Tag Archives: singing

Eastern Europe, Hungary

Saying “yes” to the tourist trap was a good idea…

Yesterday was a memorable day that turned out to be quite special. I’ll be writing a longer, more detailed version of this story when I write about this trip, but for now, I want to preserve the memory while I can.

I did a whole lot of walking yesterday. I used to walk a lot, but nowadays, I’ve gotten pretty out of shape. What I did yesterday is no longer normal for me. I probably won’t repeat it today, when I venture out on my own.

I went from the hotel, across the famous Chain Bridge to the Buda side of the city, down the Danube to the Margaret Bridge, around Margaret Island, and then back to the hotel. It took several hours, and I walked close to six miles. I got tired and thirsty, and never managed to eat lunch, although I did have a wonderful cold lager that tasted so good…

After a nap, it was getting close to Bill’s quitting time. I decided to rest in the hotel room. I thought maybe we’d go to the Italian restaurant near our hotel that looked really cool. But since Bill had walked to his conference yesterday morning, he wanted to show me a shopping area very close to where we’re staying. I didn’t bring my purse with me. Instead, I left my bag in hotel room, and carried my phone, some Carmex, and my keycard in my pocket. We were looking at a display in the street, and I dropped my keycard. A few minutes later, I noticed I didn’t have it, and we were walking quickly back to the display to see if we could find it.

On the way there, a modestly dressed, overly friendly woman tried to stop us because she wanted to talk to us… (probably about Jesus, but I don’t know for certain). I was anxious about the keycard and annoyed by the woman. I snapped, “We don’t have time to talk.”

We found the keycard and decided to leave the busy plaza. The intrusion by the proselytizer had put me in a foul mood. I was hungry and tired, and in no mood for people and their bullshit. So I forgot about the Italian place, and we rounded a corner, where we were confronted with a bunch of touristy restaurants… the kind with pictures of the food.

I don’t like to eat in touristy restaurants. I find that the food is usually overpriced and mediocre, and the service is half assed. When we went to look at the menu, there was a very young, pretty woman in a very short skirt, clearly there to lure in male customers. That, too, was a bit of a turn off.

Then a group of Asians rudely pushed in front of us as we were talking to the hostess. They didn’t even end up eating there. By all rights, we should have just walked away and found someplace less obnoxious.

Nevertheless, I really needed to eat something, and didn’t want to repeat the process at the next restaurant. So although I had low expectations, and was put off by the tackiness of the menu and the hostess’s attire, we said yes to the “tourist trap”.

The short skirted hostess pointed to a four top table, right by where the stream of guests were walking in, which I didn’t like. The chair was also not very comfortable. The faux arm rests, which weren’t actually functioning arm rests, dug into my thighs (more long walks without lunch might solve that issue).

I was not all that enticed by the menu, which was a lot of heavy Hungarian dishes, along with pastas, salads, and other stuff. I ended up ordering a draft beer and a Caesar salad with shrimps. Bill had chicken paprikash.

As expected, the food was fairly mediocre. My salad was mostly iceberg lettuce, with quartered toasted white bread, a small slice of bell pepper, some greens, dressing, and Parmesan cheese. I think there were six medium sized prawns. I was glad they weren’t overcooked.

About halfway through dinner, a quartet of musicians showed up. One guy was playing what looked like a dulcimer, while the other three were playing a violin, viola, and upright bass violin. I shouldn’t have been surprised that they played extremely well.

The violin player was obviously leading the act, and he noticed me enjoying the music. He acknowledged my admiration with a big smile, and kept playing Hungarian hits of centuries ago. And then they started playing “I Could Have Danced All Night”, a song from My Fair Lady I often tease Bill with by changing the lyrics to something obscene. Before I knew it, I enthusiastically burst in, singing along like Julie Andrews. People stopped to listen, like it was something out of a movie. The fiddle players came over and started accompanying me. Then they played “Memory”, which I could have sung, but the key wasn’t ideal.

Bill gave them a big tip and we bought their CD, which made me happy, because I love buying music from buskers. It’s probably my favorite souvenir. However, Bill had given them such a big tip that he was short on cash to cover the price of the CD. They wisely sold it to us, anyway. LOLOLOL… Well, it’s not like we didn’t already pay them with the tip.

They played to most of the other people sitting on the terrace and a group of Brits really got into singing “Edelweiss” and “Do-Re-Mi”. One of them came over and paid me a compliment on my voice, and I returned the compliment to him and his group, when he jokingly said, “You weren’t as good as we were!” 🤭

Bill and I had wine for dessert, and left there feeling a lot better than we did when we arrived. And it later occurred to me that this is something that happens to me quite often. I show up somewhere in a foul mood; something amazing happens; then I leave with great memories, or a new story to write about in my blog. When I am back at my usual computer, I’ll have to write more about that phenomenon. I don’t know if this is something unique to me, but it’s happened to me a lot of times in my lifetime.

Anyway, I’m sure this is what the band does all the time… get the crowd going and earn tips, which is exactly what they should be doing. But they were truly kind and talented gents, and I couldn’t help but realize how much time, money, and energy went into what they do. They were stellar musicians. I didn’t hear them put a single note wrong. And as someone who is also somewhat of a musician, I really appreciated that. But I also love that they gave me a wonderful memory and a new story to share.

Bill was emotionally overwhelmed last night, and so was I. The musicians brought tears to my eyes, because they were so good. And when we left, they bid us an enthusiastic good night. I felt like I made new friends! 😁 Music truly is an international language that brings people together.

Every time we travel, something crazy happens… But even if we hadn’t encountered the wonderful musicians, we also saw a guy who came up, perused the menu very obviously, and then walked along the terrace and tapped all of the flowers in an odd and entertaining way. If anything, Budapest is a great place for people watching.

I don’t know what today holds. I’ll probably try to explore the area we vamoosed out of last night, since it looks like it might be a good place to buy stuff for the grandchildren. I don’t think I’ll walk six miles again, though. I need to let my thighs heal from all the chafing.

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Champagne Bucket trips, Regent Seven Seas Cruise Lines

A warm welcome back to Tallinn, Estonia!

In June 2009, Bill and I visited Tallinn, Estonia for the first time, as Vision of the Seas pulled up to the rather primitive looking harbor. I remember getting off the ship and being serenaded by a local brass band. Royal Caribbean had local bands playing at each stop, which I thought was really cool. In fact, I even recorded some of their performance and put it on YouTube. Check it out!

This was a nice welcome to Estonia in 2009.

On June 25th, 2023, we were back in Estonia, having signed up for a “free” beer tasting excursion, courtesy of Regent Seven Seas. I immediately noticed, as we pulled in, that the port looked a lot more developed than it had in 2009. There was a large cruise terminal that I don’t remember being there when we visited 14 years ago. I also noticed what appeared to be an AIDA ship in port. It was unusually rusty. I didn’t think much of it, though, as we made our way from the Constellation Theater to the tour bus.

We fueled up right… Mimosas…
And caviar! I’ve heard this is customary on Regent Splendor on Sundays.

Our excursion was in the morning. I had a tough time choosing which trip I wanted to do. They were also offering a tour to a local museum dedicated to Estonia’s Soviet years. Since I spent two years living in Armenia, another former Soviet republic, just after the fall of the Soviet Union, I am especially interested in the history. But I needn’t have worried. We met our hilarious guide, Raul, who seemed to effortlessly channel the late comic Robin Williams as he delivered witty one liners and told us about Estonia. He added a fair amount of commentary about the Soviet years, making it very clear that the Estonians were delighted to be rid of that regime, even though the ensuing years after the Soviet Union fell apart were quite difficult.

When we visited Tallinn the first time, Bill and I walked from the port to the old town. It’s not that far as the crow flies. However, since 2009, there’s been a whole lot of construction. I think the walk today, while technically possible, would be more dangerous, due to all the traffic.

Raul explained that Estonia doesn’t have many inhabitants and, in fact, the COVID crisis was probably not so bad for their society, since they naturally “social distance”. He said that large families are not very common, and that their population is aging.

We started our tour in the “upper town”, which is different from how Bill and I did our self-guided tour in 2009. In fact, the one thing that disappointed me about Raul’s tour is that we missed the entrance to the old town, where “Fat Margaret” is. This tower, which dates from the early 16th century, is now home to the Estonian Maritime Museum. I remember taking some good pictures in that part of town. I also got a video of some Hare Krishnas!

Hare Krishnas in Tallinn, back in 2009…

And here are some of the more interesting photos I took in 2009…

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in 2009.
I managed to get an updated shot of this in 2023.

But Raul did hit the highlights, including the beautiful Russian Orthodox church, the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. I distinctly remember that when we visited in 2009, it was a Sunday, and there were many women with scarves on their heads in the church. I remember the heavy smell of incense and old ladies standing outside the church collecting donations from men.

It was Sunday when we visited this time, too, and we were reminded not to take pictures inside the cathedral. Those who did try to sneak pictures were quickly spotted and reprimanded, as a service was going on when we visited.

Apparently, the port in Tallinn now has a mascot!
This was not there in 2009… or, I don’t remember it.
Splendor in port.
Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
Palace

We also visited a Lutheran church, just before a service was to begin. Raul was talking when the organist erupted into a rendition of “Amazing Grace”. It was actually very beautiful. I left the church with tears in my eyes.

The organist played beautifully!

We had a chance to view the lower part of the town from a picturesque spot in the upper part, where we got some photos and shopped for souvenirs. We picked up a new beer stein for our collection.

After our potty and shopping stop, we went to the lower part of town, where we stopped by a chocolatier and bought some chocolate. I still haven’t opened the box to see if they’re any good. A lovely young lady was playing a key harp (Nyckelharpa)– an instrument from Sweden that looks like a combination of a violin and a keyboard. I dropped a couple of euros in her hat, because I have a soft spot for buskers. She played well, and her music added to the atmosphere.

Updated photo from 2009.
Chocolate!

At the end of the tour, we went to a restaurant to taste local beers and eat fresh local sausages. It was at this point that Bill and I met Lynn and Ron, a very nice couple from Dundee, Scotland. The beer tasting was a treat for me, since I liked the three beers that were offered. Not everyone did. Especially the delicious cherry beer! No one discussed the beers or even mentioned who made them. They were simply served with the sausages.

Sausages!

As we made our way back to the bus, I thought to myself that we really do need to come back to Tallinn and spend a couple of days in the city, then maybe venture out to the countryside. Maybe after the train is ready, we can do that. Tallinn by itself is a really cool city– literally and figuratively. But I think the country as a whole is interesting, as I watched a great documentary years ago about Estonia called The Singing Revolution. I happen to own this film and found it fascinating.

A trailer for The Singing Revolution.

Raul did a great job of telling us about Tallinn and showing us the sights. I was sorry to be leaving Tallinn, as it really is such a neat city, with so much color and personality! The beer is pretty good, too!

The ship was going to be leaving Estonia in the early afternoon, as our next port was Riga, Latvia, which is quite a distance when you’re in transportation that moves as slowly as a cruise ship does. So, we sadly bid farewell to Estonia that afternoon. As Bill and I watched the skyline disappear, I looked up the rusty looking AIDA vessel that was sitting in the harbor and learned that it was a ship that was sold to new owners and is now flagged in Liberia. But it’s been sitting abandoned in Tallin’s port since November 2021. Another AIDA ship was also sitting in the port for over a year, but finally left.

We decided to enjoy the afternoon on our balcony, drinking some of the beers brought by the steward the night before. Unfortunately, they weren’t very cold. I think it’s because when no one is in the staterooms, the power is completely shut off. Anything plugged in is unplugged, and you have to use a card to get the lights to work. But it was still a pleasant afternoon’s cruise. We were blessed with nice weather, which I understand is not the case for those who are cruising this week!

A former AIDA ship, sitting idle in port.

After awhile, we decided to visit the Splendor Lounge on Deck 4, then have dinner in the Compass Rose restaurant. Aldo and Dimas– a singer and pianist– were there performing, playing slow hits from the 70s. I commented to Bill that I thought the playlist was a little depressing. Nevertheless, we enjoyed their performance, and then met another couple from Germany, who actually live near Wiesbaden and know Breckenheim (our village), because they go to a restaurant there.

George and Claudia were interesting to talk to. Claudia spoke some English, but was delighted when Bill spoke some German. I think she was very happy to talk to someone besides George, who was in a wheelchair and appeared to be profoundly physically disabled. I had first noticed them in the dining room. Claudia said that she and George had traveled all over the place together, and she loved America, because there was so much consideration for people in wheelchairs. For instance, in Germany, a lot of facilities have toilets upstairs or downstairs, making it hard for physically disabled people to access them. But in the United States, most modern buildings have ramps, wide doors, and wheelchair accessible bathrooms. I noticed that Regent Splendor, more than any other ship I’ve ever been on, also catered a lot to people in wheelchairs.

Claudia did not let George’s disability slow her down. She got up and danced, holding George’s hand as she sashayed to the music. She said she loved American rock n’ roll, especially Elvis Presley. And she reminded us that Elvis spent time in the Frankfurt/Wiesbaden area, back when he was in the Army. We will have to visit where he once lived!

Lobster bisque for me…
Sorbet
Pork for me.
Fish…
Petit fours
I loved this dessert. Chocolate mousse cake with cream brulee in the center.
A cheese course for Bill.
Taken on June 24th, just before the lounge opened.

After we had dinner in the Compass Rose, we came back to the Splendor Lounge, where Aldo and Dimas had picked up the tempo considerably. More people joined us and there was soon much singing and dancing. It was a nice way to end a great day!

Bill and his cheese!

A little singing and dancing in the Splendor Lounge!

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Music is the international language in Rüdesheim am Rhein…

Bill and I finally had the whole weekend to do something fun.  Since we moved to Wiesbaden, I’ve been stacking up places I want to visit, and the list grows ever longer.  But Bill has had to work at least part of every weekend since the first weekend in March.  When we finally saw the sun today, we decided to go to Rüdesheim am Rhein, a town in the Rhein Valley known for its winemaking.

I had read up a little on Rüdesheim, so I knew it would be touristy.  We live about 45 minutes away, so I figured if we liked it, we could come back and do some of the touristy things.  Today, we just wanted to get a feel for the place and maybe have lunch and pick up a couple of bottles of wine.

We parked at P2, a large lot at the top of a hill (3 euros for three hours).  We walked down the hill toward the Rhein River, but then noticed that people were bearing right to an area that looked like it might be the main square.  It turned out it wasn’t really the main drag, but it did take us past a pretty church and some interesting looking shops and restaurants.

You can always count on finding a church in any German town.

 

Prost!

And a torture museum.  We didn’t visit this place, but I will be sure to check it out the next time we come to Rüdesheim.  I am sure there will be a next time, even if it is teeming with tourists.

 

The wine museum is near, as well as the “skyride” that will take you up the gentle mountaintop and around the area.  We’d need at least three hours to do that right and we got a late start today…  We will have to come back in the fall or maybe later in April and try it.  I think in a few weeks, this town will be full to the gills with tourists.

 

Come on in!  And if you want, you can stop by the Irish pub.

 

I bet this is really obnoxious in the summer.

 

We walked around a bit, searching for an interesting restaurant.  Alas, a lot of the places were very touristy, with menus translated into half a dozen languages.  Don’t get me wrong.  The translations do make it a lot easier for tourists, but it also makes a place a little less charming, if you know what I mean.  I was a little unimpressed by Rüdesheim, at first.  We stopped at a hotel restaurant for lunch.  I chose it because they had something other than schnitzel and sausages, or pizza and pasta.

We had lunch at the Drosselhof… on the Drosselgasse.  Ordinarily, I would avoid such a place, since it’s right on the tourist row, but none of the other eateries were inviting and this place had duck on the menu.  I ended up having salmon, anyway.

 

A kindly waiter invited us to sit down.  Although it was almost 1:00pm, the place was empty.  Our waiter spoke English, but seemed a bit shy about it.

 

Look at all the languages!

 

We ordered glasses of Riesling and sparkling water.  Bill went with the trout and I had a salmon filet.

Bill’s trout was fried, served with parsleyed potatoes, and a really nice horseradish sauce.  I think I liked his dish better than mine.

 

My salmon filet, cooked medium rare with a mustard dill sauce, croquettes, and a salad…

 

This had a great creamy dressing and was just enough to share.

As we were eating, the Drosselhof filled up somewhat.  The inside of the restaurant is very charming, although it doesn’t get the best ratings on TripAdvisor, Facebook, or Yelp.  I could see why.  The food was fine, but not that special, and it seemed to be primed for tourists.  But for us, it fit the bill fine.

We finished up by sharing this delightful dessert– crepes filled with hot blueberry sauce and served with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream.  It was so good!  Total bill was 66 euros, but it was kind of a nice place to be.  The waiter kindly turned on the heater for us, although we didn’t really need it. And I got to watch some guy brazenly feeling his woman’s behind while they perused the menu at the Weingarten across the alley.  For once, I didn’t sneak a photo.

If you need to pee, you can use the Drosselhof’s toilet, but it will cost you 50 cents.  They don’t charge people who are guests.

 

You can also pick up some smokes if you need to.

This… is the source of a lot of noise!  And big crowds, too. 

 
 

Next to the Drosselhof is a wine and art bar, where they serve these delicious pastries, strawberry wine, and play music.  It appeared to be part of the hotel.  Next door to that was one of many wine shops.  Again, everything was translated into five or six languages.  We noticed many Asians there.   Rüdesheim will definitely go on my list of European towns where you’ll find many Asian tourists… not that it’s a bad thing.  I’m just making an observation.

 

This is your town if you like wine.  It reminded me a little of Riquewihr, France, but perhaps with less charm.

 

This is where you catch the skyride that will take you all around the area.  We will do this on another day.

 

Reasonable rates and an extensive network that can even include a ferry cruise if you like.

Chances are, they have your language, too.

Very tourist friendly.  They even say so on the sign.

All in all, I was feeling somewhat unimpressed by Rüdesheim.  We were about to find a wine shop to pick up a few bottles to take home, when we were invited to sit down and try wine by a super charming elderly couple who spoke almost no English.

We did buy some wine… I think we arranged for 18 bottles, which will come to our house in Wiesbaden…  What can I say?  This turned out to be a very magical experience… one of those bonding times one has with a host country.  I really needed it.

 

We went into this little hole in the wall place and the wife, who spoke no English at all, started bringing out wines for us to try.  I would not be surprised if she’d had a little herself before we dropped in.  She kept pouring wines for us to try.  Bill eventually told her not to give him any, since he was driving.  She claimed she had alcohol free wine, but after she poured it, Bill looked at the bottle and it indicated 13.5% ABV!  Good thing he was paying attention!

I was surprised that I understood a fair amount of what she said, and was even able to answer a little bit.  Bill speaks more German than I do, but sometimes I understand things faster than he does.  After we’d tried four or five wines, he got up to speak to her husband about making a purchase.

The wife apologized for not speaking English, then explained that people her age learned French.  I totally understand that.  I learned some Spanish for the same reason.  Little did I know when I was in high school that I would spend six years living in Germany and only one year in Texas, where Spanish is very handy.  The one language I am conversant in– or was at one time– is Eastern Armenian.  Few people outside of Armenia, Fresno, and Boston speak that.  But anyway, I was able to get the gist of a lot of what was said… although I did miss a few things.  And I was even brave enough to try speaking German.  The wine helped.

Then, the lady asked me what I do with my time.  I told her I write… and I also sort of hesitantly told her that I’m a singer.  And I am also a Hausfrau, although apparently not a very good one, according to our ex landlady.

By that point, a couple of pretty young women came in.  They spoke some English and were happy to translate when the lady asked me to sing a few bars for her.  So, although I was a little tipsy, I sang the first line of a very operatic German art song I learned in college.  No, I don’t speak much German, but I can sing in German… a little, anyway.  A couple of people were startled by the sound and stopped in their tracks, peering into the wine shop.  I probably could have done something more mainstream, but whenever this happens to me, I’m usually at a loss of what to do other than songs like “Summertime”, which is totally burned on the brain… I have sung “Summertime” so many times, I kind of don’t want to do it again.

Bill sealing the deal while I talked to the guy’s wife in my crappy German.

As luck would have it, this morning someone on SingSnap commented on one of my recordings of the old song, “What’ll I Do.”  The first time I heard this song was on an episode of The Golden Girls, when the late actress Bea Arthur sang it at a bar.  I liked it so much that I decided to record it.  This was the result.

I recorded this in June of 2018, but someone happened to comment on it today.  I got an email alert, which made it very convenient for sharing.  This was probably nicer than my slightly drunken operatic line in German.  The German lady’s eyes lit up and she touched her heart… then she brought me a bottle of lovely Spanish wine as a gift.  For all I know, she would have done that anyway, although I kind of doubt it. On the other hand, she was quite free with the wine tasting.

I really needed today.  Lately, I’ve been a bit down on Germany and kind of wanting to go home… if not for good, then maybe for an extended visit.  I know this happens a lot.  People who live in countries that are foreign to them can experience cultural highs, culture shock, and finally, culture fatigue.  I think I may be experiencing a bit of culture fatigue after the stress of the past nine months or so.  But today was a reminder that sometimes, you can connect with the people… and you don’t necessarily have to speak the language to do it.

When I lived in Armenia, singing was often the only way I could get my youngest students to sit down and shut up for our English lessons.  I have found that in Germany, it’s also a way to break the ice and meet people.  Meeting people adds to the pleasure of being here.

Anyway, I feel sure we’ll be back to Rüdesheim.  I’ll bet that woman will remember me, too… if not for the song, then for the fact that we ordered 18 bottles of wine.  She even gave me a big hug as we left!  Sometimes fate or God lead you just where you need to be for a second wind… and maybe a second wine.

The mighty Rhein, which we will soon be exploring a lot more.

Goodbye new friend, Rüdesheim.

Until we meet again, Rüdesheim!

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Halloween in Stuttgart at the Irish Folk Festival!

It’s showtime!  

 

If you’ve been following this blog, you might know that the summer of 2018 was our summer of concerts.  Since I recently bought tickets to three more shows and have one more that has been planned since February 2018, I can safely say that 2019 will continue on the concert theme.

Some months ago, I noticed an ad on Facebook for the Irish Folk Festival.  This is an annual tour that celebrated its 45th anniversary this year.  Every year, bands that play Celtic music travel through Austria, Switzerland, Germany, and Benelux.  And yet, even though this festival is almost as old as I am, I somehow never knew about it until I saw that Facebook ad.  Since I was on a roll buying tickets for shows, I decided to pick up a pair for Bill and me.  They were comparatively cheap.  I think I spent a little over 80 euros for two tickets and we sat in the second row.

Thanks to all of the big name acts we’ve seen this year, there were a couple of times I actually forgot that we’d bought tickets for this show.  I set up a reminder on Facebook, just so we wouldn’t forget to attend.  I’m so glad we did manage to catch this festival.  We had a wonderful time!

Last night’s show started at 8:00pm at the Stuttgart Theaterhaus, located very close to Robinson Barracks.  Bill and I have passed that Theaterhaus a few times, but this was the first time we ever took in a show there.  It’s a very nice venue.  Next door, there is a restaurant that we would have liked to try if we’d had time.  Unfortunately, we were caught in hellacious Stuttgart traffic and arrived at the venue about an hour before showtime.  The restaurant was very full and we didn’t think we’d have time to eat.  However, there were a couple of bars open and they did have sandwiches and candy available.  We each had a beer.

The theme was the hope for Ireland’s reunification after Brexit.  The lineup included several acts that I had never heard of, but I left the venue with several new CDs that I can’t wait to plug into my Celtic music mix.  We had the pleasure of being entertained by: Joanna Hyde & Tadhg Ó Meachair, Christy Barry & James Devitt, Ailie Robertson’s Traditional Spirits, and The Outside Track.  The show lasted a solid three hours with one twenty minute break.

Bill and I left as they were doing the last song, because it was already 11:00pm, and he gets up early for work.  The mostly German crowd was on its feet at the end.  They enjoyed the show as much as we did.  We saw more than one person wearing a kilt.  I was sorry Bill hadn’t worn his!

Below are some photos from last night’s show, along with a little light commentary.

It was just starting to get busy in the Theaterhaus when we arrived.  I was marveling at how nice it was.  I wish we’d had the chance to go to other shows during our time here.  Maybe we’ll have another opportunity at a later date.

 

Some information about other planned shows.

I got a kick out of this giant sign for the toilets.  I didn’t get a picture, but next to this lit up sign, there’s an Andy Warhol style graphic depiction of toilets.  That’s one way to make sure theatergoers know where to go when they have to go.

 

The venue has quirky decor.

 

My goofy husband, being a good provider.  He bought peanuts and crispy M&Ms so I wouldn’t get too hangry.

 

I’m always intrigued by graffiti and stuff people leave in bathrooms.  Here’s a statement on the evils of prostitution…  Prostitution is legal in Germany.

 

Our view before the show started.  A German couple sat next to us and asked if we were from Ireland.  We admitted to being Americans, albeit with lots of Celtic heritage.  The couple seemed surprised we’ve been in Germany for four years and are moving to another German city.  They wondered if we would eventually go back to the USA.  I’m sure we will at some point… but then again, maybe we won’t.  Time will tell.  I noticed they didn’t come back after the pause.  I hope we didn’t offend.

 

The local concert promoter was a German guy who wore a green suit covered in shamrocks.  He reminded me a little of Steve Martin before his hair went completely white.  I almost expected him to have an arrow through his head, the way Martin used to about 40 years ago when he did stand up comedy.  I understood some of what the guy was saying and noticed he had a good sense of humor.  The performers spoke a little bit of basic German, but the rest was done in English.  I noticed most of the people around us understood English perfectly well.  Once again, I regret not studying German in school instead of the six years of Spanish I took.

I did not take any photos during most of the show, nor did I do any filming.  Having performed on a stage myself, I understand that photography can be distracting, especially when people use flash.  Also, I think it’s rude to watch a concert through a cell phone screen.  I did get a few photos at the end of the show, when the excellent performers were doing their finale and taking their bows.

 Ailie Robertson, playing harp, seemed to be the evening’s bandleader.  She performed first with her band, Traditional Spirits, and explained how her music was about the making of whisky in Scotland, particularly in splendid Islay, which Bill and I have had the good fortune to visit twice.  After the pause, she joined her band, The Outside Track, which consists of almost all females and includes members from Ireland, Scotland, and Canada!  The lady in the sparkling green dress is lead singer, Teresa Horgan, who also served as a great bandleader and has a stunningly beautiful voice.

Mairi Rankin, the beautiful redhead from Cape Breton, Canada dancing front and center, was absolutely enchanting as she played her fiddle, sang, and danced.  I couldn’t take my eyes off of her.  She had a wonderful stage presence and seemed to really enjoy her work.  I was drawn to her and probably would have loved to have had the chance to chat with her after the show.  She has a very friendly and kind aura.

 

A close up of the dancing!

Mairi is joined by Joanna Hyde and a guy named Cillian O’Dalaigh.  Cillian had fabulous hair and played flute and guitar and danced and sang.  He was another one I was drawn to watch.

Taking a bow!

The rest of these pictures are a little repetitive, but I’m including them for the curious.  It really was a wonderful show and the house was packed.  The tour continues tonight in Ravensburg and ends on November 17th in Hamburg.  I would definitely recommend getting tickets to any of the upcoming shows or planning to see this next year.  I see that they stopped in Mannheim and Frankfurt earlier in their tour, so if we’re still in Germany a year from now, we’ll have to make plans to attend.  It was time and money well spent for us!  And frankly, I was a little jealous because I wanted to be on stage, too… and I wish I had kept studying music when I was young.  Oh well…  At the end of this post, I’ll include a video I did of one of the songs we heard last night.  Yes, it’s me singing.

Well deserved accolades!

The song on this video, which includes pictures from Capri and Amalfi, is “Get Me Through December”.  I originally heard this done by Alison Krauss and Nova Scotia native and fiddle player Natalie MacMaster, but it was also performed last night by Teresa Horgan and the rest of The Outside Track.  I may have to do this one again today…  By the way… I would love to see Natalie MacMaster and her fantastic family play in Germany.  Maybe someday…  This version is mine, and the arrangement is similar to the one done by Alison Krauss and Natalie MacMaster.  Last night’s version was done in a lower key, but was no less ethereal.

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Uncategorized

A live jam session at Tommi’s Bistro!

Yesterday, after several days of eating Hello Fresh meals, I was craving a good steak in the worst way.  We happen to live within walking distance of Tommi’s Bistro, an excellent steak restaurant.  Although Bill had been planning to cook this week’s chicken dish from Hello Fresh, I was all about going out.  It wasn’t too hard to convince Bill to change his plans since he’d been sitting in 90 minutes of traffic and was in no mood to cook anyway.

Obligatory shot of Bill…

Last night was Thursday, so I had a feeling there could be live music at Tommi’s, though nothing was posted on their Web site.  We usually go there on Fridays, when nothing is going on.  Since I am also a music lover, I was pretty curious about how good the music is at Tommi’s.

When we arrived at about 7:00, most of the tables were reserved.  There were two very large tables that weren’t spoken for, so Bill and I took spots by the window.  I looked up at a sign and saw that yes, there would be live music later.  Knowing that Bill had to go to work today, I figured we’d just eat and stick around to hear a couple of songs.  Sometimes, I’m so dumb.

We ordered a bottle of wine and two dry aged Argentinian rib-eyes with baked potatoes, which came with house shots of sherry.  I will reiterate that despite being in little Unterjettingen, Tommi’s offers excellent steaks.  In fact, I think they are among the best I’ve had in Germany.

  

Early numbers.

As the hour got closer to 8:00, people started showing up to claim their reserved spots.  Musicians started setting up.  It looked like a very casual set up.  The band members appeared to be laid back older guys with day jobs.  No one wore sequins or leather pants.

We finished our dinner just before the music started.  A young girl of about fifteen or sixteen with an acoustic guitar, apparently a student at a nearby music school, joined the band and played a very impressive version of “Dust In The Wind” by Kansas.  Then they played “Tears in Heaven”.

I noticed a couple of other folks showing up who appeared to be musicians.  One was a young guy with a Lynyrd Skynyrd t-shirt and an electric guitar.  Another guy had a harmonica.  And there was a young woman wearing a hat and I could tell she was the resident singer.  One of the waitresses on a previous visit had mentioned her.

Bill and I were eventually joined at our large table by a couple of older German guys and the wife or girlfriend of one of them.  I noticed she kept sneaking looks at us.  I couldn’t tell if she was curious or annoyed, since we obviously weren’t part of what is a local and very enthusiastic crowd.

The Lynyrd Skynyrd guy got up and played “Free Bird” and “Sweet Home Alabama” with the band.  They did a damn good job with the music, though I noticed that none of them really knew the words to the songs.  “Sweet Home Alabama” was a little truer to form, though of course they really shined on the jamming part of “Free Bird”.  Then they played a ZZ Top song that I didn’t recognize.

Watching the band play suddenly reminded me of the last time we went to a fest and the band kept playing “So Lonely” by The Police and no one knew the words.  They kept sing the chorus over and over again.  Most everyone was either high on life or beer, so it was very much a happy celebration of music.  That, along with the sight of 19 year old drunk guys with bras on their heads is an enduring memory from the Canstatter Fest of 2007.  After that, my brain was riddled with two mas krugs of fine German suds and things get a little fuzzy.

Lynyrd Skynyrd guy was tearing it up!

On the way back from the bathroom, I stopped to tell the young girl with the guitar how much I had enjoyed her playing.  I had to do it in English, though I did add a couple of German words to emphasize my point.  She totally beamed at me.  It was really adorable.  I have a feeling pretty soon she’ll be getting a lot more kudos from strange people like me.  She was very good.

As it got closer to 10:00, Bill and I decided we needed to get going.  After we paid the check, we  made another pit stop.  The acoustic guitar girl was getting ready to leave and we said “Tschuss”.

Then I saw the guy with the harmonica standing in the foyer with all the smokers.  He was also very skilled, so I complimented him on his playing.  We struck up a conversation and I told him that I like singing.  He suddenly got very excited and asked me what songs I know.  I mentioned a couple that he didn’t seem familiar with.  Next thing I knew, he was working very hard to get me on the stage.  I gave thought to making a run for it, but then the resident singer got up and sang blistering renditions of “I Put A Spell On You” by CCR and “Long Train Runnin'” by the Doobie Brothers.  She was very impressive!

The time inched closer to 11:00 and I thought maybe we’d have to come back again sometime.  I was telling harmonica guy that we also needed to go after he told us that the bass player was going to have to go home because he had to work today.  “So does Bill!” I called after him after he ran off to see if he could squeeze me in somehow.  I was amazed by how eager this guy was to get me in front of the people.

Then the band broke into “Little Wing” by Jimi Hendrix (though their version sounded more like Sting’s, luckily for me).  I sort of know that song from listening to Sting’s version for years.  I was also a little drunk and certainly not prepared to join the band.  Nevertheless, harmonica guy, name of Gunter, hustled me toward the stage– I mean, he literally pushed me up there.  So I gave “Little Wing” the old college try… and I remembered maybe half the words.  Finally, during the last verse, I ad-libbed new lyrics, which turned out surprisingly well…

They went something like this, though my memory is a little hazy:

I’ve forgotten half this song…
I’ve been drinking so much, I need to go home.
It’s alright, it’s alright, I know.  You’re all good sports.
All I need to do tonight is refresh my memory.

I’m an American in Germany!
I’m so glad I’m here
Cuz’ I do love your beer!
It’s alright, it’s alright I say… 
All I need to do is learn some songs.

I got quite the warm reception and the new lyrics totally worked.  Most everyone seemed to understand that I was pulling the words out of my ass.  To be quite honest, I get a huge rush when I get to sing with live musicians!  I shook hands with the band and wished everyone a good night (in German, no less), then after I congratulated the resident singer with the powerhouse pipes (and she returned the sentiment), we hit the road.  Music is definitely an international language, though everything they did at Tommi’s last night was in English, anyway!

Needless to say, Bill and I had a great time.  I can’t believe the luck we have, living in a town within walking distance that offers open mic nights.  We’ll definitely be back, if only just to watch and listen!  On Saturday nights, they have live bands that come in.

Damn, Germany is fun!

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holidays

Our big Virginia trip, part four– Friday night!

In my family, we traditionally have a “barn party” on Friday after Thanksgiving.  Over the years, the party has been held in a variety of different places.  When I was a kid, the barn on my Uncle Brownlee’s property was owned by someone else, so we had to rent somewhere for our party.  Some years, we had it at the Natural Bridge Hotel, either in a room in the basement or in a reception hall.

In 1987, we had an all out par-tay in one of the big ballrooms.  It was complete with an open bar and a full band featuring my Uncle Brownlee and his brother, my Uncle Stephen.  There was much drunkenness, especially from yours truly.  I was then 15 years old, and one of my cousins, who shall remain nameless, was passing me bourbon and Cokes.  I drank four and got good and hammered.  That was the first time in my life I ever got drunk, and boy was I a mess.  Fortunately, my Aunt Nance filmed the whole thing for posterity…  LOL.  I made myself scarce during the drunk part, thank GOD.  I still like to watch that video, though, because that was a wild party and there are people in it who are no longer with us.

In later years, we had the party at the Fire Station in Natural Bridge, which wasn’t too long on character.  There were lots of stories told, though no dancing or music.  One year, we had karaoke in the barn.  And finally in recent years, we started having the whole celebration in the barn, which my handy and talented Uncle Brownlee has fixed up for dancing and music.  The last few years, we’ve even had live bluegrass music from The Plank Road Express.  In 2010, during our last visit for Thanksgiving, I got to sing a number with the band, which was a lot of fun for me.  In a former life, I think I was a rock star.

I had a feeling we were going to be a bit emotional after my dad’s memorial, so I arranged a date night for Bill and me.  We had dinner at The Southern Inn in Lexington, Virginia.  We ate there once or twice before and there are other restaurants in Lexington.  I will admit that part of the reason I chose that place is because they participate in OpenTable, which is a restaurant reservation service.  I get points every time I make a reservation and have been collecting for over ten years.  But if I don’t reserve a table at least once a year, the points expire.  Since I don’t know when we’ll be back in the States, I figured it was a good opportunity to keep current.  And I wanted to enjoy a nice dinner with my spouse, too.

So we stayed dressed up for dinner, though we really didn’t have to.  The Southern Inn is a fairly casual place and it’s obvious that it’s popular with locals.  Our waitress was very experienced and clearly knew a lot of the people at the surrounding tables.  We enjoyed a very nice meal, too.  I started with baked Brie and a glass of prosecco.  Bill had a bowl of Andouille sausage soup.  I had sea scallops and parmesan grits for my entree.  Bill had a huge steak.  For dessert, I had a Brandy Alexander, while Bill had pecan pie.

Bill reacting to something smartassed I said.

Vino!

Baked Brie… it was a little like a grilled cheese sandwich on steroids.

Bill’s yummy soup!

Scallops, grits, and greens!

Beef!

Brandy Alexander… 

Pecan pie… this was good, but my brother-in-law, Mark, makes an even better one.

We got back to the home place just in time for a spectacular fireworks show put on by one of my cousins.  I wish we’d gotten there a little earlier so I could have gotten more than a few shots.  I was pretty impressed by how professional the show was!

Fireworks!

Then we went to the barn for dancing and more singing… and yes, I did get to sing with The Plank Road Express again.  It was funny, too, because the lead singer spotted me and said, “I’ve been looking for you for four years!  Where have you been?”  I sang “Walking After Midnight” and fumbled with the words a bit… but probably the most special moment of the night came when I saw the words for “On Heaven’s Bright Shore” on her music stand.

You see, I really would have liked to have sung “On Heaven’s Bright Shore” at my dad’s memorial.  That would have been my choice for a solo.  Unfortunately, I didn’t have anyone to accompany me.  I did record an acapella version, but it’s not as good as it would be if I had someone on guitar or something.

The Plank Road Express in the barn…

Anyway, I asked the band if they would mind if I gave “On Heaven’s Bright Shore” a whirl.  They asked if I could sing it in “C”.  I said, “Just play it.  I’m drunk and so is most everyone else in here!”  It turned out pretty well!

I thanked the band for obliging me and explained that I had come all the way from Germany for my dad’s memorial.  The lead singer said, “Oh, so that was your dad who died?  I sang ‘On Heaven’s Bright Shore’ for my dad, too.”  I got the sense that we bonded a little over that song!

Another highlight of Friday night was my Uncle Ed, who is just hilarious.  He said, “Hey Jenny, we have some ‘moon’ here…”  “Moon”, for your edification, refers to moonshine.  Yes, many people in my family enjoy it as well as the odd Miller Lite beer.  My tastebuds have evolved beyond Lite, but I don’t mind if I do enjoy a little “moon” when the opportunity presents itself.  It was good stuff, too– pretty smooth and I haven’t gone blind…

We didn’t get back to the Hummingbird Inn until after 1:00am.  We would have been there sooner, except I left my bag at the house and had to go back and retrieve it.  On the way into the house, I skinned the hell out of my knee.  That may have been yet another sign from my dad.  Many years ago, when I was a kid and we were celebrating Thanksgiving with the family, my dad decided to go jogging.  Possibly in a pre-menstrual moment, I said “I hope you fall and skin your knee.”  My cousin, Suzanne, thought that was the funniest thing and reminded me of it this year.  So maybe it was a little karmic payback.  Despite my smarting knee, I had a great time!

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