Europe Day 8

Yesterday was a long travel day, though due to the fact that it was broken up into 3 different "mini-journeys", it didn't feel quite as long as it should have.

After a relatively leisurely 11am check-out from the Comfort Inn in Stavanger, we piled into the van and headed south towards Kristiensand. The 3 hour drive was relatively uneventful, with a couple of folks climbing into the bunk behind the passenger cabin to get a bit of extra sleep. 

We arrived in Kristiensand at around 3:45, with about 45 minutes to spare before boarding the Colorline Ferry to Denmark. I had fond memories of the Colorline, an was oddly excited to be re-united with the hulking mass of a vessel. During the year that we spent living in Bergen, Norway, my family and I traveled via ferry to the United Kingdom to visit my father's family. The Kristiensand - Edinburgh route was a bit more of an ordeal than yesterday's 3 1/2 journey, and the 20-or-so hours we had to spend on the Scotland-bound boat allowed for an early introduction to the wonders of slot-machines and duty-free shopping. Looking back on it, it seems pretty bizarre that a 10 year old child was allowed free reign around such instruments of vice, but it seemed pretty damn logical at the time. I recall winning enough Norwegian crowns to buy a nice Swatch watch, while my younger brother, who couldn't have been older than 5 or 6 at the time, somehow accurately guessed the weight of a rather large salmon that had been on display. The prize for such precision? The fish itself, which proceeded to defrost itself while sitting inches above our heads in the back seat of my dad's SAAB as we drove South towards Liverpool. By the time we reached the Mersey, the entire car reeked of rotting fish. Winning ain't easy, folks.

I digress.

We boarded the boat at 4:30, and settled into a 3 1/2 hour ride that included a healthy dose of terrible ferry food, some nips from a duty free bottle of Aquavit, and curious attention of what seemed like thousands of small children, running free around the cabin. We, for some reason, decided to set up shop right next to the "Kid's Movie Area", which was a small room with large glass windows, a movie scree, and a couple of pathetic looking toys. Filled to the brim with children eager to take in the cartoon on the screen, the unmistakable smell of human shit began to waft out of the doors in increasingly concentrated doses. I suppose the excitement of cartoons was a bit too much for their young bowels to handle? Whatever the case, unable to deal with the smell much longer, Grieves, Ian, and I retired to the outside deck. The sun was beginning to set, and the open sea was exceptionally beautiful. 

The ferry docked in Denmark, and we re-boarded the van in anticipation of the final 6 hours of travel to Hamburg, Germany. I staked out a bit of space in the bunk for myself, and managed to get a couple of hours of strange sleep before climbing back down to the passenger area for the last couple of hours of driving. Ali, BK, and I sat and talked for a while about the general state of underground Hip-Hop. I know I've said it before, but it's such an incredible honor to be able to spend time with with these guys and, most importantly, to learn from their incredible experiences and unique insight. I'm a lucky dude.

We pulled into Hamburg around 1am, stumbling into the "E-Tap" hotel and heading upstairs to try and get some rest. E-Tap's are, apparently, a Europe-wide chain, renowned for the odd placement of their in-room shower. It's in the middle of the fucking bedroom. Also, it seems as if European hotels, and perhaps Europeans in general, have a bizarre aversion to Shampoo. No judgement here, but it is a bit…curious. 

I woke up a bit early this morning, and took the opportunity to take a long run through downtown Hamburg. I've never been to Germany before, and it was cool to take a bit of time to explore a truly foreign place. A weeeee bit dirtier than its Scandinavian counterparts, Hamburg still had the unmistakable feel of a city rich with history, art, and distinct culture. My run took me past a carnival that was in some middle stage of con/de-struction, through a couple of city parks, and into the center of commerce, which was lined by a series of small lakes and canals that were filled with gondolas and other small vessels. So damn cool!

After returning to the hotel, Grieves and I enjoyed yet another incredible, and free, hotel breakfast. What these places lack in shampoo, they more than make up for in complimentary food. Nice cheese, Nutella, fresh fruit, good coffee. Not bad at all. Finishing breakfast left me with about an hour of free time, which I spent walking around the area near our hotel…which also happened to be something resembling a Red Light district. Even more depressing during the day than I imagine it to be after the sun goes down, I trekked my way past numerous sex shops until had reached the markedly more picturesque waterfront area. An hour well spent.

Back in the van now, heading towards Lille, France, which looks to be a mid-size city based around a university, and with a pretty vibrant arts scene. We have another travel day today, followed by our first French show tomorrow night!

Grieves and I have been brainstorming ideas for new music, and I'm in what feels like a pretty creative space these days. I've spent a bit of time over the past few days working on some new songs, and I'm feeling pretty excited about the direction their taking. New scenery…new sounds…and the fact that I've been listening to The Refused on repeat isn't hurting the process.

Until tomorrow!