6/16/14
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Cork, Ireland - Live at the Marquee (Festival)
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6/17/14
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Dublin, Ireland - The O2
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6/20/14
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Istanbul, Turkey - Black Box Istanbul
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6/22/14
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Thessaloniki, Greece - Limani, Thessaloniki Harbour
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6/23/14
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Athens, Greece - Terra Vibe Park
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6/25/14
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Bucharest, Romania - Sala Palatului
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6/27/14
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Kosice, Slovakia - Steel Arena
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6/28/14
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Vienna, Austria - Stadthalle
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6/29/14
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Klam, Austria - Burg Clam
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7/1/14
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Munich, Germany - Tollwood
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7/2/14
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Prague, Czech Republic - O2 Arena
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7/3/14
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Zwickau, Germany - Stadthalle
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7/5/14
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Slupsk, Poland - Festiwal Legend Rocka
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7/7/14
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Rostock, Germany - Stadthalle
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7/8/14
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Flensburg, Germany - Flens Arena
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7/9/14
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Aarhus, Denmark - Amfiscenen
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7/11/14
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Stavern, Norway - Poles Festival
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7/12/14
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Kristiansand, Norway - Bendiktsbukta
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7/14/14
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Helsingborg, Sweden - Sofiero Castle
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7/15/14
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Goteborg, Sweden - Tradgardsforeningen
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7/17/14
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Pori, Finland - Pori Jazz 2014
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PART SIXTEEN
After the Japan Tour in the spring I decide to do my second passion and activity ; WWOOFing. The meaning is Willing Workers On Organic Farms.
The
principle is to volunteer on a farm in order to help some private
farmers to develop an agricultural activity respectful of the
environment.
Few
hours of work every day in exchange for room and food.
I
will go to a farm in a small village called Azuz in the Negev.
I
will stay and work until the show in Istanbul. I will miss the two
first shows in Ireland.
I
I
fly to Istanbul on the 19th of
June.
I
will meet Hu. (a Bobcat from Amsterdam) with whom I’m supposed to
travel to Thessalonica, maybe Athens then I will join him again in
Vienna and on until Zwickau.
I
will be on my own going to Bucharest, Kosice and Vienna then Slupsk
and on.
This
is the plan.
I
join Hu. in the Hostel room in Istanbul and right away with have a
raw.
For
a stupid question of telephone, I get angry and he leaves the room.
Whoa!
Men are complicated, they believe a woman is a beautiful doll, quiet
and submissive.
They
have the right to be angry but not women. We have a long way to go to
reach total equality and respect. An explanation and a pardon is not
even a possibility, he’s gone!
Alright!
So it is right away a changing of plan. I’m on my own.
II
The
20th of
June Istanbul.
In
the afternoon I take a metro to the Tourist area.
I
go to the Blue Mosque but it is time for the prayers so I can’t go
inside.
It’s
too bad for this is in my opinion the most beautiful Mosque in
Istanbul.
I
lost myself in the Big Bazar ; colorful and odorous.
The
temperature is 26° C. A bright sunny day.
At
4:00 p.m. I go back to the Hostel to be ready for the show. The
website says ; show at 8:00 p.m.
It
takes me one hour to find the Black Box Istanbul. The venue is in a
middle of nowhere and it is indeed a …Black Box.
Nothing
happens until 6:30 p.m. Then the crowd begins to pack up at the
doors. Why queuing when it is a seated concert?
I
try to find myself a free ticket. Since Japan I had
decided not to pay for any.
The
show is Sold out. A seat could be 36€ which is an excellent price
ticket compare to Japan.
At
7:45 p.m. a nice Lady hands me a ‘charity’ ticket. Thanks.
Inside
it’s a little bit chaotic as the inside doors are still closed.
The
show is not programmed for 8:00 p.m. but 9:30 p.m. Whoa!
At
9:00 p.m. I take my seat. I’m surprisingly surprised. I am on the
floor, on the right, 8th row
from the stage. I have a perfect view on the piano.
9:00
p.m. Stu is strumming his guitar and the Band takes place on stage
one by one.
The
lights are on and the Band appears dressed in …RED!
The
jackets look pink under the lights. Weird!
Bob
is in black, fortunately. The suit with the white embroidering. White
hat on his too dark hair.
“Things
have changed”.
Public
is enthusiastic, clapping along.
Bob
seems electrified, like suddenly plugged in. He’s wild and his
voice full of energy. The contact had been established.
The
audience is respectful and obviously knowledgeable about the setlist.
Some
Fans try to reach the stage but are pushed away by the security.
Some
Bobcats from Europe gathered in Istanbul but the communication is not
working.
After
the show ending at 11h45 p.m. I run to catch the last metro.
I
go to bed happily.
III
The
21st of
June Thessaloníki.
I
get up early, pack and walk to the bus agency.
At
7:45 a.m. a shuttle bus takes me to the central bus station.
9:15
a.m. the bus leaves towards Thessalonica.
That
will be 11 hours of a nice trip. I relax and enjoy the landscapes.
8
p.m. the central bus station is outside the downtown area. A shuttle
again and the bus n° 23 to the “little big house”, my youth
Hostel.
Beautifully
located on the top of the hill, over looking the sea.
The
owner is a happy Lady, warm and enthusiastic.
I
have a good night sleep in a semi-private dormitory.
For
2E I get myself a continental breakfast.
I
walk with joy to the harbor , looking for the venue.
There
is not any venue. The show will be out door right by the harbor on a
platform stage among the cranes.
The
public will be standing up.
I
say hello to Jason and inquire about Jules :”he had been sick in
Japan. He had been in hospital for 2 weeks. He’s doing better now”.
Poor
Jules!
I
take a long walk along the harbor before retrieving to my Hostel.
At
6:00 p.m. I move down to the harbor. I meet with a Fan I have a chat
and by 7:00 p.m. I put my sign out : “I need a free ticket,
please”.
No
luck for a while though thousands of people are packing up against
the door.
Then
a young man knocked me on my shoulder and hands me a ticket. Thanks.
I
move in and squeeze myself until the 4th row.
Right
away I feel the atmosphere is not the best.
It
doesn’t seem a Bob Dylan crowd. Too many young follows who don’t
realize ho’s Bob Dylan and what he will do tonight.
They
flash like crazy with their cameras and cell phones.
Bob
looks unhappy. The sound is not correct. Kids talk incessantly around
me.
Bob
flunked “what good I am” and “Waiting for you”.
After
“Love sick” Bob moves to Charlie and Tony and right away they do
“High water”.
There
will be no intermission.
“Spirit
on the water”
He
flunked “Scarlet town” and do “Summer days” followed by “A
hard rain a-gonna fall”.
The
spirit is not there, the crowd un-impressed.
At
11p.m. the show ends on “Long and wasted years”.
Bob
rushes out from the stage.
There
is no applause. The audience is wondering what’s going on.
2
more songs and the show is over.
Whoa!
Weird!
I
will skip Athens as I lost my driver and my bus to Bucharest will be
leaving from Thessalonica.
I
enjoy a nice stay in that beautiful little city.
I
eat good food.
IV
The
25th of
June Bucharest.
I
reach Bucharest at 2:00 a.m. That was 11 hours in the bus.
The
bus station id not in the downtown area.
I
do have a reservation in a youth Hostel.
A
supposedly taxi driver offers to take me there. As I found out, he’s
not an official cab driver and doesn’t know the direction to my
Hostel. He will drop me to another one. I’m not happy but at this
time of the night I take a bed right here.
Next
day I move to the other Hostel, not too far, also close to
the venue.
The
venue is a theater. The security is tuff but fortunately a journalist
hands me a press ticket. I’m V.I.P.
One
more show.
One
more move. The next concert is in Kosice, Slovakia.
I’ve
decided for a train.
V
The
26th and
27th of
June Kosice.
I’m
happily surprised by the little town. The downtown area is pretty
with a pedestrian street.
There
is an handcrafts market. The youth Hostel has a friendly atmosphere.
At
the venue I beg again for a ticket.
No
luck but I never give up until after the intermission. And I’m
rewarded. A Lady who belongs to the venue organization talks to me. I
explain my ‘mission’ and she takes pity on me. She will find
me ticket. I also ask one for a young Fan waiting next to
me. She finds two tickets and we rush inside. Bob’s is already
singing the third songs but it’s alright.
I
have a nice memory of Kosice. That was a nice stoover.
VI
The
28th of
June Vienna.
There
is no day off. I have to catch an early train.
There
is a changing of train at the border.
The
first train is terribly slow. We are two hours beyond schedule.
If
I miss the correspondence I might not make it to the show.
I
talk with the train conductor. As I am not the only one the second
train will be waiting for us. It’s a relief!
I
check in my Youth Hostel and rush to the venue.
Vienna
will gather a bunch of Fans from all around Europe. The venue is big.
My
only concern is to get a ticket. I will be lucky. I’m in.
No
after show party. I just go to sleep all alone on my bunk.
Next
day Klam. On the move again.
VII
The
29th of
June Klam.
After
the big city of Vienna the tiny village of Klam.
The
only attraction in Klam is the Castle.
I
take the little train to the village and for the first time meet with
Johannes, a Fan from Germany.
I
don’t have any plan for a place to stay after the show. At the
worst I will hitchhike to the next big city.
To
makes things more difficult it starts raining.
I
start to worry about my luggage when a car stops next to me. It’s
Hu. who will rescue me. Luckily for the rain will not stop all
afternoon and evening.
We
spend time in the car before heading to the line. It is a General
Admission and a chance to be right in front. I get an easy free
ticket and find myself right in the front.
The
rain is pouring down. The public is drenched to the bone even the
stage is splashed.
After
the show Hu. and I share a room and we plan for the next few shows.
It
feels better to be in company, a lot easier to travel by car.
Hu.
will drive to Berlin and then leave the tour. I will go on all by
myself.
VIII
The
1st of
July Munich.
In
Munich we’ll chose the camping site as an accommodation. Not such a
bad idea but since it’s raining so much I don’t feel like being
inside a damp tent. I will sleep inside the car.
The
venue is inside a Fair Ground. General Admission again and a
possibility to be in front.
Too
many Fans had the same idea. The crowd at the door is too much
nervous.
I
have to ‘fight’ to be on the rail. We are packed and there is
‘electricity’ in the air.
For
the first time at a Bob Dylan show I faint, I lose consciousness.
They
want to call the security guards. I resist for I don’t want to lose
my spot.
It
is when I decide that never again I will be in line. What the point?
Are we supposed to be enemies?
I
enjoy the show none the less. Bob is in front of me at the piano. I
can’t be unhappy!
We
drive to the camping. I sleep again inside the car. I don’t mind.
I
wash and dry my cloth in the sun (the rain had stopped).
I
had bought a Global Train Pass at the train Station in Munich for the
next 2 weeks.
I
will train after Berlin.
IX
The 2sd of July Prague.
Hu.
drives all the way to Prague. We had booked a private room inside a
Youth Hostels.
Prague
is pretty. We take a walk and buy food at the farmers’ market.
We
go to the venue.
One
more show that didn’t move me.
X
The
3rd of
July Zwickau.
Another
small town.
We
booked a room in a Hotel in the next little town, after all we have a
car.
The
room turned out to be a whole apartment with kitchen, living room,
bedroom.
Unfortunately
we have no time to appreciate.
Already
we drive to the venue.
Another
General Admission. A Fan I met in Kosice promised to give
me a ticket in Zwickau.
I
chat with Johannes. When I get my ticket I rush inside.
The
audience is warm. I feel ‘comfortable’ and in ‘peace’.
After
all everything is suddenly easy : a car with a driver, friendly chat
with nice Bobcats (I never met before), an easy ticket, the security
of a nice bedroom in privacy.
I’m
in ‘luxury’. I
just wish it could be with someone else. D. is always in my mind and
my heart. Traveling with him was a real adventure though complicated.
I miss him.
Hu.
will drive me to Berlin. He will stay there for few days and I will
move to Slupsk Poland, al by myself. The luxury is over. I’m a free
wheeling.
The
train to Slupsk takes forever. I change train at 1 o’clock being
sure it will be empty.
It’s
so full I can’t even seat.
We
reach Slupsk at 5 a.m. Slupsk (impossible to pronounce) is not a nice
city.
The
show is few kilometers away. My mission is to find a way to go there.
I inquire at a Travel Agency. They did organize a bus going there.
Cool!
I
don’t have anywhere to go after the show but the train station,
hopping it will be open.
I
lose my soul and hurt my feet walking around the emptiness and
sadness of that lousy city.
The
worst since Evansville in the States. Not even a descent cup of
coffee. It must be Sunday for all is closed.
I
take a nap on the lawn of the City Hall, the only nice building.
I
catch the bus at 6 p.m.
The
venue is open air in the middle of nowhere. The only building is a
fancy Hotel being a S.P.A., surely where Bob and the Band are
staying.
Some
Bobcats traveled all the way here. We all try to find tickets. Not so
difficult as thousands of Fans are crowding here from all over
Poland.
The
set list is different from the Theaters.
At
last a change for me. That pay for the hard traveling.
I
enjoy and rejoice.
After
the show the bus is waiting for me.
I’m
going strait to the train station with a dozen of poor souls.
We
wait for the first trains leaving the ‘emptiness’ of Slupsk.
I
will never take any vacation in Poland. So sad!
XI
The
6th and
7th of
July Rostock Germany.
Another
youth Hostel. Another show.
No
memory.
XII
The
8th of
July Flensburg Germany.
This
is a nice Youth Hostel by the train station.
A
pretty little town with a pedestrian commercial street.
I
buy some food, drink some coffee.
The
venue is walking distance, inside the University Campus.
I
pull my sign out.
A
nice Lady invites me to follow her with an extra ticket she’s
holding for me. We chat about Bobby Dylan and we comment on the show.
A
pleasant stay.
Of
course Bob is back with the ‘inside’ set list.
XIII
The
9th of
July Aarhus Danemark.
The
train takes me to Aarhus.
I
booked a Youth Hostel. This is a splendid building next to a Canal.
This
is the most fancy Hostel I’ve ever been in.
The
bed is a king size bed. The kitchen and dinning room are spot less.
I
buy myself some food and cook a nice meal of pastas and tomato sauce.
I relax some time before walking to the venue. It is an open air
show.
The
ticket is easy to find. The show without surprise.
I
feel good and rested. Though I’m all by myself I don’t feel sad
or lonely.
It
might be the fact that I am on the move day after day. I have to
think about my logistics. I have no time for sentimental dramas.
XIV
The
9th and
10th of
July Stavern Norway.
The
only way to go to Stavern is the boat.
I
join T., C., S. and off we go.
Norway
is an expensive country, I fear the stay there. I didn’t plan any
accommodations.
C./S/
invite me in their room. I don’t feel comfortable. T. will join
also.
We
take a walk to the beach with C./S/. They are a couple and I don’t
feel at ease.
We
catch a bus to the ‘festival’.
It’s
a mess. Thousands are concentrating on an open field.
I
sneak right to the rail with a free ticket. Bad idea. The stage is so
high that I can’t see Bob on the piano, just the top of his hat. I
hardly see him in center stage.
The
set list is the one of the ‘Festival’ but this is no surprise any
more.
We
all sleep in the same room. I’m safe but not over happy!
XV
The
10th of
July Kristiansand Norway.
Train
train train….bound for glory!
Kristiansand
is nice. I put my luggage inside a locker at the station I walk to
the harbor.
I
take a nap on the lawn. I don’t eat in Norway. The food is so
expensive. I survive on bread and water.
The
show is a ‘festival’ (only Bob) on an Island.
A
free ticket is easy to find.
I
stay away from the stage. Dance and sing on the lawn all by myself.
I’m not even drunk or stoned. I usually don’t drink alcohol or
smoke anything ‘funny’ on the road. I need my head on my
shoulders.
I
enjoy the show.
The
after show is more problematic.
I
have a sleeping bag. So I find a safe area behind a tree, roll myself
on the ground and snooze for few hours. I found out that when you’re
exhausted you sleep anywhere, anyway.
The
rain wakes me up in the early morning. I move under a roof. I try to
keep dry and warm at least.
The
next stop is Helsingborg Sweden.
A
long , long way.
XVI
The
13th and
14th Helsingborg
Sweden.
I
sleep on the train.
I
walk around the city, nice and close to the sea.
I
breath the fresh air.
The
show is inside a Park, few miles away at Sofiero Castle.
I
decide to walk all the way. Nice walk.
I
manage to sneak inside the Park but I’m caught by a guard who asks
me to walk out.
Shit!
I
beg for a ticket for a long while in spite of the thousands fans
pilling up inside the Park.
At
last a generous man hands me a ticket.
The
surroundings is agreeable.
The
set list the one for the festivals.
I
enjoy myself though I’m physically tired.
I’m
not sure when I ate for the last time, I don’t feel angry anymore.
XVII
The
15th of
July Goteborg Sweden.
Viktor
promised to help me with a bed. At last I will sleep well.
The
venue is inside a splendid Botanic Garden. The Garden will be closed
at 4 p.m.
I
spend the afternoon with Bjorn, inside a café, away from the rain.
Before
the show, and for the first time I join a group of Bobcats in a bar.
I
know all of them but I feel like a zombie, an outsider. I don’t
drink.
I’m
over tired if I drink only a beer I fall asleep. There is a show and
I need a ticket.
It
seems so difficult to understand from all of them.
Money
is really a divisive factor.
I
leave the group, go to the venue, beg for a ticket.
I
got one right away.
I’m
so happy that I return to the bar and can be more open.
We
all move to the venue.
The
line is moving slowly but we are all in.
That
will be my last show.
There
will be another show in Pori Finland but It would cost a fortune to
get there.
I
will miss the last show as I missed the two first.
I
enjoy the show.
The
after show is festive as Viktor, Bjorn and few Bobcats are going to a
bar.
I
don’t drink but I participate.
Viktor
, Bjorn and myself take a last bus to Viktor’s house.
The
mattress on the floor is more than welcome.
The
breakfast in the morning is a relief for my stomach.
That’s
the end for me.
Back
home on a long train journey that somehow brought me thru Amsterdam.
Hu.
is not home.
I
catch a bus from Amsterdam to Paris then Angers.
I’m
exhausted and starving.
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