Europe - September 2005

For holidays, to visit friends and promote Burning Babylon...

Photo Galleries:

Slade at Record Shops

European Graffiti 2005

Planned Itinerary

• London
• Eindhoven/Amsterdam
• Legoland (Denmark)
• Berlin
• Prague
• Paris

 Friday, 2 September 2005 - Depart Boston by air overnight to London

At last, our holidays have arrived!! We're here in Terminal B of Logan Airport, waiting for our 7:10p flight to London's Heathrow Airport. I'd put up a photo, but we left the camera in the checked luggage figuring that most of you have seen airport waiting areas and the inside of planes. We should arrive at 6:35a GMT, which is actually 1:35am EDT. Eek!

We're hoping they will let us check in early at the hotel (Ace Hotel in West Kensington) so we can take a nap before hitting Camden Town Market and some of the record shops on the huge list that Slade has compiled. He's got a case of records with him - I carried it from security to the gate and I hope I don't have to do that again for the rest of the trip. He's got 60 records in there - 30 each of "Knives to the Treble" and "Stereo Mash Up." The deal is that he can only buy as many records as he sells, 'cause there ain't room for any more!

While Slade makes pals and swaps out the wax, I'm looking forward to some nice outdoor cafe time with a cupatea, a pen, and a nice blank notebook. I'm not sure I remember how to relax. I was practicing this summer in Nantucket for a few days and wasn't particularly successful. But maybe the foreign atmosphere will help. Ironically, however, I just realized that the two books I selected for this trip are decidedly American in focus: "America on Trial" by Alan Dershowitz, tracing the history of America's most notable trials from the Salem witch trials through Dred Scott, Lizzie Borden, Brown v. Board of Ed, Roe v. Wade, Rodney King, and Bush v. Gore; and, "Madame Secretary" by Madeline Albright, a hefty memoir that promises to be engaging and enlightening (if you're interested in international affairs, which I am) - so actually Albright's book does have an international bent. We'll see how it goes.

It will also be interesting to see how Europe is reacting to our Katrina challenges (if they are). The last time I was in Europe, it was the first days of "Shock and Awe" and it was fascinating to witness my country invading another through the lens of the BBC, Le Monde, and Al Jazeera...

Slade brought about 100 USA Today crossword puzzles that he's been photocopying every day for the past five months in anticipation of this grueling flight ahead of us. We'll keep you posted on how far he gets. Right, that's it, almost crumpet time... Cheerio!

 Saturday, 3 September 2005 - London

Well, the above is going to be the last juicy writing you'll get out of us because it was pretty much non-stop after that. I'll do my best to give you a brief rundown of activities though because we did at least keep a rudimentary list of our activities.

Okay, let's see. Arrived London, and our adventure began when we discovered that the Underground was undergoing some repairs and that in order to get to our hotel we had to end up taking 3 trains and a bus (with an intervening 3 block walk...). Well we managed to find and check into the Ace Hotel (pleasant hostel), and then headed out to Camden Town - what a scene - then to SoHo, hitting record shops all the way. Slade sold a couple of records to a guy named Neal outside a shop who'd heard them playing Slade's stuff. That was cool. Then cruised through Covent Garden, Trafalgar Square and back to the Underground and our adventure on the Tube to get back. Stopped at a pub for probably one of the most wretched meals of our life.

 Sunday, 4 September 2005 - London

We were supposed to try to go to Norwich this day, but one of the shops Slade was at on Saturday said that he needed to come back today to talk to the guy who could buy Slade's records. So we missed hooking up with Teapot and Bron (I met Teapot, real name Steve, in Budapest back in 1995 along with two dozen other crazy people from around the world and we're still in touch). Up to Notting Hill Gate and Portabello Road and back to SoHo to meet the guy. Tried to be in bed early for a 2am alarm for a taxi to the the coach to the Stansted airport and our flight to Eindhoven.

 Monday, 5 September 2005 - London to Eindhoven

Alarm broke so we were awakened by the front desk when the taxi arrived. EEK! I've never moved so fast in my life! Wonderful to meet up with charming and cheerful Charles in Eindhoven and rent our very groovy vehicle that would be our home for the rest of the trip. Took a trip up to Amsterdam with Charles, Miriam, and their delightful daughter Mircha, and had the most delicious dinner at the Turquoise Turkish restaurant back in Eindhoven - highly recommended!!

 Tuesday, 6 September 2005 - Eindhoven to Legoland (not quite)

The plan was to drive to Denmark, but Slade got a hankering to see more of Amsterdam so we detoured back there for some more tourist activities that are better undertaken sans l'enfants.

 Wednesday, 7 September 2005 - Amsterdam to Legoland (not quite) to Berlin

Again we tried for Legoland (one of the most important destinations of the trip). We did actually make it there, but alas, Legoland is closed on Wednesdays in September!!! After detouring for extra time in Amsterdam, we couldn't press on to Copenhagen and headed back towards Berlin instead. While it sounds like an awful lot of driving, I have to say it was pretty relaxing just staring out the window into the countryside, and getting a taste of real Europe at the filling stations (rather than just tourist shops in the big cities). Couldn't quite make it to Berlin, but stayed at a roadside "truck stop" - talk about getting to know the real Germany.

 Thursday, 8 September 2005 - Berlin

And did I mention how great it is to drive in Germany. And what great drivers the Germans are. And how wonderful our car was (a Renault Scenic). Arrived in Berlin by lunch and spent the rest of the day in record shops, finishing up the evening with a walk past Checkpoint Charlie and what is left of the Berlin Wall. Slade loved Berlin the best. The punk rock atmosphere, the graffiti, all of it.

 Friday, 9 September 2005 - Berlin

Laundry day. Every high voltage trip needs a domestic day. While I read my books, Slade wandered around photographing graffiti. More record shops and lounging about at coffee shops and cafes by the river under the willow trees.

 Saturday, 10 September 2005 - Berlin to Prague

Destination Prague. Found a vintage pension run by a hysterical old woman who made us wait while she ran to the market to get her fish before it closed. Far enough from the center to be cheap, but not so far that we could walk there easily. Up to the castle, around the square. Very touristy, but lovely architecture and views.

 Sunday, 11 September 2005 - Prague to ...

Thalia had been here in the spring and told us that we shouldn't miss Cesky Krumlov. Boy was she right. Best stop of the trip. An idyllic little castle & village combo in the elbow of a river a few hours south of Prague. We almost didn't stop because we couldn't figure out how to get in, but don't miss it if you find yourself in the Czech Republic. Encountered some hookers on the roadside near the Austrian border. Austria was beautiful, but we pressed on through and back in to Germany - with its wonderfully fast and safe driving. Decided to press on to Baden-Baden and stayed in the most elaborate truck stop I've ever seen.

 Monday, 12 September 2005 - Baden Baden to Paris

We drive through the Black Forest in a fairy tale mist and on through market towns as the sun burns through into a glorious day. We stop and poke around and stop and poke some more. Then head on to Paris and arrive in time for an evening stroll under the sparkling Eiffel Tower (Lee and Gustav live right underneath it).

 Tuesday, 13 September 2005 - Paris

Once again we mapped out our route of record shops and hit Notre Dame, Sacre Ceour and the Pere la Chaise cemetary in between. Dinner in an outdoor cafe with Lee and Gustav.

 Wednesday, 14 September 2005 - Paris

We start with the Eiffel Tower - what a line! but certainly a lifetime experience. Then off to more shops via the George Pompidou (museum) and Les Halles, finishing up the day with dinner at Cafe Marli, a targeted tour through some favorites of Gustav, Lee, Slade and Caryn each, topped off with a boat ride back up the Seine to La Tour Eiffel and home (at least for one last night).

 Thursday, 15 September 2005 - Paris to Eindhoven

Off to Eindhoven in the morning and actually manage to find Charles' house all by ourselves - no small feat as every block looks the same! Spend a rainy day with Charles going to record shops (Bullit was Slade's biggest hit - the guy bought 5 records), returning the car (how sad to say goodbye - we were so sad we even took a picture of it) and collecting ingredients for our sushi extravaganza that night. Did I mention that Charles is an amazing cook!

 Friday, 16 September 2005 - Eindhoven to London to Boston

Early flight to Stansted and the coach into town with enough time for a trip back to Ladbrooke Grove and a visit to Dub Vendor which had been closed the week before. Then off to Heathrow on our last Tube ride, which we shared with Ari Up, step-daughter of Johnny Rotten of Sex Pistols fame, and musician in her own right. We sat across from her on the train for about 15 minutes, listening amusedly as she talked to a young starstruck teenager. This celebrity encounter was particularly interesting because the very first painting in Slade's now famous "portrait" series was of Ari Up herself. I finished "Madame Secretary" on the plane (a great read - highly recommended), and we arrived home tired but pleased albeit with a net weight loss of 0 since Slade bought as many records as he sold, but he picked up some real nuggets so everyone was happy all around. And the kitty/human reunion was a glorious one to be sure.

I have to say that seeing Europe via a record shop circuit was actually quite fun. We hit all the big sites, but with a separate agenda I think we appreciated them more. Not the most riveting tale, but there you have it. The end.

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