The premise...
A two month tour of Central Europe playing music, a voice and an acoustic guitar. Oh yeah, this is my first tour! The goal...
To survive!
 
The lay out...
I had this idea and called my friend, Nancy, who was looking for something new to do. I know Nancy from working with her in Germany, 1985-88. My thought was to send her two months in advance, travel and book what she could. Armed with promo and product and no experience in the music business, she laid out two months of dates from Germany to Holland to England and Scotland and back to Germany (see Tour Info). So, the stage is set...

 

9.24.01 Monday
Well, well, the time is upon me to depart on a crazy adventure, a dream of my life. It is hard for me to leave right now, I am missing you all already. But something that is greater than me, is pulling and pushing me somewhere. Faith runs huge right now. Big day tomorrow. Game on...!

 

9.25.01 Tuesday
Today is fly day! Am packed and ready! The day is smooth and easy. Dropped at the airport, checked on through direct to Frankfurt, Germany. Aahh, business class is great! Big chairs, movies, food and cocktails, nice blankets, too. Landing tomorrow. And blessed and grateful for my family and friends. Just in case you didn't know, I love you!

 

9.26.01 Wednesday
Whew! Made it! Flight was great, definitely did some breathing throughout. Bags and guitar in hand, board myself a train to Freilassing, south of Munich. Couple of changes and hours later and two bad blisters from my shoes, I don't like shoes, flip flops forever, I am met by Nancy and Harry, our new 1979 Ford Transit Camper Van, that my friend Blue had driven from England to Germany and dropped off with Nancy. Home for the next two months or so with a bonus stay with friends of Nancy. Beautiful countryside here. Memories are trickling back...

 

9.27.01 Thursday
Beautiful morning. We are staying in a beautiful bed and breakfast that Nancy's friends, Molly and Toby, own. The mountains around are amazing. Well, right to work, which is what I came here for. We are off to meet a venue owner on hour north of here and finalize details for playing, then back down to Salzburg, Austria to meet with another venue manager and finally pulling into Berchtesgaden, my old stomping grounds. Memories come. Reunion with my self.

 

9.28.01 Friday
Great to back here in Bavaria, but am still processing all of this. Amazed that I am even here. Trying to settle in. We were headed to Munich and Oktoberfest and got side tracked at Chiemsee, a lake rec area where I used to work, it's between Munich and Salzburg. Finalize another date and finally get to see some old friends. Hugs, beers, and conversation! German beer is the best! Old friends are the best!

 

9.29.01 Saturday
A great day in Bad Reichenhall and Berchtesgaden. The mountains and valleys here are magical. Spent the day with an old friend, Dan, and then headed to B-gaden for the opening of the local beer fest. Big ol' mug o'beer, chicken, brats, salads, music and lots of happy people. I am here, blessed and amazed that this is all real, life goes on... with or without us. I am breathing. I am feeling my heart beat. I am feeling me. I am living.

 

9.30.01 Sunday
Sunday, mellow Sunday. Not much happens in Southern Germany on a Sunday. Not much happens in Europe on a Sunday. We are readying Harry for a trip to Holland and back. Fortunately, we call to reconfirm and were told not to come. Oh well, things happen for a reason.... There are other details to be sorted and it will be good to have the time to sort them out before we get out on the road.

 

10.01.01 Monday
Glad for more time to settle in, I'm still adjusting to everything that is happening. I drove to Chiemsee to see my friend Barney. Spent the afternoon in conversation and beer. Breathe and slow even more. More and more memories. Nice to tie up parts of your life and know that they are real. Introspection...analyzation of self and the never ending pound of details and prep to make this all work out and be as easy as possible.

 

10.02.01 Tuesday
A mellow day. Got back to gardening and trimmed the back hedge for Molly and Toby. Enjoyed the work and wanted to pitch in somehow to show appreciation for the hospitality. Off to B-gaden for a drive, check the mail and stop in at the beer fest for a quick one. Am getting anxious to play.

 

10.03.01 Wednesday
Today is Unification Day in Germany. A national holiday for the rejoining of Germany to itself. Nothing happens on a holiday here. But, you can always get a beer and a bowl of soup in Bavaria. Dan and I head to the pub and walk around looking at buildings from 1633 or is this Disney?

 

10.04.01 Thursday
Another day of details, e-mails, phone calls, plotting and planning for what's coming. Music starts in two days. Looking forward to it. I love to sing! An afternoon trip up the chair lift to the top to sit in the sun, drink a beer and be surrounded by mountains, European style. Did lots of hiking in these mountains when I lived here. Good to see them, touch them, hear them, feel them again. Thoughts of home. I am blown away that I am here.

 

10.05.01 Friday
Well, everything happens for a reason.... On our way to Freilassing to the local radio station, Harry got sick. Lucky for us we never made it past the parking lot we were in. Then, Dan to the rescue. A quick tow to the Ford dealership, friends of Dan's, they laughed at the engine (Harry has a huge 4 cylinder that you could pull out by hand) and said they would call tomorrow. Super nice people. Got back to find that the Big Water clothing line had arrived, shirts and sweatshirts. They came out awesome! Thanks Ryan, Heidi, Blue and Carolina for your help! Music tomorrow!

 

10.06.01 Saturday
Opening day! Kick off! Game on! Spend the morning helping Toby and Molly close up their rafting business. Got Harry back, new fuel pump. Glad we weren't on the road. The mechanics dialed it up for us and charge us no labor. Amazing. Afternoon off to Bernau, up by Chiemsee, for my first gig, in the club that I used to play in back in 87 and 88. A great night! More old friends, great response, I had fun! We sold cds, shirts and I even signed an autograph or two. Breathing.... Introspection always.

 

10.07.01 Sunday
Off to play in Salzburg, Austria, a twenty minute drive from where we've been staying. Playing an Aussie theme pub. Nice room, low ceiling, but open cellar sort of feel. Love the age of buildings here, as well as where they are and why they got put there. Castle on the hill for the archbishop to oversee the salt trade that ran and still runs today. Churches, squares and houses below. 1600's. Had a good gig, acoustics were nice. Different crowd, but got to do my thing. This is amazing and wonderful!

 

10.08.01 Monday
Breathe day. Slow down day. Letting the throat recoup. Very smoky every where you go. Europeans love to smoke. Molly comes to the rescue and helps us make some posters for this weekend. Everyone uses posters for flyers over here, too much paper. We head to B-gaden and to the Kuckucksnest and meet Bodo, the owner, to drop off some of these posters and finalize arrangements. Pondering.... Grateful for my family and friends and all the help and support that I receive from the financial to the hugs and words of encouragement. Wonder if I'm really worthy of you all. Doing my best.

 

10.09.01 Tuesday
Today was amazing! Back to Salzburg to hang out in the Domeplatz. Nancy has an artist friend who paints and sells right there and the Domeplatz is a great place for basking, playing in the street. So, I sttod in front of the place where Mozart, born and raised here, had his first concert and opened my guitar case, put some money and some cds in it and listened to my voice and guitar just ring around the square. Amazing acoustics. Sold two cds and walked with $80 in shillings. Not bad for an hour. Fun to rock out in this old square, but I guess Mozart started it all back then. Haven't seen Amadeus? Check it out. Happy Birthday, Jeff.

 

10.10.01 Wednesday
Promo/marketing day. We drive to Freilassing to make a sneak attack on the local indie radio station. Nancy and I walk in, Nancy with promo and cd, me with guitar. "Who can we play for right now?", is our question to Markus, the news guy. The music director is out, we leave cd and promo and will call back in the afternoon. Trying anything and everything. Spent the evening with more old friends, Ted and Gaby. Great to laugh and talk about life. Lots more going on behind the scenes than we all think.

 

10.11.01 Thursday
Well, back to gardening again. Finish the backside of the hedge and the one in front. Love it! Talked with Dietmar from the radio station and we got a spot on Friday afternoon at 4. My first live radio performance! I get a couple minute interview and get to play a couple minutes of a song. It has been a month since our latest world tragedy and am heading to the Seehaus tonight, an old castle looking place with a great room, to keep putting out as much love as I can. Got a cool little write up in the local paper. It was a beautiful night, candles on the tables, people sitting and listening, wonderful! Like a real show! Love as much as you can everyday!

 

10.12.01 Friday
Today is radio day! After a day of details, prep for leaving, phone calls, e-mails, I run Harry down to the Ford dealership to change the plugs and air filter. Dan and I had gone earlier and Dan set it up so I could come and use some tools and do it. I pull in and some guy comes out and does it for me, right there, for free! Amazing! Blessed and grateful to be the recipient of kindness. The day is beautiful, the weather has been warm, Indian Summer. Flip-flops forever! We head to the radio station. We go in and I get set up with Peter, the afternoon dj. We talk about what will happen, I tune my guitar, we have an interview for a few minutes, he translates, I play a couple of minutes of a song and it's done, my first live radio performance. Super fun! I was a little nervous, but it was bad ass. Peter made a copy for me, great to hear it on German radio.

 

10.13.01 Saturday
Heavy day of thought. Looking at myself as a person. Who am I, what am I doing, how I treat people, am I a good person, am I worthy of the message, of the gift of voice that I have, of the gift of Love? Who am I to spout this spout? Am I what I say I am? The practice of life and love? Breathing.... Back to Bodo's tonight, a great gig, more old friends and continually getting new ones. Still amazed that I am here and this is happening. I am blessed to be here on this planet. Am missing you all. Happy Birthday, Kelly.

 

10.14.01 Sunday
Packing up and off to Amsterdam, Holland. We have a week long conference, music industry related and I will be playing at the end of the week in some pub as part of the conference. Looking forward to getting on the road. Here we go! Road trip!

 

10.15.01 Monday
We awake in Holland, up past Amsterdam, on the beach of Zaandvort. We drove all night, taking turns driving and sleeping in the back. Head into the city to another friend of Nancy's. Awesome to have a place to put my guitar and have a safe place to sleep and park. Thanks Yvonne and Mo. Walk to the city.... I love Amsterdam!

 

10.16.01 Tuesday
Wake and ... walk. Aahh, Amsterdam. Beautiful morning, off for a coffee like only this city has to offer.... Breathing, settlling in, settling into the city, this trip, this life, my self. Scout day, we walk and check out where all the conferences and venues are for the week and walk and walk and walk and walk. It's amazing how people look at you when you wear flip flops in Europe, flip flops forever! A great place to just hang out and be. Wish you were all here with me. Aahh, A-dam.

 

10.17.01 Wednesday
Wake and... walk. I'm loving all the walking. Registration and conferences today. Schmooze and network. Meet people and exchange info. Interesting. Not really my thing, but fun anyway. Lots of differences between Europe and the US. Afternoon cocktail party. Nice people. My friends from SF, Lauraine and Richard are here for the conferences as well, great to see them. An evening off to Leiden, to the Sus Antigoon, where I'm playing on Monday night. Cool little bar with good acoustics and sound in a cool little university town. We meet Martin, the owner. Super nice! Reminded me of Bodo in B-gaden. We set details and drop off posters. Looking forward to Monday night. Back to A-dam and sleep for the night.

 

10.18.01 Thursday
Wake and... walk. I think I'm walking a good ten miles a day. So many cool buildings and cool streets and canals. Conferences all day. Getting as much info as we can. Nancy and Lauraine and I have been splitting up to cover and learn as much as we can. Amazed at the reaction of people when we tell them what we are doing. "You're doing what?", "You can't do that." I say, "There are no rules!" After listening and learning, feel like I'm making progress somehow. Definitely doing something no one else is. Great day! An evening of music. Breathing and unwinding in Amsterdam...

 

10.19.01 Friday
Wake and... walk. I am losing weight and feeling really good. Love to walk. All of this is definitely hard and knew going into it that it would be. My brain is in overdrive, minimal sleep and can't seem to stop moving. I'm not stressed out, well ok, maybe a little. More introspection. Working things out with myself. Missing family, missing friends, missing love. Playing tonight at the Aran Pub as part of the conference. Yucky room, really poor room to showcase songwriters. My worst performance in a long, long time. Fun, nonetheless, people here like music from all over. Thinking is excessive and noisy...

 

10.20.01 Saturday
Wake and... walk. It has really been great to walk. Exercise is so key. It's been great not to wear shoes. The weather has and is still Indian Summer, so, flip-flops forever! Spend the morning in my favorite morning coffee shop writing and writing. Nancy meets me and we walk, guitar in hand, to the Waterlooplein, to go for a boat ride with Lauraine and Richard and their friends and family. Great group of people. We tour the harbor and canals drinking beer and wine and toasting an anniversary for Richard's sister and husband. I pull out my guitar and sing and play on the canals of Amsterdam. Incredible! Another mellow evening out just walking and hanging out. Breathing and still slowing it all down.

 

10.21.01 Sunday
Wake and... walk. This time Nancy decides to join me and we head for coffee together. A decided day off from everything. We hang out all day and watch people and the day go by. It has been a challenge to put two people who don't really know each other all that well, together in a van to travel and play music. It has been a challenge for us to work out our personalities and find the best way to work together. Nancy is a superstar and survives on faith. Never having seen me play live before, she decided to help me anyway. Booked two months of dates with no music business experience and is traveling with me, all of me, ups and downs. A great day of just hanging out and slowing down and talking. A day of working out personal issues and problems, learning, letting go, surviving the truth. This whole trip, business and personal, is the hardest thing I've ever undertaken in my life. I am full of gratitude.

 

10.22.01 Monday
Wake and... walk. Last morning in Amsterdam. Breakfast and then a coffee and off to check e-mails before we leave. Headed to Leiden, 30 minutes south west, down by Den Haag. Playing tonight at the Sus Antigoon. We arrive early and walk around a beautiful quaint city, find a pool table, shoot some stick, relax and talk about better ways to do what we're doing. Starting to look at the festival scene and circuit for Spring and Summer. Had a really nice time playing music in this bar. I'm finally unwinding and letting myself do what I know how to. People were awesome and interactive. Martin has a mini disc recorder and records the whole show. Hopefully pick up a copy before we go to England. Should be interesting to hear that. We pack up and are leaving and find that we have very, very minimal brakes. I check the fluid and we drive to the autobahn to someplace open for brake fluid. Spend the night, it is late and we'll sort it in the morning. Blessed and honored to have gotten to play. Wow, this is all so surreal.

 

10.23.01 Tuesday
We wake at the road side rest and find a Ford dealership that's close. We meet another Martin and he says to pull it in and he'll look at it real quick. Harry needs a new rear brake cylinder. Martin finds the part and dials us. We're back on the road. So much for last night's profits. We're now off to Den Haag (The Hague) to check it out and see what we can find out. It's only 20 minutes from Leiden. Beautiful city! Lots of big houses and parks. Schwanky, schwanky. We head to the centrum and look around. Tomorrow is Nancy's birthday and she wants to spend the night in a hotel so she can wake up clean and rested on her birthday. We look for a hotel and find nothing is Den Haag or at the beach. Take a stroll by the North Sea. End up back by Leiden for the night. Nice room. Two big beds. Bath and shower. Sleep well.

 

10.24.01 Wednesday
Well, well, Nancy's birthday! We both enjoy sleeping in. Take advantage of the shower again and call for a late check out. Today is day off and do whatever and go wherever Nancy wants to. We hang out until 2:00 pm and pack up Harry. Harry is once again on the outs. Cranks over, but won't stay running. Can't move it. We're in the hotel parking lot. After a round of phone calls and weighing options, we got Harry towed to the closest Ford dealership. We pull in right when they are closing. It is raining. It's all good! Breathing and flowing. The tow driver was awesome! Maneuvered that sucker all over the place. The streets are not big here. Anyway, there's no one to look at it until tomorrow. We are being made to slow down, pay attention. We have a nice dinner out, a game of chess and off to sleep outside the Ford dealership. Happy birthday, Nancy! Was hoping for a better day for you. She made the best of it. Good for her! Pray all night for strength and guidance, asking for help. Adversity introduces a man to himself and here I am seeing me, being me and more than anything just want to be a good person and be smarter and better at this thing called life, this thing called love. Faith continues to run huge.... Love as much as you can everyday!

 

10.25.01 Thursday
We wake early so we're up and out before the Ford guys come at 8. It's against the law to sleep or camp in your car here in Holland unless you're in a campground, which are all closed now. Not much sleep. Weighing all options to make the best decisions in the right scenario. But, still all hinges on what they find, could be easy, could be done. A game of chess while we wait. Enjoy the thinking of chess. Although, we pretty much play speed chess. In the middle of game two, we are told that Harry is fixed and had some kind of ignition problem. Am gaining my strength back after getting knocked on my ass by life and love and am glad for all this challenge to know that I am strong and unbroken and will always be so. Faith is unconditional. I am divinely guided and letting myself be that. We all are, if we allow. Nancy and I make our way back to Amsterdam to meet my friends Tom and Marion from England. I started playing out in bars with Tom in 87. Another old friend and another new one. A great evening talking and laughing. Wonderful. Am missing you all very much. Just in case you didn't know, I love you.

 

10.26.01 Friday
Wake and... walk. Walking has now become routine and is part of my every day. I'm off for coffe and some thinking, planning and writing. Meet Nancy, Tom and Marion for a day of strolling around the city. Spend some time on the computer to organize and stay on top of things and then walk to get my guitar and back to the city. Tom and Marion are staying in the city and we sit in their room and Tom and I take turns playing guitar for hours. Stories and laughter. A great evening.

 

10.27.01 Saturday
Wake and ... walk. Last day in Holland for a month or so. Headed to England this afternoon to stay with Tom and Marion for a couple of days and then off to Liverpool to start the second half of the tour. Again, time on the computer and working out details before noon. Have to drive to Hoek van Holland on the coast south of Den Haag, to catch the ferry. Great ferry ride! 4 movie theaters, restaurants, bars and a casino. Nice ride, about 3 and a half hours. We land in England, cheerio! A 45 minute drive to Tom and Marion's in Sudbury and we're there. Feels great to drive on the left side of the road. Late night of talking and I'm out.

 

10.28.01 Sunday
A day to sleep in and wake easy on a lazy Sunday in England. Get to wake up in some history in Marion's house. The material that was used to make our original 'Old Glory' flag was made in this house, a symbol of our independence and freedom. Was really hoping that America could lead the world in thought and think this whole thing through. Interesting perspectives over here. Interesting news as well. A day of pondering what is happening to the world and what all this violence is about and what it is accomplishing? Have we learned from the past? Guess not. Organizing and readying to go to Liverpool, home of the Beatles, tomorrow. Pressing on and pushing to not stop my life. Am very saddened by all of the world's affairs. Missing you all immensely. Love as much as you can everyday?!

 

10.29.01 Monday
Pack it all up and say goodbye to Tom and Marion for now, off to Liverpool. An easy few hours drive across the English countryside, beautiful. Really fun to drive on the left side of the road. We have a left hand drive van, so it's fun to sit in the passenger seat, the British drivers seat, and watch the faces as you go by because you're not driving. We make our way to Wirral, the peninsula that separates Liverpool and North Wales, to more friends of ours from Germany. We'll be camping in the driveway of our friends, Debbie and Mark and their two kids Carly and Abbie, for the next week. It will be good to get back to playing, 5 gigs here this week. Unfortunately, I am down with a cold and scratchy throat. Working on getting healthy, mentally and physically. Still can't believe I'm here and this is happening. Grateful and in awe.

 

10.30.01 Tuesday
Wake and organize for the week. We head to Mossley Hill, south of Liverpool, down by Penny Lane, to track down the address of a website about Americana music here in the UK. We want to drop off promo and cds and get included in what's going on. Mark, the website guy, is not home, so we drop and go. Back to the temporary home front to rest for the afternoon and ready for my first gig in Liverpool. Play at a little place north of Liverpool called Stamps. Cool room, small, casual and intimate. Meet Steve Roberts, the organizer for the evening. Great guy. Mark, website guy, shows up and listens and says that he will review the cd and the performance on his website, I'll send the info when it comes out. Have a great night despite being under the weather. People here are quiet and listen and are very appreciative. Sell a couple cds and the Big Water waves roll on.

 

10.31.01 Wednesday
Sleep in after a windy, rainy night. Very windy here almost all the time so I'm told. A morning of plotting and planning and working on more details. Looking ahead to Scotland and then to London and then into next year. Trying to figure out where this is all taking me. A day of rest and recovery to get healthy and ready for 4 straight nights of playing at the Cavern Club. Am pacing for the second half, so I can finish the game, another month and a half. Go out on the peninsula to watch the sunset and moonrise and get some balance. Beautiful evening. It's Halloween at home and here as well. Great to watch Debbie and Mark's girls get dressed up and go trick or treating with their English accents. October comes to a close and has been a great and challenging month. Learning and growing, will never be the same. I am honored and blessed to be living and breathing on this planet and in this life. So precious is life.

 

11.01.01 Thursday
Wow, welcome to November! A bright and beautiful fall day. The temperature drops just a little everyday as winter creeps in. Head back to Mossley Hill to meet with Mark, www.americana-uk.com, and check out Penny Lane. We spend the afternoon talking, Nancy drinking tea and Mark and I sipping pints of ale. One of the great things about this journey is meeting cool people and exchanging info, Mark, Nancy and I have a round table discussion of music and aspects of the music business. Great afternoon! Tonight begins my run at the Cavern Club, home to the Beatles, some 300 performances. But, tonight is my first. Really cool place, you go down and down and down into the cavern/cellar. Low ceiling in the front room with a real cellar feel. Meet Alex, the manager, very nice guy, makes sure that we are taken care of. I kick off the night and have a blast. Not many locals, mostly tourists, but they enjoy and are appreciative. Sound was a little tough, but an amazing night, nonetheless. History is amazing and adding to it is even more amazing. I am full of gratitude. Thanks Nancy, nice job getting this one!

 

11.02.01 Friday
We wake early to head to the school where Debbie works, Brookhurst Primary School. They have a morning assembly and Nancy and I are the guest speakers. We walk into the room to find 100 or so little blue sweatshirted kids from age 4 to 11. Nancy and I take turns telling them who we are and what we're doing. I ask if I can play them songs they've never heard before and 100 or so kids say, yes! The best audience I've ever had! Very polite, very appreciative. They stole my heart when they all helped me sing 'The Bus'. How great to have all those kids singing, 'Get up, get on the bus', and them knowing that it's about driving to your dreams. Tear in my eye. Once again, blessed and honored and grateful. Thanks Debbie for that one! Back in the Cavern Club again tonight, but in the back room this time. A bigger room and bar and great sound. Once again kick off the night with a long/short set and enjoy another good response. Nice when people come up to you and tell you that they enjoyed what you did. Sell a couple shirts and cds, but not really a good place for that with the multiple line up thing. Great night, sound was awesome, am getting back in full voice. Make new friends from Glasgow, Marilyn, Margaret and Gavin, who work for BBC Scotland. We hang, have fun and trade info, lots of tips for Glasgow and Edinburgh, our next stops. Great people! Learning more and more about life...

 

11.03.01 Saturday
Sleep in and have a lazy morning. Today I am at the Cavern Club once again, this time an afternoon slot in the front room. Lots of people, again mostly tourists. The Magical Mystery Tour has the Cavern Club as one of its' stops. Great day, again I kick off the day and have a great time. Sound is awesome and people are listening and appreciative. Sell cds and sign a couple of postcards. Some of the staff know me by now and I've got one more gig to go. Again, thanks Nancy, nice gig! Spend the evening with Mark and Debbie, as the kids are shipped off for the night. Great to sit and chat and hang out. Great dinner! Wonderful evening!

 

11.04.01 Sunday
Wake and ease into the day. Nancy and I spend the morning talking and organizing for the next leg to Scotland. Off to Liverpool on my own today with Nancy taking a day for herself. My last day at the Cavern Club. Fit myself in for a couple of sets and my stint in Liverpool has ended. Best day yet! Am amazed, blessed and honored again to add to some history. It has been a truly great week. Meet Ray from Phoenix, who works for BMI. Super nice guy! Short, but great conversation. Meet Lisa from Milwaukee, who flew to Dublin, Ireland to run the Dublin marathon and raise money for Leukemia, and is now traveling on her own. Gutsy lady! We sit and have dinner and chat. Very nice girl. Great dinner and conversation. Wishing her and Ray safe travels home. Back to the home front for the night.

 

11.05.01 Monday
Last day in Liverpool. A day of laundry and cleaning and organizing, getting ready to go to Glasgow tomorrow. Mellow day full of logistics and finalizing more details, phone calls, e-mails, etc. A day to ponder my existence. Feeling stronger every day, despite the cold I have. I am still walking and doing some exercises to stay healthy. It all helps ground me and slow me down and lets me breathe into myself to feed my brain, body, spirit, soul, wanting to be a better person. Today is Guy Fawkes day here in England. Guy Fawkes is a man who in the 1600's tried to overthrow the government and blow up the parliament building with loads of dynamite and got caught. So, the English celebrate this day of orneryness and have a night of bonfires and fireworks. All around the skyline, there are fireworks and fires. We go with Carly and Abbie and Louise down to the local bonfire and sit and watch the sky light up. Pretty sweet! A great way to end the week here and get sent off to Scotland. Thank you, Liverpool. Great city! Thank you Mark and Debbie for all your help and hospitality. We are very grateful.

 

11.06.01 Tuesday
Early rising. Last day in Liverpool and we're up to see the kids off to school and say our goodbyes to Mark and Debbie. Thank you, thank you for all the hospitality! Thank you Liverpool! Great city! We gather our things and pack up Harry for a drive north into Scotland. Cross the Scottish border and have a good cry. Something shaking my soul. We venture off the beaten track and head west to the coast to try and catch the sunset on the North Channel, the waterway between Scotland and Ireland. Amazing countryside. Stone walls everywhere. Lots of sheep. Red spotted ones, blue spotted ones and my favorite, all yellow ones! Hit the beach in Ayr and take a stroll on the beach in the dark after missing the coastal sunset. This has been an amazing journey and I am learning and growing somuch as a human being. Slowing down so I can see better, hear better, be better. We make our way to Glasgow, about a half an hour from the coast and find a place to bunker down for the next couple of nights. On the road...

 

11.07.01 Wednesday
A beautiful morning in Glasgow, sad day for my feet. The temperatures have finally dropped and we are farther north, so unfortunately, my flip flops have been traded for shoes. But, I am defiant despite the shoes, flip flops forever! Head to Glasgow center and bask for a little while. Meet a lovely woman and her child, they are drawn by the voice and pick up a cd. Energy, people, love. Rain puts a close on playing outside, so we head to find the office of Shoeshine Records and Francis McDonald. We find the building and step back in time. Hallways and offices are straight out from Sam Spade, circa 1940's. No one there, we call and leave a message. Now off Tut's Wah-Wah Hut to see Dave, the manager. Nancy has spent a considerable amount of time, effort and money trying to book me here, only to get no response. Such is the music business. Another guerilla move, she heads up to the office and I wait down in the bar. Nice small victory for Nancy as she gets to say her peace to Dave and then calls me upstairs to play a song. Don't know what they're missing. Easy afternoon. A wonderful evening at the Scotia Bar, established 1792! Sweet little place. Meet Sandy, fellow musician and organizer for the night. Great talented guy! We get in touch with Francis from Shoeshine Records and get to meet him as well. Super nice of him to come out and meet us and hear me play. More info. Meet Bob and George, who really round out the evening.

 

11.08.01 Thursday
Another beautiful, crispy morning in Glasgow. Try to stay on the positive side as I go to buy new socks, I only brought one pair . Nancy and I hit the internet to check on business and then we're off to Edinburgh, about an hours drive east. We roll in and I am fully blown away by the beauty of this city. Absolutely inspiring. My soul shakes harder. Architecture and castles and mountains. Wow! Aquick check on the internet to find a B&B, too cold to camp and we're only here one night. We head to Cafe on the Mound, where I'll be playing tonight, to check in there before we check in at the B&B. Meet Marco and Lydia, who run the place. They are amazing! Nancy has been telling me for a while how Marco really turned her initial journey around for her by being incredibly nice to her. And they both are sincerely beautiful people. Check out http://www.onthemound.com We go settle in at the B&B. Lovely little place. Rest and head back to Cafe on the Mound. We arrive to find Bob, a friend of Nancy's from Newcastle, who drove up about 3 hours, to see Nancy and hear me play. Wow, an amazing man on fire! The weather has definitely changed as snow falls on a November night in Edinburgh. Have a wonderful time playing and singing and hanging out with Marco and Lydia and Bob. So much so, that I am coming back tomorrow to play again at the cafe and Marco and Lydia have invited us to their house in Dunkeld, about an hour north of Edinburgh, to spend the night. We say our goodnights and head off to the pub with Bob for a night cap. Days and nights becoming even more amazing. Settling into myself again. Life is a practice. Life is a process. Never ending...

 

11.09.01 Friday
A beautiful, wintry sort of morning. Crisp with snow on the distant mountains right outside of town. A great breakfast and then off to the city center. Have a great morning, walk through the city and head to Cafe on the Mound. The 'Mound' is just that, a huge mound where the Edinburgh castle is and all the parliament buildings are. Incredible feeling. Play through the afternoon and again enjoy the cafe. Marco and Lydia have gone out of their way to make it a place of music and it's awesome! Nancy and I take a break and go for a drive down the Royal Mile, by the queen's castle and to the outskirts of Edinburgh. We head for the snow on the mountains and come across the local ski area. One chairlift, a couple of t-bars and plenty of plastic matting to ski on. There isn't much snow, but enough to cover everything and enough to make me feel at home as an ex-12 year veteran of ski teaching. Loved it! Head back to the cafe and play again and then we follow Marco and Lydia to pick up their son Edward and head north to Dunkeld. We arrive late evening and go straight to the Taybank Inn, a B&B/pub owned by Dougie McClean, a prominent Scottish folk musician. An incredible place set up for spontaneous music; a piano, guitars and fiddles on the wall for anyone to pick up and play. They also broadcast quite a bit over the internet, www.taybank.com. A quaint little pub from 1795. I pull out my Martin and play a few songs. Wild to be able to just pull out your instrument and play. Super fun! Meet John, a fellow musician there for the weekend with his wife and friends, and a whole slew of others. Great night! My soul is shaking hard. Feeling my role in history, have been here before. It is late and we head just up the road to Marco and Lydia's for the night.

 

11.10.01 Saturday
We wake to another beautiful day and find ourselves in an incredible 17 room mansion right next to the river Tay. This is like a dream, absolutely surreal. Pinches to make sure that this is real. Sweet house, beauty garden, river running by, hills and colored trees all around. Breathtaking! We head into Dunkeld for breakfast, one of the quaintest towns I've ever seen. Stepping back in time. coffee with Marco and Lydia at the other cafe that they run here, and get to meet Dougie McClean, another amazing man on fire. Great to meet someone who by his own action affirms my path. Wonderful morning conversation, some business, some pleasure. Lunch with Marco and Lydia and then Nancy and I spend the afternoon walking around this unbelievable place. The town, the cathedral, the river, the land, Marco and Lydia. Wow! Nancy and I are overwhelmed. An evening back at the Taybank and we meet Jenny and Jamie, Dougie's wife and son. Great people! So blessed to be on this journey and be guided to so many wonderful people and places. Play a few songs , make a fool out of myself, have a great time, learning how to smooth my edges. Refinement of a person, refinement of the practice of life. Another night at Marco and Lydia's. We are grateful, blessed and honored.

 

11.11.01 Sunday
Another surreal morning waking in this place, Dunkeld, Scotland. A morning walk to let it all sink in. Slowing down, breathing, learning, accepting the gifts of angels, driving my bus and being. We are all divinely guided if we allow and balance that with conscious awareness and you have a great mix of destiny and free will. Faith rages on. Lovely Sunday morning, coffee, conversation and an early Sunday drive to the countryside of the middle of nowhere Scotland. Absolutely truly amazing! Scotland is incredible. We sadly say our goodbyes to Marco and Lydia and Edward. Thank you, thank you for your kindness and new friendship. We head south out of Scotland over Hadrian's Wall and the border back to England, one of the oldest in the world. We're on our way to Newcastle Upon-Tyne to see Bob again and spend the night. Have a wonderful dinner with Bob. Slow evening. Great chance for a quick refuel, recharge and we're off again tomorrow.

 

11.12.01 Monday
We wake to breakfast with Bob and again I am blessed and humbled at how wonderful and giving people are. A quick spot on the internet and we're off with Bob on a tour of Newcastle! Have always wanted to come here. Newcastle Brown Ale is one of my favorite beers and my main purpose in coming here is to sample the local fare since the live music scene here isn't much. Interesting city, mix of old and new and back to old again. Man's influence on the planet. Beautiful cathedrals, awesome castle, circa 1100, cool bridges, The Angel of the North and cool pubs. Had to look to find a Newcastle in Newcastle, pretty funny. But, I get to sit and enjoy one of my favorite beers in the city it is made in. Another one to check off the to-do list. Say our goodbyes to Bob. Thank you for the brief stay! We motor south to Sheffield for a gig at the Fleur de Lys. We meet John and Annie, friends of Nancy's from Germany, who helped set up the evening for us. Sweet little pub, great people once again! Great to have a night where people sit and listen to music they've never heard before. Move some cds and shirts. Great night! We get to see our old friend Duncan, who also worked with us in Germany. Great to catch up and solidify a person's past, make your life real and see how much we all grow and change and stay the same. Wonderful to see Duncan and share this now and that then. Off to John and Annie's for the night. Thank you John for all your help.

 

11.13.01 Tuesday
We're up early and off to North Wales. Thanks again John and Annie for the hospitality! We're off to Llandudno, North Wales to visit more of Nancy's friends from Germany, Nerys and Owen and play at the end of the week. We cruise the english countryside amazed at the amount of stone walls that run everywhere. We pull off the motorway to stop in Chester, an old haunted Roman city before the border of Wales, and look for a bite to eat. We head towards the town center and discover that Harry is overheating. We find an auto parts store to pull over into and find that Harry has a hole in the radiator. I talk with Liz in the store and get sealant to pour into Harry. Not much help, the hole is too big. We load up on water and go in search of help. Nothing. We decide to take the chance and finish the last hour of our drive to Llandudno, stopping a few times to add water. We make our way to Nerys and Owen's, who live on 'The Great Orme'. My spirit is dancing here. Amazing scenery. Magic in the air. Home of Merlin, the Celts, the s and then some. I am stepping into me, back in time and back into me again. We pull up to the house and meet Michael, who is house sitting a few doors down. A cup of tea and great conversation. A long lost brother of old. Meet Nerys and Owen, amazing couple. We have a wonderful dinner and once again am humbled by the generosity of people. Not much sleep. My brain is on fire in this magical place. Everything is as it should be, always. We may not always understand it, but it always what it should be. I am home, again.

 

11.14.01 Wednesday
A day on the Orme.... Absolutely clear and clean morning. Coffee up in the garden at the back of the house. The house is literally on the Orme, which is a big, round peninsula sticking up off the North Welsh coast. The land hums. I jump in the car with Nerys for a quick tour of the towns and area we are looking at from the garden. We wind our way into Llandudno, a Victorian built town on the seaside. Straight out of the 1800's. Wonderful architecture. Make our way across the little valley to Conwy, an old castle town that still stands. Walls and bridge and cobblestone streets, and is the town of Conwy today. Wow! More time warps as we weave our way in and out of the castle walls. Feel very at home here. Back on the Orme and head out on my own for an adventure in my old, old stomping grounds. I have been spending energy and time on the refinement of self, of life, of love. A rare, very calm afternoon that leads me to amazing affirmations of growth and progress and purpose. The balance of free will and destiny. Faith. Breathing. Letting go. Spectacular sunset. Work my way back to the house to meet Garreth, Nerys' brother. He's coming by to help me with Harry. Super great guy! We hit it off like old friends. We try and use some patch epoxy and we'll see in the morning how we did. Cross your fingers. We settle in for a great dinner of Shepherds Pie and conversation. I am changing. I am stronger. Everything is as it should be. Pay attention. Love as much as you can everyday. Thankful for the chance.

 

11.15.01 Thursday
I wake early to another stellar morning as I open the curtains to streaming sunshine. The weather has been spectacular. Flip flops are still being worn since the two days in shoes in Scotland. Flip flops forever! Go out and check Harry and find that our efforts have failed. The one vein is completely rusted and brittle. Plan B. We find a replacement used radiator at the local salvage yard. Plan B is the exchange of the old for the new. A seemingly consistent metaphor for me and my self right now. Garreth is off tomorrow and offer to help in the morning. Spend some time planning, writing and just hanging out. Really nice to slow for a bit and have such an amazing place to do it in. Recharge of the spirit, my heart and soul, me. Nancy and Nerys take off together for the afternoon in town and go to pick up the radiator. I'm off once again up to the top of the Orme, this time with Michael. Wonderful, slow afternoon, beautiful sunset, dancing clouds and soaring birds. Just after sunset we meet my clan, the goats of the Orme. I am a Capricorn. A wonderful welcome from old friends. An amazing place for the spirit here in North Wales. Have been here before as well. Not enough time to go to the places I need to go here. My spirit is happy and at home here. Dinner with Owen and Nancy. Nerys is working, but comes by later with her Mom and friend, Kate. I share some music. We have tea. Lovely evening.

 

11.16.01 Friday
Wake early to another bonus day! I am alive and breathing, thinking and feeling. Another beautiful morning. A light rain and then clearing. I'm off to meet Garreth at the salvage yard. The radiator we got is for our van, but not for an automatic. Harry is an automatic and the transmission fluid runs into the bottom of the radiator to cool it. The only radiator they have is the one we got. Alternative solutions. We head to Garreth's house close by and tackle the problem. Remove the radiator to figure out what we need. So far all is easy. We have a run around town to get what we need and head back to put it all together. We curl up some copper tubing in front of the radiator and complete the circuit of flow for the transmission fluid. It is now air cooled instead of water cooled. We put the new radiator in and hook it all up. Confident we did well, I add anti-freeze and we let it run. A quick test drive and all is well. Harry has been patched and we're on the road again. Thanks Garreth! You're a super star! Head back to the Orme and ready for my night at the Cottage Loaf. Another great little pub with amazing people. A great Friday night. Great crowd. Fun energy. Am learning that my songs are prayers and I am praying for my self and the world to love as much as we can everyday! Back to the home front for a small party. Make more new friends as my head hits the pillow at 5 a.m....

 

11.17.01 Saturday
... it's a slow morning. Last day on the Orme. It has been truly amazing to be here. Nerys and Owen are outstanding! Thank you very much for everything! We pack up, snap some photos and head out before noon, off to Sudbury again. We're on our way back to Tom and Marion's, about a 6 hour drive back across England. We stop to get gas and give Harry a check, he is dripping some fluid. Need smaller clamps, but we'll make it. I go to buy some transmission fluid and run into Liz, the woman from the auto parts store where Harry broke down this last time. We are just past where we were when Harry broke down. Strange, weird, small world. Thank her again for her help. We arrive back in Sudbury and the 'Old Glory' weavers cottage and ready for a gig that Tom has set up for me in the nearby village of Bildeston. Tom, Marion, Trina, friend of theirs, Nancy and I head off to the King's Head Inn, a little pub in Bildeston, England. All these houses and pubs are from the 1500's. Incredible! Blessed to get to play in all these old buildings and spaces. Have a wonderful night! Tom joins in on the os and I flashback to 1987 when we played together back in Germany where this all started for me way back when. Brilliant! Great sound tonight. Sweet little spot out in the country. Meet Kevin and Ian. They have a great home brewed bitter as well as others. I'm not a big bitter fan, but this one is really good. Great to share music with people. Great to play with Tom again! Thanks for a great night, Tom! Grateful, grateful, grateful.

 

11.18.01 Sunday
A slow Sunday morning in Sudbury due to late night . Another lazy Sunday in England and we need it. Time to rest some and regroup some and ready for the final push. We've less than a month to go. We ease into the day with coffee and conversation and decide to walk into town and have 'Sunday Roast'. A great afternoon dinner of roast chicken, potatoes, carrots, green beans and Yorkshire pudding in another little pub not far away. These little pubs are everywhere. Wonderful, wonderful. We head home and spend the afternoon unwinding and sorting through all that has happened and what is yet to come. More organizing and planning, as London is next on the schedule and we discuss our tactics. A very mellow evening, talk, sing a few songs and off to slumberland....

 

11.19.01 Monday
An easy slow morning again. We rise to see Georgia, Marion's daughter, off to school and Tom off to work and Marion off to work. A Monday in the small town of Sudbury. We have a little breathing room the next couple of days. We head into town to find the library and see if they have a computer that we can use to access the internet. They do, so we sit for a while and try to get something done. Very slow, not much success. Breathing so frustration doesn't take over and it seems that is the theme for the day. One of those days to just be and not push too hard. Walk around town to slow down and sort thoughts and feelings. Assimilation of things learned and ways of being, incorporating them into my life and my actions. Breathe, pay attention, be guided. A great dinner with Tom and Marion. After, we all sit and watch the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival. Awesome to hear the music and check out the styles and fashions. A wonderful way to end the day. Am grateful to be a part of this planet.

 

11.20.01 Tuesday
Up early today to head to the library and spend some time on the computer. I am a little behind on my 'Road Notes' due to our last week or so running about the countryside of Scotland, Wales and England with not much access to computers. Spend the whole morning getting caught up on business and correspondence and then home to plot and plan and see what unfolds for the next week. A heavy day of ponderance. Have I really learned and am I really incorporating all this knowledge and awareness into my actions, into my being. Breathe to be able to see and make decisions from how we're being guided. Nancy and I decide to head to town and do some basking in the square to try and make some extra money. Beautiful day. I play for about an hour and sell a cd, make about $35 and make some woman cry with one of my love songs. I am touched and amazed and continue to be affirmed and pointed in the right direction. Love as much as you can everyday! The rest of the day is breathing and understanding destiny and free will and the balance of both. A mellow evening, dinner with Nancy, Marion and Georgia. We get a call from Martin in London, who is the brother of John from Sheffield. He has kindly come through with accomodations for us in London while we're there. Again, blessed and humbled by the gifts of angels. Fall asleep breathing into me, into life, into love...

 

11.20.01 Tuesday
Up early today to head to the library and spend some time on the computer. I am a little behind on my 'Road Notes' due to our last week or so running about the countryside of Scotland, Wales, and England with not much access to computers. Spend the whole morning getting caught up on business and correspondence and then home to plot and plan and see what unfolds for the next week. A heavy day of pondering. Have I really learned and am I really incorporating all this knowledge and awareness into my actions, into my being. Breathe to be able to see and make decisions from how we're being guided. Nancy and I decide to head to town and do some busking in the square to try to make some extra money. Beautiful day! I play for about an hour and sell a cd, make about $35 and make some woman cry with one of my love songs. I am touched and amazed and continue to be affirmed and pointed in the right direction. Love as much as you can everyday! The rest of the day is breathing and understanding destiny and free will and the balance of those. A mellow evening, dinner with Nancy, Marion and Georgia. We get a call from Martin in London, who is the brother of John from Sheffield. He has kindly come through with accommodations for us in London while we're there. Again, blessed and humbled by the gifts of people and angels. Fall asleep breathing into me, into life, into love…

 

11.21.01 Wednesday
An easy morning of breathing, relaxing, and organizing thoughts, feelings and actions. We're off to Bury St. Edmunds this morning, about 15 miles north of Sudbury. We're going up to meet with Richie, the guy we got Harry from, and pick up all the paper work so we can take Harry back to Germany. Harry is now legally mine. After coffee and the exchange of signatures and paper, we head to the market to busk and again try and earn some extra money. It's market day in Bury St. Edmunds and I pull out my guitar and play for a bit. Not much success. People are strange today, almost like they haven't seen music in a thousand years, even though I know they have. Very surreal moment in this funky little town. Back to Sudbury for a slow afternoon, evening. Dinner of fish and chips and a lovely evening with everyone. Preparing once again to move on in the morning…11.22.01 Thursday Happy Thanksgiving to all at home! Hope you all have a wonderful day and know how truly blessed we all are. I am grateful for this life, this time, this love. We're up early to say our goodbyes to Georgia before she goes to school and Marion before she goes to work. Tom has the day off, so we get a little time to talk before we go. Thanks Thomas and Marion for everything. We pack up Harry and decide to try busking one more time in Sudbury before we go. I play in the town center for a bit on a beautiful morning and then we're off to London. Ah, the big city. We make our way just south of London central to Martin and Vicky's house. Meet Vicky, a total sweetheart, and she makes us feel at home. We drop a few things, do some plotting, planning and then head off into London in search of somewhere to play. The acoustic scene in London is amazing. Lots of places to play, but very hard to book anything. So many musicians and writers that aren't mainstream that have loads of places to play. We are here for six nights and my goal is to play every night. We're booked on Sunday and Tuesday, but need to pound the pavement to fill in the rest. We do some quick sight seeing and walk past the Tower of London and the bridge, then head to The White Hart and the Blue Belly Acoustic Revue. Meet Kite, the organizer for the night. Great guy, loves music. Play a couple of songs, with Kite joining in on his djembe. Absolutely great! People are quiet, listening and appreciative. You can check out Kite and the Blue Belly at www.johnjohnrecords.com/bluebelly. We're off again, hit the Tube and trains back home and briefly meet Martin, who greets us when we come in. Thanks for having us Martin and Vicky! Finally down for the night…

 

11.23.01 Friday
Wake early and get organized for the day. Go out and start Harry just to keep him going and find smoke coming from the fuses. Here we go one more time. I leave it so I can breathe and will tackle it tomorrow. Have more important things to focus on, music, music, music. Another sad day for the feet. They have given me the ok for shoes while we're in London. We will be walking lots and they don't mind being covered while we're in the big city. But, flip- flops forever! We head into London to look for somewhere to busk in the streets. We try Covent Garden, but get rousted because we need a license to do it and there are too many other artists and musicians around. Talk with one of the buskers, has his own little sound system and everything, and he points us towards Neal's Yard. We come into a beautiful, tiny triangle courtyard with restaurants and shops. A wonderful feel good spot. I sit and play and sing and pray to the heavens for more love and understanding in our world. Lovely afternoon. Late afternoon, we find a place to play and make our way to Tall Poppy Presents… in Henry's Bar. Meet Alex, the organizer and get set up to play. Another super nice guy doing great things for music. Play for about a half an hour with the best sound I've had yet. We meet another musician, Jo, from Scotland. Check her out at www.jomccafferty.com. You can check out Tall Poppy as well at www.tallpoppyrecords.com. After Tall Poppy's, we make our way over to the Kashmir Klub, off of Baker Street. I've been calling since we were in Amsterdam to try and get in there, with no luck other than an invitation to come down and see if someone cancels. We arrive to a cool downstairs club that is set up specifically for music. I meet Tony and Christian, who run the music and they're awesome! This club is totally non-profit, which means that no one makes money. Not even Tony and Christian! They do it for the love of music, they all do it for the love of all kinds of music. Again, more people who are doing amazing things for music, because they love it. It is my lucky night because there does happen to be a spot for me. People try for months to get booked here and I am blessed and honored to be able to walk in and get to play. Amazing experience! They broadcast live over the internet at www.kashmirklub.com. Sorry I didn't have more time to let you all know. Amazing crowd, amazing response, amazing place, amazing thing that these guys are doing here. Play and am just blown away. A really great now. We make it out just in time to catch the last train home and call it a day! Whew! What a day! Happy Birthday, Dan!

 

11.24.01 Saturday
Well, well, Saturday, the 24th of November. It's incredible how time has passed and so far, knock on wood, the goal of survival is being achieved. We're up with some coffee and conversation as to planning our day. I go out to look at Harry, check all the wiring, start him up and he seems fine. Another little gremlin come and gone. We gather what we need and jump on the train, off to Shepherd's Market to do some more busking. I just found out I have been spelling this word wrong the whole time, my apologies. Nancy and I enjoy an awesome lunch and then I pull out my wonderful guitar and begin to play. Shortly after, I look up to see my friend Blue, who has come over from the States to hang out for a couple of days. He's the one who came over in early September to pick up Harry and drive him to Germany. Absolutely fantastic to see him. Floods of feelings, thoughts and emotions of home. Blue has been a huge source of help and support to make all of this happen. Great to have him here. We all decide to walk a bit and look for another place to play. We take turns leading and Blue's turn leads us to the courtyard entrance of the Royal Academy of the Arts. I begin to play and sing and pray. Awesome spot! The acoustics are wonderful. Wild to listen to my voice swirl and bounce off all the buildings. It's a lot like the Domeplatz in Salzburg. Sell a cd and make a little coin. Every little bit helps when you're on the road. I get rousted by one of the security guards after playing for about a half an hour, I think he was enjoying it. We pack up and move on. Wonderful spot to send my prayers swirling to the sky. We walk and find a quiet pub to sip on a beer and get caught up. We then head out to Piccadilly Circus to possibly play, but it is too much of a circus to compete with. We make our way to Trafalgar Square and smack dab in the middle of the square, Nancy and Blue ask me if I would play them each a song. I break out my guitar and stand and spin and play for them. Slowly, other people are stopping to listen, so I play one for me and a couple for them. Fabulous! Amazing to be able to get people to stop and listen in the middle of a huge square. We gather and move on and walk by Big Ben, all the parliament buildings, Downing Street, the Thames and Westminster Abbey. Absolutely incredible! We hit the Tube and head to drop off Blue at a hostel and I am stopped on the street by a couple from Argentina, who saw me play last night at the Kashmir Klub and they tell me I was great and that they really enjoyed it. I am overwhelmed with gratitude and by their appreciation! We drop Blue off and head home for the night. We didn't find a place to play tonight, but that's all right. We played two clubs yesterday, so I'll take the carry over. Another amazing day… Happy Birthday, Craigen!

 

11.25.01 Sunday
We're up fairly early and sit and have a great breakfast with Martin and Vicky. Nice to spend some time with them because we haven't even really seen them since we've been here. Sometimes hard to find time to socialize when we're trying to do so much in such a short period of time. Again, we gather what we need for the day and jump on the train to go and meet Blue and get our day moving. We decide to do a little more sight seeing and look for a place to busk at the same time. We head to St. Paul's Cathedral, the second largest in the world. Pretty huge. The outside isn't really all that spectacular, but the inside is beautiful. The detail is incredible. It is Sunday, so we get to enter for free, right in the budget. This is the church where Charles and Diana were married. Not really any place to busk here, so we decide to see if we can go in Westminster Abbey and check that out. The architecture is amazing inside and out. We're not allowed in unless we want to sit for an hour through the service that is offered because it is Sunday. Blue decides to go in and Nancy and I walk and talk for an hour. Afterwards, we make our way to The Golden Lion, where I'm playing tonight. We get there and find a Sunday crowd watching football (soccer), and listening to music. Find Big Steve, who we met in Amsterdam at the conference we were at and the avenue that led us to play here. Great to see him again! He plays a song and then I get to play a few before the band for the night comes on. Have a great time! A fun, rowdy feel to the pub and crowd. Sell a cd and talk with a few people and we're all off to have some dinner. Find a great Thai restaurant and have a great meal. Grab a couple beers and head to Blue's hostel to play some pool and hang out. Say our goodbyes to Blue. Thanks for coming, my friend! Helping me more than you know. Catch the train back to Martin and Vicky's. Once again, a great and productive day!

 

11.26.01 Monday
Monday, Monday! I wake and breathe deeply to soak in what has happened and what is to come. Another morning to organize and get things together for the day. Nancy and I jump on the trains and head into London for the day/evening. We have been doing lots of breathing and asking for guidance from ourselves and our angels and paying attention to when a decision needs to be made. More destiny and free will. We are wanting to get together with Roger Short, a senior producer from BBC 3 radio, sometime over the next two days. I got this lead from my friend Lauraine who has been doing some representation work for me at conferences in Amsterdam and Rotterdam through October. She met Roger in Rotterdam at the conference there and gave me his phone number. I called and left a message before we left the house and got a return call while we were waiting for the train into London and wondering what we were going to do for the day. So, off to the BBC building in downtown London. We arrive, get our visitor passes and wait for Roger to come down and get us. Roger comes down and takes us up to the commissary area for a cup of coffee and a chat. Great guy! Super, super nice of him to take time to see us and meet with us. We sit for a bit on the 8th floor of the BBC building and share info about what he does and what we're up to. Wonderful! Roger is busy and lets us enjoy sitting and finishing our coffee while he heads back to work. Thank you, Roger, for your time. We really appreciated meeting you and you allowing us some of your time. Nancy and I are enjoying ourselves so much, we decide to grab a little lunch at the commissary and enjoy the view some more. Thanks again, Roger, a highlight for us, for sure! Now, time to do some busking to keep some spending money coming in, so we head to Soho and Carnaby Street to see what we can find. As we head that way, we get a call from Blue, who didn't make the flight he was trying to get on and says he's on his way to meet us for the afternoon/evening and will try again tomorrow to head home. Nancy and I sit on Carnaby Street and find a good acoustic spot so I can do my thing. Play for a bit, sell a cd and make a little coin and once again look up to see Blue coming down the street. Great to spend some more time with him. We go for coffee and plot the rest of the day and evening. We're off to try and see Barry, who books and promotes for a club called The Borderline. Barry is the first person Nancy met when she started her booking adventure for me. He took the time to sit and talk with her and let her know that she was on the right track with what she was doing for me. Thank you, Barry, for your kindness to my friend Nancy. Means more than you know. He happens to be in and we get to go in and sit down and talk for a bit. Nancy and I both thank him for his support and we talk about what she and I have accomplished since her first meeting with him. Turns out that he used to live in Tahoe in the 70's doing radio out of King's Beach. Amazing! We talk about future and Barry invites us to come back at the end of February as part of a singer/songwriter showcase that he and the Borderline started putting on last year and that is making a big impact on the London scene. Nine acts in three nights. Lots of media exposure, papers, radio, etc. We are thrilled and accept. Looks like we'll be coming back to London in February! Blown away by his presence and kindness. Wonderful man! Thank you once again, Barry! We walk out a little numb from what has just happened. Invited to play at a premiere event in one of London's premiere clubs! Fantastic! Back to the now, we head to the Artesian Well for the Acoustic Revolution, another place to play in old London town and keeping the string of playing every night going…. Really, really cool place. Ecclectic decore and great feel. Meet Tym, the organizer of the night and fellow musician. Nice guy, great guitar player. Him and his brother on steel drum, put out a great sound. I get to play a few songs and have a great time expressing myself and hanging out with Nancy and Blue. Meet Wes, another musician from Canada traveling around, and Lisa. Talk for a moment and head out to catch the trains before we miss the last one and make our way home. Blue is coming with us to camp in Harry one more time for nostalgia sake and leaving early in the morning to catch his flight. Coming out of the train station, there is a little chicken and chips place and I have a hanker for some chips. We stop, and while Blue and I are inside, Nancy is outside. Our phone rings and Nancy takes it out of her pocket to answer it and some young punk runs by and takes right out of her hand while she's trying to answer it and runs off. Blue gives chase and I follow. We turn the corner to nothing and nobody. Our phone has been stolen. London has a big mobile phone theft problem. Crazy! No one is hurt and we still have all of our stuff. The phone can be replaced. We head home and call the phone company to turn it off and then call the police. A little while later, two policemen come to file a report. Blue and I spend some time driving around the neighborhood with them to see if anyone is still out and about. Nothing. But, we have a great time with two of the nicest cops we've ever met. Crazy, crazy day. Crazy, crazy night. We are all exhausted and call it a day. Whew! Big, big day!

 

11.27.01 Tuesday
Wake early to check on Blue and find him already gone. Great boost of energy for me and Nancy. Today is a day of paying attention. Life has its' subtle ways of snapping your head around. But, everything is as it should be, always, whether we like it or not. It has been a great week in London, a big and final push to somewhere, something. Faith grows, as more and more it is apparent that we are divinely guided. Breathing into what I can't control. Breathing into what I can control. Nancy and I take our time to get ready for our last day in London. We pack up and hit the trains. Cloudy, but warm, we work our way back to Neal's Yard. Just a wonderful little space. We have soup for lunch and then Nancy's off for a shop and I sit and play for a bit. I love this space because it makes me want to sing and play, for me. Being all one thing with my self and my guitar, one of my saviors. Sprinkles into rain put an end to the music. We pack up and go walking. Back to divine guidance, every day we have been asking our angels where it is we should be? Where is our spot in this day? We walk our way towards tonight's gig and come across The Angel Pub. Cool and rainy, in front of a pub with a lit up angel on the building. To believe or not to believe? Faith. We go in. A very nice small pub and cool bar. Has a few people, but still plenty of room to sit. We ask to share a table with the two guys sitting there and Nancy and I break out the chess board. We've been playing chess, since it is the only game we have. Good for the brain. We have a game and then begin to talk with Richard and Andy, the two guys we're sitting with. Two very nice guys just hanging out and relaxing in a cool place. Fun conversation, good humor. Andy is retired and Richard works in music distribution and it is just sweet to walk into a pub called The Angel and meet cool people. Fun! We trade info and say our goodbyes. Thanks guys! Now we're off to the Lock Tavern and the Acoustic Trip and looking for Ben Mitchell. Last night in London, looking forward to playing. We walk in and are greeted by Ben, who runs the evening. Super nice guy! Makes us feel right at home. The room is brick walls and a high ceiling. Nice rectangle space. The most feel good place yet. Low lights, candles on the tables, incense burning. Great mellow feel. Ben kicks off the night and is great. I get to play a few songs and give it my all final push. Great crowd. Quiet and listening. Means a lot more than people think when you know they're listening and appreciative. Lovely response. Thanks Ben, a great acoustic trip! Put my guitar away and have a seat with Nancy, Martin and Vicky, who have come tonight to hear me play. Can't thank you enough Vicky and Martin for all your hospitality. You're both amazingly sweet. Again, full of gratitude from the kindness, love and support of people. We all jump the train and head home. Up early tomorrow, off to play in Holland.

 

11.28.01 Wednesday
Wake up super early to pack up and go. We're catching the ferry at 10:40 am and have a couple hour drive to the port of Harwich. I go out and warm up Harry. I have been running him every day just to keep checking him. He starts rough today, runs for a bit, dies. Won't start. Won't start. Won't start. Not quite sure what it might be. Check the things I know and am hoping it's something easy. No luck from my efforts. We wait for the garage around the corner to open and see if they'll come and look at it. Two more super nice guys who pull up in their pick up and go at it. They check what I checked and more, with no luck either they decide to tow it around the corner to the garage. We get to the garage and again they go at it, they know we're trying to make our ferry. They figure out Harry is getting no gas. Reason, the gas cap that is on there has created an airtight seal and cut off the airflow to let the fuel flow. Finally, they take the cap off and Harry fires right up. Ridiculously stupid. They have styled us and we are on our way. If you are ever in Nunhead, outside of London, and need to get your car looked at, then make sure you go see the guys at the Nunhead Test, Tyre and Tuning Center on Evelina Rd. They are awesome! Thanks guys! It is a beautiful, crispy clear, amazing fall morning. We have missed our ferry. We head back to Martin and Vicky's to check our options and find we will be getting one more day in London. The next ferry is in the morning. I call Maarten at the Sus Antigoon in Leiden, where I'm supposed to be playing tonight. I sadly tell him we will not be making it. It's the first time I have had to cancel anything, ever. But, all is as it should be, whether we like it or not. I thank Maarten and set something up for Spring. We are meant for one more day in London. It is bonus day for my feet, though. Back to flip-flops and my feet are so happy! Flip-flops forever! Nancy and I are both tired. I have been carrying my guitar and shoulder bag all week and Nancy has been carrying cds and promo stuff. We pack up anyway and hit the city looking for our spot. It has been a long week and a long two months on the road. Exhaustion seems to take hold like a thousand pounds on your head. I feel like I've just finished conducting a two month service and walkabout and my output of love and prayer has come to an end for now. Love as much as you can everyday! We make our way back to the house and rest! We were meant to rest today. A great nap, dinner and a movie with Martin and Vicky and then off to slumberland. Thanks again for the hospitality. We'll try again in the morning to continue our journey….

 

11.29.01 Thursday
We wake bright and early this morning, 5:30 am, to make our way to Harwich, to catch the ferry over to Holland. I put the key in and Harry fires right up, like we knew he would today. Thanks again M and V. Had a great rest with more to come, but am still riding the residual wave and hum of the past two months and my brain is reeling as it processes all of this. We make it to Harwich no problem and drive Harry on to the boat. We now have a three and half hour cruise across the North Sea over to Hoek van Holland. A big day for us as we are tying up a loop of our trip by returning to mainland Europe. A sense of accomplishment. A sense of survival. Faith compounds itself in me and is huger than ever before. Introspection of who I am and what I'm learning. Love as much as you can everyday! We land and push on to Leiden to see Maarten and pick up a recorded copy of my show from the last time. We sit in our favorite coffee shop around the corner, talk, shoot some pool and wait for the Sus Antigoon to open. When it opens, we go in and find that Maarten is not around, but has left a package for me. A tape copy and dat copy as well as a poster from Aad, the sound guy who recorded it. Don't have a tape player, so we can't listen to it. Leave a note for Maarten and head to Amsterdam to use the internet and have a coffee at Flower Power. Awesome! Great to be back in Amsterdam. Another loop closed. Another head snapper. Watch the bikes! We walk and continue our conversation on faith, free will and destiny. Faith, unconditional. How much do you really believe? We check the internet and I have a message from Blue about flights home. I have two coupons for flights from my friend Carolina and they weren't valid due to the 11th of September. They have now been reinstated and I now have a ticket home. Great news because I had not yet sorted my return flight. Looking forward to coming home after a little bit more work. We also get an e-mail from Mark in Liverpool letting us know that his review of my cd is now up on his website. Check it out at www.americana-uk.com/html/reviews.html. Awesome review. My first one. Breathe. Believe. Faith. Believe. Breathe. Be. We do a hit and run on the city and head back into Germany towards Bamberg. Nancy has another friend who has offered hospitality on our way back to Bad Reichenhall. I drive until 4:30 am. Stop and pass out. Another great day!

 

11.30.01 Friday
We wake mid morning at a Rasthaus, a rest area/gas station/restaurant combination, right off the autobahn. We are back in Germany, somewhere north of Frankfurt. Everyday closes another loop, as we get closer and closer to Big Water Base Camp Europe in Berchtesgaden. We spend the day driving to Bamberg. We're headed here via an invitation from Nancy's friend Cheryl and a welcome pit stop along the way. An uneventful drive on the race track. Fun to watch the cars go flying by. We drive into Bamberg early evening to look for Cheryl's house. Beautiful little city! Cobblestone streets and very arty, sweet little river, beautiful architecture. Cheryl has a beautiful corner house in the old part of town. Right across the street is the Bottinger house, which is the best example of Baroque architecture in Europe. Bamberg has been named an international city of culture. We arrive to an empty house, find the key, come in and relax. Here comes another thousand pounds on the head and I am down for the night. Another introspective day. More refinement. Letting this all sink in. Breathing into it all. Full moon on this last day of November.

Can't you see the new moon rising?
Can't you feel the full moon come?
It's love's fine line that we are riding.
Got to spread your love to everyone.
Got to spread your love to everyone.

12.1.01 Saturday
Wow, the 1st of December! Amazing how time has gone by. We sleep in and wake to meet Cheryl, woman on fire. We have a great brunch and then all take a walk out in Bamberg. We go in search of somewhere to play tonight or tomorrow night. Cheryl takes us down to the Irish pub in town and we see if someone has canceled or it they're open to giving it a shot and scheduling something. We give them Cheryl's number and a cd, tomorrow is looking possible. Again, faith is believing and I do. We are basically out of money and need a little more to make it this last bit home. I am trying to gig mostly for the need of money to feed Harry and make it to Berchtesgaden. We check some other places and then head back to Cheryl's. Cheryl goes to pick up her kids and Nancy and I kick back for a bit. A little later we get a call from Ray, the pub manager at the Irish pub and says that normally they don't do music on a Sunday night, but tomorrow he will and it's paid! Absolutely fantastic! Hopefully, we'll sell some cds and shirts as well. Yes, I do believe! We walk back down to the pub to drop off posters for tomorrow night and then head back to the house to meet Cheryl's kids, Samira and Liam. Two little ones on fire! Kids are awesome! Meet Cheryl's friend, Wade and we all sit and have dinner. Later we pack up guitar, wine, candelabra, and kids and head for the old Rathaus, the city hall, that has a bridge running right through the middle of it because it was built right in the middle of the river so as not to favor either side of the river's inhabitants. There is a nice dome ceiling where the bridge runs through the building and we're going there to do some busking. Great acoustic space! Play for a bit, make a little coin and sell a couple cds. Get rousted by the Polizei, the German Police, so we pack up and go to the local schnapps bar. Break out the guitar and play a few songs. Sell a cd and trade a cd for a bottle of wine with the owner. Great guy! We head home and call it a night. Affirmation day. Looking forward to playing tomorrow night. Nothing like a little overtime to make the game a little more exciting. Fall asleep in gratitude for all the gifts of this world….

 

12.2.01 Sunday
We all sleep in after a long night and slowly get the day rolling with a great brunch. A grey, rainy day, but like all days, beautiful, nonetheless. A day for some logistics, preparing and planning for the final two week push. After all, we are in overtime. Game still on! A day of thought and letting all this sink in. It has all gone so fast, so surreal, so overstimulated, so overwhelmed. Take the afternoon to relax and breathe and slow and learn. Do quite a bit of writing and getting caught up with my thoughts and feelings. This will all take a while to process, and this is only the beginning. Wade comes by and we all have a wonderful dinner and get ready to head down to the pub for the evenings festivities. Bamberg has a small American contingent here due to the nearby US bases that are part of our presence here in Germany. Should be some fellow countrymen out and about tonight as well. Arrive at the Emerald Isle Irish Pub and it's a sweet little place. Long bar and tables down the other side, tiny, tiny stage, great feel. Meet Ray, the manager, thanks for the gig! Great guy for helping us out. Meet Geri, bartender, who also helped us out, sweetheart! Meet several young service men that are stationed here. Nice group of young guys from all over the States. Have a wonderful night playing and joking with the crowd. Nice to be interactive. Sell cds and shirts and have a really good night. People are very appreciative and it all helps. All in all we make about $200 from the bar, shirts and cds. Pretty awesome for coming into town with no money and no gig. Thanks Cheryl, thanks Ray, and thanks Bamberg! Faith grows again. It lives in me. It is becoming a perpetual part of who and what I am. To believe so much that we can create all of this. So blessed to receive the gifts the world offers. Humbled and grateful to be guided. Dreams do come true. Life is a dream and it is true and real. Make it what you want. Love as much as you can everyday! Drive your bus! Wonderfully fantastic night. Thank you angels! Thank you Bamberg! Back to the house and down for the night. Last little loop to close tomorrow as we head to Big Water Base Camp Europe….

 

12.3.01 Monday
We wake and pack up Harry and say our goodbyes to Cheryl and the kids. We're off today to head back to Berchtesgaden, where we started all this craziness. An uneventful drive through the fog, rain and wetness. As we drive, we talk and plot and plan for future. Now that my flight coupons are good, I have an extra and offer it to Nancy to fly to San Francisco to be with her family for the holidays. She deserves it and they will all be pleasantly surprised. I'm sure we'll have a good time flying back together as well. Amazing how things work out. It will be a great way to finish this whole trip. We come over the last hill to home and are greeted by the sun and the parting clouds and a glorious afternoon display of snow covered mountains. We are on our way to Salzburg first, to pick up Owen and Nerys, who are flying in from Wales. They are coming for the weeks festivities that the Germans put on here for Christmas. We'll talk about that more later…. We meet Owen and Nerys and enjoy a quick celebratory beer from Germany and venture outside to find an incredibly wondrous pastel sunset just as we are coming out. All of us have lived here at some point and this is an amazing welcome! Dinner with Nerys and Owen. Meet Gisela, another old friend, and Rodney, another old friend, for after dinner drinks and conversation. Great to see everyone again. Another day of breathing and slowing and being. Another day of little loops being tied up to help affirm and strengthen our journey. Great to be back!

 

12.4.01 Tuesday
Sleep in, yea! It will be a while before I can catch my breath from this whole adventure. Spend the morning talking and planning for the short term and the long. Need to get promotion info to Barry in London asap for this gig in February and several details to work out while we're still here. Overtime is not over yet. We spend some time emptying Harry and cleaning him out. We need to get him ready for sale. He really has been a super star! The afternoon is spent trying to sort out our promo stuff. We've updated some info and need to get paper and copies and etc. together for mailing. Not much success. The stores are different here and what they use is different as well. Can't find folders with pockets and the paper size is different as well, taller and not as wide. Run out of time and will finish and mail in the morning. The evening we are off to Berchtesgaden to meet Owen and Nerys and Rodney for dinner and catch up some more. It is the Christmas time of year in Bavaria where the Chriskindlmarkts are open in every little village and they sell Gluhwein and schnapps and brats and toys from little stands and everyone just stands around and sips and talks. Great time for kids and adults. We are having a big group of friends coming in who are all coming for the next two days of celebrating the 'Krumpas'. This is the most incredible tradition I have ever seen. This area has all these groups of local young men who get together in groups of thirteen and dress up in wild costumes to chase away bad spirits. There is one little girl dressed as an angel. And as for the men, there is one that is dressed like an old school St. Nickolaus and the rest are either wearing all fur costumes with wild animal masks or are wrapped in the traditional hay that is grown for this, with crazy animal and wild thing masks. The craziest thing to see. They run in these groups from house to house and through the town, carrying switches to whip you in the legs and chase away bad spirits. Santa's way of coming around and checking his list, if you know what I mean. Better be good around here! Looking forward to a crazy couple of days. The hour is late and we make our way home. Another great day of being with friends.

 

12.5.01 Wednesday
Up early to work on the stuff that needs to be mailed. Coffee and toast and I'm working away. German coffee is so good! Molly comes and peeks her tan face in and says good morning. Her and Toby and Max have just gotten back from a short vacation in Thailand. Nancy spends the morning with Molly to get caught up, while I hit the streets to take care of promo stuff. Another day of breathing and slowing, believing and being. A cleansing day. Learned a lot from this journey. I walk in the rain ...

Let the Rain fall down
Let it wash me clean, take away my pain
Let the Rain fall down
Let it plant me firmly into solid ground.

Process. Breathe. Learn. Breathe. Let go. Breathe. Learn. Breathe. Incorporate. Breathe. Love. Breathe. Assimilate. Breathe. Love. Breathe. Truth. Breathe, breathe. Change. Breathe. Forever. Breathe. Truth. Breathe. Learn. Breathe. Love. Breathe. Be. Am continually changing, rapid and daily. Faith pounds through my veins as I believe more and more, as I let go more and more. The practice is the hard part, consistency, refinement, forgiveness of self for being imperfect, forgiveness to be able to move, learn, be better. I truly believe in love and the power that comes with it! Breathing in awe and gratitude. Whew! Ok, I'm back. Get everything together and in the mail to London. Say a prayer and hope for the best. Setting things up for February. The wave continues…. Now, we're off to meet everyone and celebrate the Krumpas. Nerys and Owen are here from Wales, Martin and Vicky are here from London, Dan and his family, Ted, Molly, Toby, Rodney, Trish and more. A great time of year here! We meet everyone at the Christkindlmarkt and wait for the groups to start coming around. I briefly described the costumes of this tradition in yesterday's notes, they are phenomenal! You can hear them coming from a distance because they all have bells on. The bells range in size from small ones, hand size, to really big huge, huge ones. The sound is foreboding and awesome. When they come, everyone runs up against the buildings so the Krumpas group can pass and so they don't get whipped. There are several groups and this goes on from 3 in the afternoon until about 10 or 11 at night. We stay in town and watch and talk and laugh and take in all the craziness. We decide to see it all close up…. There is a corner where one street dead ends into another and then opens to the square. It is full of people waiting to have bad spirits beaten out of them. The bells tell everyone a group is coming. Led by St. Nickolaus and the little angel are a dozen wild, crazy, scary looking things with bells on their backs, carrying switches to hit people in the legs with and chase the spirits out. It's insane. The crowd parts all around and these monsters come rushing through whipping people, diving into the crowd and pulling someone out, putting black coal on your face, jumping up and down to make the bells ring. No one is exempt, young, old or anyone in between. It's like a big mosh pit. You just move with the crowd and watch the madness. Absolutely fantastic! Had to definitely step out and get whipped in the legs. Need the cleansing. Affirmation and acceptance of change. Hope the photos come out. This really needs to be seen to fully understand how wild this all is. I'll try and get one up on the website when I can, might be a while, but keep checking. Wonderful day! This place is magic. The mountains, the people. It all just adds to the whole surreal experience. So much fun! They run again tomorrow. Whew, big day, big night. Feel lighter as we make our way home.

 

12.6.01 Thursday
Sleep in. Not late, but it has been good to get some rest. We have been staying back with Molly and Toby in their B&B and they are closed right now, so they styled us with a little apartment. Awesome. Shower and a bed! Luxury. The day is rainy. All day. Steady and firm. Another cleansing day. Introspection on a rainy day. I'm inside all day. Write and watch it pour. Love it. Not a melancholy day, a positive settling and rooting day. Acceptance of self and truth and life and love. Feel really great! I am tired, but am denying that I am. It's been a long journey, with a little more to go. I am looking forward to a recharge with my mountains and my family and friends. Don't really think this will all hit me until then. Great day to just hang out and be. It is still raining as hard as it was when I woke. I'm down for a nap at 7 pm, there is more Krumpas tonight. Down for the count. Am hit by a million pounds again and can not raise my body. Surrendering to a much needed rest.

 

12.7.01 Friday
We're up early after a nice sleep. Another grey, cold December morning. Winter is coming and I love it! My favorite season! Sprinkles turn to snow as flakes begin to float on down. It is cold and it is snowing, but I am still a flip-flop wearing fool. December 7th and it is snowing and my feet are so happy. Amazing! Flip-flops forever! We're packed with laundry and logistics and off to Chiemsee to get some stuff that needs doing, done. We do our laundry. Yea, clean clothes. Jump on the computer for a bit, and then head to Bernau for some lunch and a stop at Charly's, where this whole tour started. Have a great lunch at an old favorite deli style spot with the same couple running it and then head to Charly's right around the corner. We are trying to book the 15th to have as our final gig and tie up the whole tour loop, too. We tried calling Claudia and Alex, but they were on vacation. We left messages, but then our phone was stolen. We go in and find that Claudia has picked the 15th because of one of our messages and we are on! Wonderful way to end this amazing experience. Believe? More Faith! We are also in search of a sound system for tomorrow night's gig at the Kuckucksnest in B-gaden. A few things fell through and we need some last minute help, once again. Meet Sid, who works for the hotel in Chiemsee and get the number for Robert, who can possibly help us with sound and who Sid plays bass with in a band they have. Robert has a music store in Bischofswiesen, which is between Bad Reichenhall, where we're staying and B-gaden, where we're playing. We head back to the B&B and give Robert a call. It turns out that I met Robert the last time I played at the Kuckucksnest in October and he can help us with sound. We'll sort it tomorrow. Believe? Faith grows more and more. Breathing and breathing and breathing. We are guided and provided for. Truly amazing, strangely wonderful world I fall asleep into…

 

12.8.01 Saturday
Waking slowly today. Basking in the wonder of life and love of this world and am thrilled for another day of breathing and moving around. Bonus day, bonus day. Nancy has gone to spend the day with one of her friends and I am left to myself and enjoy the alone time. I spend the day breathing and thinking and slowing it all down. So much has happened in such a short period of time and am still not ready on in the right place to process it all. I put my energy back into me and have a great afternoon workout. I am changed, forever, in every way, physically, spiritually, emotionally, changed forever. How could one not be, after an experience like this while learning to live life's dream? Again, it will take some time and effort to process all of this. A whole year, a whole lifetime, of planning and preparing and working and saving and praying to put into this explosion of music, prayer and love. Whew! An amazing year of my life. Ups and downs, mistakes and perfection. Can't really fathom it all quite yet. Still have more work to do and won't get a breather until I see my namesake in the mountains of Northern California. Tahoe is whispering to me…. This evening we head to Berchtesgaden and the Kuckucksnest. We go early to meet Robert and get the sound set up and sorted. Great to see him again! We have a quick sound check and then Nancy and I walk up to one of the restaurants to sit with more friends who are having a dinner get together. Go in and find Nerys and Owen, Gisela, Trish and Frank, Marti, and many others. We sit and chat and then head back to the Kuckucksnest. I get up there and put everything I've got into what I'm doing and have a great night! Sound is great. Crowd is wonderful. The dinner crowd has joined us, a great group of friends and support. Thank you all! There are also quite a few young Germans who stay and check it out. Fantastic! It's really great when you can reach younger people with what I'm singing about. Sell cds and shirts and spread the love. Robert is a super star for helping us with sound, he charges us nothing for his time and the equipment. Amazing! He is also a musician and appreciates what I am doing and likes the music and just wants to help out. Wonderful exchange of kindness. It has come full circle, like so many things are, to be back in the magic place of Berchtesgaden and once again play and spend some time with old friends in a place that means a lot to me. Thanks to all the friends who have supported us with their love and kindness. Graciously blessed to have gotten to live here and to have come back and be here again. Head home in a bubble of gratitude! Great day, even better night!

 

12.9.01 Sunday

Sunday morning, moving at the speed of slow,
Sunday morning, not runnin' anywhere I go

An easy morning. Sunday seems to be shut down day here in Bavaria. Just nothing happening, everything is closed. Nancy and I spend the rest of the morning and early afternoon organizing, sorting and packing things up. We are leaving in a week and can't believe the countdown to coming home has begun. We still have tons to do to wrap all of this up. Details, details. With three more gigs this week and packing up and tying all the loose ends, we will have a busy week. We decide to head into Berchtesgaden late afternoon to meet everyone at the Christkindlmarkt for a Gluhwein. Just beautiful. Lots of people out on a Sunday, just hanging out and talking, eating and drinking, kids running about. I'm still a flip-flop wearing fool and it seems to be great entertainment for the Germans on this cold December Sunday. We head up to Trish and Frank's for tea and an afternoon chat. Lovely afternoon. Again, blown away by the support and kindness of friends. We head home early and spend the evening with more sorting and organizing what's been done and what is to come. Wow, what a whirlwind this has all been. Fall asleep spinning, brain on fire.

 

12.10.01 Monday
Wake early to an incredibly clear, cold, icy morning in early December. An ice cream headache morning, it's so clear and cold. We head to Berchtesgaden to pick up Nerys and Owen and take them to the Salzburg airport. The mountains on this morning are just solid and radiant. We can see all of them for miles and miles. The Bavarian Alps, unbelievable! We pick up our friends and head off for a morning in Salzburg. A sad day once again for the feet and my flip-flops. The temperature has dropped and it is now time to retire the outside use of flip-flops for the season. Time marches on and brings the coming of Winter. Flip-flops rule! We all have a wonderful day in Salzburg. What a beautiful city. We see Igor, Nancy's artist friend, once again and get to tie that loop as well. Igor gave us tons of support before we left on our adventure. We all pack up and move to the airport. Nerys and Owen are off, back to Wales. Great to see them again! We're now off to meet another old friend, Gerry, who is thinking about taking Harry from us. We pick him up and drive back to Berchtesgaden so he can check it out. Great to see him again, too! A great Irish spirit with tons to give this world. He loves Harry and if we can work out all the details, Harry will be in great hands. We will see. Another evening of organizing and prepping to come home. Trying to tie up all of our last minute details and keep the bus rolling. Again, fall asleep in a bubble of gratitude, with a brain on fire. Happy Birthday, Holly!

 

12.11.01 Tuesday
Wake early this morning to one of my favorite sights, it is snowing! Beautiful white flakes just floating to the ground and covering everything. Fantastic! Spend the whole morning breathing and organizing and being in the now. It's getting closer and closer to our date of departure, but I am focused on today, as we have a gig tonight at the Frasdorfer Hutte. Just wonderful to watch it snow. What a lovely gift from Nature. Early afternoon we leave to drive north past Chiemsee to Frasdorf. We're headed to see our friend Ina, who I used to work with in Berchtesgaden and now she runs a mountain hut up in a huge meadow in the middle of nowhere up in the mountains. We make a quick stop in Chiemsee to sort some of our last minute details that need to be taken care of before we leave and to check the internet. The snow continues to fall. We make the last leg to Frasdorf and weave our way to where we can park Harry for the night. We meet Ina, who is waiting for us, so we can catch a ride with her in her Land Rover up to the hut. The parking lot is as far as you can drive and from there it's about a 45 minute hike up the road to the hut. We load our gear into Ina's truck and make our way up this narrow, steep, snowy mountain road. It would have been a pain to carry all of our stuff that far in the snow. We drive and drive, winding our way up the mountain and come to a huge open meadow with one house in it. The Frasdorfer Hutte! Incredible! A wonderful little house with room to sleep 50 or so, and wonderful food and drink. It is early evening, just after dark and we arrive to an empty hut except for the people working there. We sit and relax, talk and have a bite to eat and wait for some people to come, so I have someone to play to. What an amazing evening! Twenty five people have walked up here in the dark and the snow on a Tuesday night to come and eat and drink and hear me play. A fantastic intimate environment. Don't need sound for this one, because the room is small and the people are wonderfully quiet, listening and appreciative. I play and sing my heart out and have a great time! What a beautiful night! I am amazed, blessed and honored that these people have come here for this evening. There are some who are staying the night, but most suit up and make their way back down. We say our goodbyes to them and settle in for a night cap and then off to bed. What a great place, Ina! Thank you for a wonderful night! Can't wait to look around in the light of the morning to really see where we are. Another fantastic day!

 

12.12.01 Wednesday
Wake early and pop downstairs for coffee and breakfast. But, first things first, I step outside to have a look around and see where we are. It is still lightly snowing and all is covered in white. The trees are all coated and so beautiful. Can't really see all the mountains around due to the clouds, but enough to see that there is really nothing around. What a great spot! And what a great thing Ina is doing. Head back inside and we all have breakfast and chat. Ina's mom is here and several of Ina's friends came and spent the night. Great people! So nice. Unfortunately, we have more to do and must gather our things and pack up the truck for the ride down. An even better drive in the daylight to be able to see all around. Say our goodbyes to Ina and we're off to the home front once again. The snow continues to fall and is making me feel fuzzy and calm inside. I love the snow! Another quick stop at Chiemsee to check e-mails and then the rest of the drive home. A little lunch and I'm down for a nap. The rest of the evening is spent organizing and readying to tie all of this up and make our way home. Get a call from Gerry, who we are hoping will be able to take Harry from us if he can work out some details and he has and we get to give Harry to someone we know will take care of him and Gerry is helping us out with our train fare from Salzburg to Frankfurt. Amazing! Breathe and truly, truly believe in divine guidance. This has really been an amazing journey, but overtime is still not over, with two more gigs to go and all the logistics of getting back to the States to finish up. Overwhelmed by all of this as it sinks in more and more every day. But, I'm a gamer and there is more game to be played. Game on! Head hits the pillow, I blank my mind so I can maybe get a little sleep and once again am so grateful for this life, all of you, and this planet of Earth.

 

12.13.01 Thursday
A new day! Bonus, bonus! We wake to tons of falling snow. Absolutely beautiful. Big flakes for this early in the year. Things are blowing and snowing and looking nasty for us to be on the road today. We have a gig in Garmisch-Partenkirchen tonight and it’s about a three hour drive on good roads, in clear weather. Spend the morning slowing down, as all of this moves into the final stages. A great morning of coffee and watching it snow. We were planning on leaving at about noon time and make our way to Garmisch, but the snow is still heavy and blowing. We check the roads because Harry is not really equipped to deal with lots of snow and icy roads. The roads are bad and the autobahn is backed up. We call Garmisch to see how it is there and it is just as bad. A decision needs to be made and we decide to cancel due to the weather and the risk of getting there in these conditions. Not happy about not going, but everything is as it should be, always, whether we like it or not, and I think I’ll go and have a lazy afternoon nap. About the middle of the afternoon, we get a call from Garmisch telling us that it has stopped snowing, it is continuing to clear, the roads are ok and can we still come? We check our weather and it has also cleared here. So, we decide to make the venture and at least give it a go and see how far we get. After a lovely, white knuckle drive for about four hours or so, we arrive at the Local Cure, the venue of the evening. Meet Graham and Saran, who run the place and they are excited we came. I have just enough time to do a sound check, sit down for a minute and it’s showtime! Have a great time playing in a cool local hangout that is a favorite spot for a lot of Americans who are working here for AFRC, Armed Forces Recreation Center, or are stationed here in Germany and are here recreating. Great to see folks from the homeland. We have a wonderful night, people are sweet and appreciative. Our friend Anna comes in to listen and enjoy the evening. We will be staying with her for the night and be heading back in the morning. Once again, spread the love and then pack it up and head for sleep. Thanks for putting us up, Anna. Fall asleep breathing into this whole thing, this whole amazing journey!

 

12.14.01 Friday
Wake early to be surrounded by the wonderful peaks that live here and tower over everything. The morning is crystal clear and super cold. We go out, load up Harry and he cranks right over. Super star! We say our goodbyes to Anna and thank her for the night of rest. Thank you, Anna! We’re off back to the home front with a quick stop at Chiemsee and lunch in Bernau with Dave, Ewan and Linda. Dave and Ewan helped us dial Harry when we first got him and sealed up all his leaks. A late thank you, guys! We head the rest of the way home and find Gerry waiting for us so we can sort out Harry. Gerry has gotten all his details sorted and now we can exchange paper work. We all take a drive into Berchtesgaden, with Gerry driving so he can meet Harry, to do some last minute shopping before we return home to the States. We spend the evening finishing up any loose details that are hanging and enjoy just sitting for a bit. Dan comes by and we head out for a quick Weiss beer, a yeast and wheat beer, like only the Germans know how to brew. Wonderful slow day, letting it all sink in that we started our first gig on October 6th at Charly’s and tomorrow is our last gig of the tour and again at Charly’s. So much has happened. I am affected and changed at such a profound level. My life will never be the same. I will never be the same. Once again float off to Slumberland in my bubble of gratitude and humility. I am learning. I am incorporating. I am changing, consciously and I am tired.

 

12.15.01 Saturday
Waking to a big day. Tonight is the final concert of the Big Water Euro Tour 2001. Can’t believe how time has flown. We’re off early to go to Berchtesgaden one final time. Another incredible, clear, magic morning. It’s so surreal here, like fairy land. Everything is covered with snow now and it is all shining so bright in the morning sun. We’re out running errands and doing some final prep for leaving tomorrow to go home. Details, details, details down to the very end, most of the day spent on organizing and logistics. ‘Tis time to pack up one final time and head up to Chiemsee and then to Charly’s. We stop in Chiemsee and drop off some boxes we are mailing home. We see our friend, Ron, who we used to work with and he helps us deal. Thanks for all your help, Ron! You’re a super star. Great to see you again too. We send our stuff off and make our way to Bernau for a quick sound check and get settled in for the night. Great to see Charly and Claudia and Alex again. They’re family! So amazing to me to have started doing what I do in 1987, here in Charly’s, and to come back all these years later on tour and start and finish that here at Charly’s. Lots of loops in my life being tied up. I settle in and just have a blast. Great crowd. Great place. Great night. So much fun! Really great to see and hear and feel the progress that has been made over these three months. I am stronger, in my guitar playing, in my singing, in me as a person. I am overwhelmed and can’t fathom what this all means and how it all fits together quite yet. I do know that I am truly blessed to have gotten to experience all of this and will continue to be as I figure out this whole thing and let it sink in. Looking at the past, looking at the present, looking at the future. We pack up for the last time, say our goodbyes and head back to the temporary home front. An incredible day of strength and pride.

 

12.16.01 Sunday
An early rise to start our last day in Big Water Base Camp Europe. Winter has arrived here in the Alps and the morning is crisp and cold with nice white snow clouds. A lovely last morning of German coffee and we’re out to clean out Harry and get him ready for Gerry. He will be coming by sometime late morning to pick up his new van. Today is a day of cleaning and packing and tying up our last loops before we’re off late tonight. Gerry arrives and we say our goodbyes to Harry. Glad he has a great new home. Nancy and I are very grateful to Harry and all his help as we watch Gerry and Harry drive away. Back to cleaning and packing until I get a call from my friend, Ted, who wants to go for a short snow shoe adventure. Ted picks me up and a quick stop at his house for equipment and we’re on our way into the mountains. We drive up into the Alps a little and park. Get suited up and head out to bush whack around in the woods in about a foot to foot and a half of fresh snow. What a blast! Great workout and super fun. Incredible way to spend my last afternoon in Bavaria. Thanks Ted, awesome mini adventure! Ted drops me back home and we say goodbye. Great to see you, Ted! The rest of the day is final packing and just hanging out until it is time to catch our train. Dan comes by and is giving us a ride to the Salzburg train station. The time has come to head to Salzburg and say our goodbyes to Molly, Toby and Max. I am so grateful for all your help. Thank you is definitely not enough. Very humbled and appreciative of all your hospitality. Thank you, thank you, thank you Molly, Toby and Max. Means more than you know. We load Dan’s van and make our way to Salzburg. It is snowing great big, huge flakes as the mountains send us on our way home. Dan drops us and we cart our stuff inside to see what track we need to be on. Thank you, Dan! You’re a star. If anyone wants to ski the Bavarian and Austrian Alps, get a hold of Dan at skidreams@t-online.de. He’s the man! Thanks again for all your help. Nancy and I board our train just about midnight and are headed to the Frankfurt airport by morning. We are hopefully flying home tomorrow if there is room on the flight. We settle in on the train and kick back for a few hours.

 

12.17.01 Monday
We’re up at 5:30 and in Frankfurt an hour later. Our flight is direct from Frankfurt to San Francisco and leaves at noon. We are flying standby and won’t know if we are on the flight until about an hour before it goes. We’re allowed to check our bags early and they’ll hold them for us until we know if we are flying. We hang, have coffee, play chess, have a final, lovely German beer and let our angels guide us. A little later, they call our names and we are on our way home! Thank you angels! We have a great flight home and in what seems like no time, we arrive in San Francisco by late afternoon. We have arrive back home, safe and sound, and have survived. Our goal has been achieved and it is mission accomplished. Amazing to be home. It will take some time to truly sort through everything that has happened. I am truly blessed and honored to have gone and played and prayed and spread the message of love to our planet. Tired and spinning, grateful to be home, time to just be for a bit.

 

Summary
There has been a lot of work, time, energy, effort, money and love that has gone into this whole thing. I want to especially thank all those people that made this possible. My family, my friends and even people I didn’t even know, that helped support me in so many ways. Overwhelmed by all of it and wouldn’t be who I am and do what I do without all of that love and support. I want to thank Nancy for being amazing and believing in me and my message. Nancy, you are incredible and your help and love and support are invaluable. Thank you, thank you, thank you. It has been an amazing, wonderful journey. Thanks for toughing it out. And I definitely want to thank the power of love that has really made all of this happen. We all are divinely guided and how much depends on how much you believe. Let your angels help guide you. Faith. Unconditional belief. If you believe you are divinely guided, truly believe it, then know it and be that. There isn’t very much we get to control in our lives. Learning to pay attention to what we can control and letting go and trusting what we can’t is a hard practice. But, life is a practice. Love is a practice and we are all on our paths to figuring it out. Refinement of a person, of a spirit, of a soul, of a life. Forgive and learn so that we may move forward. Understand that everything is just as it should be, always, whether we like it or not. Believe in your self, your dreams, your life, all life, this planet. LOVE. Love rules the world. Love as much as you can, everyday! Flip flops forever! See you in London in February!

 

Love,
Big Water