out laughing hard...) We found a great cafe/bar where we spent the rest of the night. October 17, Sitting in the rain after a good night's sleep and a shower - imagine that! Larae let us sleep in her amazing apartment. And so, about to leave to go to Belgium. I'm glad that we got a few days in Amsterdam, thank you all people for helping us out and giving us a great time! Belgium: coming soon :)

rains, carrides, tomato roses, dead birds - VLOG part II

September 28, 4.15 - rise and shine, rockstars......zoegas coffe was very helpful 5.00 - In the car, driving towards Vaxjo. 8.00 - Radioshow at P4 Kronoberg, soooo tired! We found a breakfast place had a very hot hot chocolate and realized that we were really over-tired... All the three of us passed out for a few hours in our little home for the night. September 29, It was a great show last night, a loud audience, but we had great fun! The DJ played soul and we danced the rest of the night, got back to our room and found delicious sandwiches and orange juice, luxury :) I am right now on a train, not the right one, on my way to Copenhagen to do a show with Shooting John tonight. Since my train didn't come, I'm now crossing the country to go to Gothenburg and I really hope that I can find a train there immediately and without having to buy a new ticket... So I've been on this train for 3 hours now, another 3 to go...I'm not going to make it in time for soundcheck with Shooting John and this wasn't at all my plan for today. Darned train this morning that left too early!! 10.09 left the boys at the venue and walked across the street to the train staion. 20 min's left until the train would leave 10.12 Across the tracks I see a train going to Malmo, 'weird, it should leave at 10.25, maybe it's another one but I might as well get on that one, wonder how you get across the tracks though" Finally found my way to the right track just to find the train had already left. 'Well, I'll just take the one that I was supposed to' Couldn't find it anywhere so I asked a few people there. 10.25 Got on to the train going across the country just to get off in the next town to change trains to go south instead. 10.48 The train crew said they were sorry but apparently I couldn't go with that other train so I had to go with them across the country to Gothenburg to change trains there instead. Fine, I thought, and sat down again. Then I realized that I wouldn't be in Gothenburg until 13.20! My train going south left 13.35 though, so at least I didn't have to wait. The sound check for shooting John had moved to 4pm instead so the plan with me bringing the tourbus down to them crashed.. Instead I had to take the train directly to Copenhagen. 13.20 Getting on the other train, remember that I'm also walking around with my cello, a backpack and another bag on me.... We'd just been on the train for an hour and a half when they told us that we were 30 minutes late. Well in Malmo, Sweden they told us that we had to change train again to go over to Copenhagen. Lucky me that the train crews today have been amazingly understanding! I'm now a few minutes from Copenhagen and I really hope the guys in Shooting John will pick me up....I don't want to go searching for a bus right now with all the stuff and try to exchange my swedish money to danish and all that....pretty please?? Looking forward to the show, though! Keep the light burning, huh? -------- October 3rd, With David Bowie blasting through our speakers we rolled in to Gothenburg. Found a VERY expensive parking lot and went in to Wish Club. The food we got at the resturant Vice Cersa was amazing, they even made us roses from tomatos :) The show went well and the booker Patrik was everything we needed, him and the 50 bar tickets he gave us... We had to leave right after the show, going to Stockholm. And that, my friends is something you don't want to do at night. Dark small roads that never ended and after stopping at a gas station for an hour of sleep it was still a few hours left before we roled into Ronninge, right outside of Stockholm, where our home would be the next three nights. October 4th, We woke up, walked out and was greeted by sunlight and our wonderful friend Walle, that was sitting on the stairs drinking coffe and smoking. It's a very old house with a fireplace and no running water. Freedom. We drove in to town and found Lady Patricia, the boat where we would play that night. Christian bought a suit and went off to do a photo shoot for his upcoming album. The show went well, we met friends that we hadn't seen in ages. In the middle of the set I got really seasick, creepy! Back to the house again and beer in front of the fireplace. October 5th, I bought a Nord Lead!! Finally I don't have to drag my heavy piano around anymore... And it's bright and red and beautiful too. I named him Mio. I am one happy girl. October 7th, After a few days up north in Sweden we just arrived to Helsingborg again. Time to pack everything up and say our goodbyes. Today we will go buy things for the road. Warm socks, a camping kitchen, cans of beens........ *H On repeat this week: 'so here we are' - bloc party Currently listening : Silent Alarm By Bloc Party Release date: 22 March, 2005