Pimping the van

Yesterday (and today) we are having some time off prior to starting rehearsals for the Sea Journey.
So Kjell and I decided to do some work on the van.
We found out that someone had tried to break into the back of the van, which really disappointed me. I had always thought of Norway as an incredibly safe place, where you could leave the door unlocked without having to worry about anything.
That fairy-tale belief has gone now.

They didn't manage to get into the van, but they did manage to completely destroy the lock.

Still, we decorated some more anyway.


Kjell started with replacing the radio. I thought the speakers were completely rubbish and without bass, but we tested various combinations and it became clear that it was the radio itself that had no bass.

I went to get the extra bits Spleen had given to Iva and hung them over the rearview mirror (for which I'm planning to make something special later, seeing as there is no rear view in the van).

Kjell also bought me a coffee cup holder (I'd been complaining a lot about the lack thereof) - it's a Lacoste.

And last but not least I stuck on the sticker Lenka gave me.

Next stop Denmark. Let's see what there is to find in Toftlund...

Ok, Wake Up!

I know it's been quiet for a while, but we're about to get into some serious action.
(I believe the guys from B61 have already been in action during the past week, but as I wasn't there, I have no first hand information).

As of tomorrow, I'm back on the road.
Still in the new van.
I'm convinced the initial hiccups must have passed now, and me and Mr Tatmobile are off to the ferry to Goteborg tomorrow.
From Monday the PHR (Past Half Remembered) team will meet up in Oslo to re-rehearse. A man called Tom Anderson will alternate David in the show, and we'll spend a week getting him worked in. He's no stranger (he is part of the New Arrivers gang), so I'm sure it'll be a lot of fun.
Then we're off to Stockholm, one of my favourite cities in Europe, even though I've only been there once and it wasn't for very long.

Then straight after that, we're going to Denmark, to a village near Haderslev. I can't remember the name of the village, but you'll hear enough about it once we're there. Why are we going there? To be closer to Margit, who will be performing at that time.
And while we're there, we'll be rehearsing the Sea Journey. It's been a few months since we've been on the boat, and I for one am very excited to explore what we got out of it. David just emailed most of the music we made on the boat, and listening to it brought back fond memories.
A few weeks ago in Graz, Alex was saying he'd like to go around the world on a cargo ship one day. We couldn't work out how long that would take.
I'd like to go around the world without flying. But not just with boats. Boats and trains seems like a great combo.

So that's March laid out for you.
I will keep you updated as always, and if you're around in Oslo, Stockholm or the small Danish village: come and say hello - and put your stamp on our van.

Stuck in Passau

In a perfect world, this post would have been called: driving by numbers: Graz-Berlin.

But I didn't make it to Berlin yet. I am in Passau.

One of my wheels came loose and I lost two bolts. 

I blame the man in Sweden who put the tyres on two weeks ago. Wouldn't you?

By the time the mechanic came to help me (it took him an hour and a half to arrive), the garage was already closed so I couldn't get those two bolts.

So I need to wait until tomorrow morning.

While I was waiting by the side of the motorway for the mechanic to come and fix the problem, I did this:

 

So the van is now a little less generic, and a little more NIE.