Day 7, rest day... Hamburg

Hello again! Not much to report from the rest day yesterday, just a little bit of R&R before we set off north to start the next little run of shows. Being on the road is a strange conundrum of sorts. On the one hand there is a sense of excitement and anticipation about visiting new places, meeting new people, sharing new experiences. On the other there is a general sense of weariness/fatigue that comes from the continual displacement, in addition to the emotional energy you expend by default with each performance. It's a balancing act, a few years ago I overdid it and paid the price. Now I've learned to pay attention to how I'm feeling a bit more, rest when I need rest, charge ahead when the reserves will allow it. Occasionally it means sacrificing 'sightseeing' to sleep in, catch up on emails, read a book or even just sit on the couch. I used to feel bad about that somehow, like I wasn't getting the full experience from being on the other side of the world. Now I understand it's all part of the flow of things. And it sounds like a simple concept, but when you're someone like me who is typically inclined to 'go go go', it takes a bit of practice to rest. To breathe. To accept that today it's ok to do nothing.

Having said all that, I couldn't help but explore a little of the local area yesterday. The 'Schanze' district (if I can call it that...?) of Hamburg has a lovely community feel to it, plenty of shops/restaurants/bars/cafes, but perhaps a touch more independent/underground than is typical in a large city. Peaceful, but with enough activity to make you feel like you are a part of something. These are the types of areas I feel most comfortable in larger places. Last night we took a trip to the Planten and Bloomen park to see a beautiful light & water show, set to classical music, where the display was controlled by 2 people on piano keyboards in a room next to the lake... (Above picture). I'm always amazed by stuff like this. Firstly the idea to create it, secondly the technical know-how to actually make it happen, although it could be argued in Germany there's a better chance of success than most other places in the world.... Anyway a wonderful display, and if I lived in Hamburg I could quite happily wander along most nights of the week to watch it, if only to chill out for half an hour or so (it's on every night till the end of October).

We wouldn't have actually known about the light show had we not bumped into some old friends the previous evening, River and Siggi, who we'd met last year at the Hamburg Melodica Festival, then again at Melodica by the beach in Boltenhagen. Always nice to run into people you know by chance on the other side of the world. River's mother was also over for a visit from Broken Hill, NSW, having never travelled on a plane before. Can't imagine what it must be like to leave the vastness of the Australian outback and wind up in Hamburg eating Japanese with your son and his German wife! But great that in this day and age it's possible. Originally from Melbourne, River has since relocated to Hamburg to pursue his music (and his wife) over here. Wistful acoustic folk with that sense of stillness that makes music real. Have a listen HERE.

A big thanks to Hanna for hosting us in Hamburg! We'll be back for another show here this Sunday, but a few places to get to in the mean time...

North we go to Stellshagen for tonight's show with Thomas Kunz.

ox

PS - This picture is of the Movenpick Hotel in Hamburg. What a beautiful old building. Might be a few CD sales short of affording a room though... Taken from Instagram if you'd like to join me there under rennyfield.... Cheers!