Apparently, the grammar wasn't the only error on the poster, but they got our info correct and after a long and pretty good and very mixed evening we got up on stage around midnight and cleared the room. After a lentil heavy dinner (that everyone attending the festival was welcome to), the jimmy-leg inducing dance antics of Les Trucs and then the screamy and wind instrumented noise rock of Death Sentence: Panda! the room was spent and as Charlotte of Les Trucs later told me, the steadily increasing volume and temperature made her want to barf - I have to admit, I felt it, too.
Oh yeah, before the show we walked around the old centre of Dresden - the only thing I knew about this city was that it was fire-bombed in WW2, but apparently long before the allies thought it important enough to brutally decimate it was an important centre during the renaissance, huh.
We took a short jaunt down to Nurmberg, picked up a couple friends then made our way over to Vienna, and then over to Budapest - where my well-being proceeded to become one with the pavement. We were feeling slightly more aw(ful) than (esome) as we arrived at the venue, but things instantly improved as we entered the cellar room - it would definitely turn steamy when full of people, but for now it was cool. I should also mention that our sound man this final night with Lusca was the best and craziest I've ever met. It turns out that this day gig is as a chiropractor - I wasn't sure where he was going when he told me to take two steps down and turn around, and as he then proceeded to embed his knee into my spine and pull my shoulders back - but, he assured me that he was a licensed practitioner. However, when he offered to crack my neck for me, I declined.
The next day promised to be as unbearably hot as the last so as Mike and Ingrid made their way to their train home in the early a.m., we got up to see as much of Budapest's historic centre as possible before noon. We mostly just strolled along Danube (we've seen a lot of this very, very long river over the last year) opposite the parliament for as long as we could stand being in direct sunlight and then made our way up to the castle district to take in the view.
Closer up...
I have to admit to disappointment as we reached Budapest's suburbs on the way in and out of town - they kind of reminded me of Oakland, CA as seen from the freeway...
I'm not altogether positive of the demographic that is readers of this, particular account of my life and doings, but I have big news for surely some of you. Maybe not for "you" you, but very possibly for you!
The weather is bordering on swelter, with a few hours of simmer thrown in each day, for most of the northern hemisphere these days and you might not want to think about things to come in December but I have to and as a reader, you will too.
City of Craft - my home within my other home back in Toronto has now opened the call for vendors and installations. The city has annexed (in a very good way), and installations are now a major focus of the show. Local and international proposals are certainly welcome. If you know someone who this should reach, please spread the word! To apply, go here!
I can make excuses for not updating this here blog for some weeks - weeks that had me in Italy, France, and parts east, but it has come down to time and hundreds of photos to sort through. I will get it done, but I've also had company this last week and although the decidedly uncomfortable heat allows for little less than finding shade and drink, Jill and I got up really early this morning and trekked over to Spreepark for a little break and entry exploration.
Although the park is officially off-limits to the public, it's not difficult to break in and with a little bit of searching we found a well beaten path with a few inches of fence that could be squeezed through. It should also be noted that there has been reports of a security detail within the park on weekends.
It's a complicated and bizarre tale of how the park came to be, and if you click on the link above you should read it to the very end -- that's where the story gets especially strange. Knowing the story and walking the grounds early this morning felt eerie and not just a little creepy. However, as confirmed by the couple we stumbled upon making out in the overgrown grass, it's a kinda peaceful and lovely spot in the city.
