Pictures of Arêne, Nîmes, France

Just a quick note that my good friend François Devred has posted numerous pictures of our show at the Arêne in Nîmes, France. It was a fantastic show. Great shots. More to come soon.

Here's the link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pirlouiiiit/sets/72157605933387638/with/2632517226/

Enjoy.

Another airport - Munich

We're in stage three of our trip to Nîmes, France - connecting flight from Milan to Marseilles. Somehow, we managed to escape the supposed three hour strike by Lufthansa employees, which would have made our trip even longer. We have this flight, here at Terminal 2, Gate 67, then an hour and change drive to Nîmes. Tonight's show is at the Arene in the center of town, an actual Roman Coliseum, in better condition than the one in Rome. It holds over 10,000 people, potentially the largest crowd we have ever performed in front of. Should be an exciting night.

Obviously, a little catch up is necessary. The past few days have been busy, from venue to hotel, to airport, to hotel, etc. The Peace and Love Festival in Sweden went well; we barely got any sleep that night due to the early dawn of the Scandinavias, and the ongoing jet lag. There are new pics at the Flickr site to check out. There is still Milan to upload, but there are quite a few photos from our journey in Sweden. You can see them here: NA & Sea - Summer Euro Tour - 2008

From Arlandastan, Sweden, we flew to Milan, Italy; took two flights to there. That night's dinner was the first real meal we had had since we left the US. Not to say that the food we were given in Sweden was bad, but getting a real Italian meal tends to overshadow anything digested in the last 48 hours. It was cool place down the street - we all got pasta and pizzas, which satiated our appetites.

Monday was mostly press for Nicole; lots of interviews, all went well. There was a trio performance for Radio Monte Carlo in the late afternoon. Otherwise, there was some free time to walk around the city. Tom and I got up early, and went to the Duomo. Quite magnificent. I walked around a bit more, until I got tired, then headed to the hotel for a nap.

Later that night, our host, Bruno, gave us an amazing meal at a newly opened Sicilian restaurant that was absolutely incredible. Everything was fresh, perfect portions, just a fantastic meal. We stumbled back to the hotel, happy to be alive, even though the wake up call was for 4AM the next morning.

Now, here in Munich, we await our boarding call. Off to Arene!

Ah, jet lag. It's been so long.

Today, we're in Borlänge, Sweden, for the Peace and Love Festival. As opposed to the usual set up for festivals, which would be be in the middle of a field or large park of some kind, the stages and main areas are in the middle of town. Tall fences snake around the various common areas, with entrance gates in various locations. People who live in town proper get to have free views of the shows, whether they want to or not. I noticed one elderly woman looking out her window while The Hellacopters were playing their loud punk rock. Wonder if she was into it. "Oh kids these days - so peppy and fun in their outlandish clothing!"

One thing I have noticed a lot here: lots of young Swedish teens in punk clothes. Never before have I seen so many people walking around in Sex Pistols t-shirts in such a small area. PUNK! Yeah, I'm getting old. I don't duct tape my Converse Chuck Taylors together anymore, or wear Sonic Youth and The Cure t-shirts. But that won't stop me from getting warm and fuzzy when I see a bunch of kids walk down the street with safety pins in their jackets, and mohawks, and torn up jeans. What's that line in "Breakfast at Tiffany's"?

"Do they still really have prizes in Cracker Jack Boxes? That's nice to know. It gives one a feeling of solidarity, almost of continuity with the past, that sort of thing."

Today was also the first of many fine breakfasts we will be having here in Europe. Horse Sausage and Liver Paté were offered, as well as the usual fare. Coffee is good and strong, and necessary.

First entry - now nowhere, soon everywhere.

There's no real reason to post here, yet. For the next month, or thereabouts, I will be relatively stationary. Unless trips to the studio in the West Side of Manhattan counts, or visits to the C-Town down the street. Eh, not really.

Most future travels will be with Nicole Atkins & The Sea. A brief jaunt to Tennessee will happen in the beginning of June for the Bonnaroo Festival. After that, we head over the pond again, for a week and a half of festivals and shows in Europe. We return for a brief spell in early July, then head out to the West Coast of America for some dates with Chris Isaak and his fair crew, as well as some various dates beyond the casinos and vineyards. A quick trip to Lollapalooza in Chicago, the All Points West Festival in New Jersey, another out to San Francisco, and whatever else may fill in the spare downtime.

It's going to be a busy summer, and I hope to be able to find a way to log my travels in the most efficient, detailed, and interesting way possible. Many trips have been made in the past, yet with no real journal to speak of; just memories, photos, and a few regrets of where that amazing restaurant is that I can't remember. Nancy and I plan to do much traveling in the future - I'd like to be prepared.

"Forever alive; forever forward!"
- Walt Whitman