Just came through a mountain range on the TGV in first class.
Little French towns, little French churches, big French farms. .
The last week has been very fun – Tom Waits, the Tuscan hills, the Chianti –( a revelation thank you Chris.) Then there was Paris (a day more than expected but that is another story). Best break this all down.
Rome
Where was I up too with this? The B and B with Giadhia and Jen? That is right – top notch – when in Rome get to the Castle of Colours and tell them I sent you.
Jo’s friend Ale dropped by and very helpfully sorted out a phone card and some train details for me, and took me on a sightseeing tour – the Circus Maximus – the Harold Park of its day, and the Colosseum which was the ANZ of its day – but with heaps more atmosphere. And better food. Ale took me to a lovely garden above Rome with a spectacular view, a grave yard where I sat beside Shelley’s grave and recited Coleridge because I don’t know any Shelley off by heart – (not true – there was that one thing on the back of The Jam album – arise like lions, out of Slumber...) and we had lunch at a cafe where we sat next to some Italian movie director – insert name here – that I am told is very impressive and cool. Jo has made me promise to watch Caro Diary (check this). He is very anti-Berlusconi apparently so he can’t be too bad.
Then more wandering around for me – Ale went off to work – and I went to the Vatican – have I written this down already? No? Well. All those years of Catholic school finally paid off. I was impressed. Very impressed. The afternoon sunlight breaking through the Dome of St Peter’s – over the altar- the gold – it was spectacular. And the scale is really – awe inspiring which I guess is the entire point – God it seems is really, really big. And you are not. I still felt like shushing people who were talking though – once an altar boy always etc, etc....
I did not get to see the Sistine Chapel – that closes earlier – so that is why I am tripping back to Roma. There are long lines apparently so I am planning an early start tomorrow.
They actually have carriages where it is forbidden to talk on your mobile phone – they have a little booth at the end of the carriage where people can go and talk. The most annoying man in earth is talking on his mobile right now and I can understand why they have the booths.
I just saw a man Para-gliding over a field. A blue sail over the corn and the grapes and the mountains in the distance. – Better look out for those power lines!!! There’s a reality check.
It is difficult writing this as I keep looking out the window at the beautiful lake and the impossibly story book villages and towns. People actually live like in these places?
Aix les bains ??? Town name near lake –must look this up. The station is Chambery Challes Les Eaux.
That night – dinner at eh Casa and some Italian wine – it is all more medium bodied than what I am used too – but I could get used to that! Anyway – by then it was Thursday and I was off to Milan for Tom Waits.
Tom Waits
Arrived in Milan – got the Metro to the Pop House. It is surprising how achieving the simplest goals when travelling in a non-English speaking country can be so rewarding – wow I bought a ticket and travelled three stops on the train. (not bad as the only directions I understand are sinestrea and secondi – pity if anything is the third on the right or I’s still be there wandering around).
Anyway a very nice Italian fellow who spoke impeccable English – let me into the courtyard for the PopHouse – a quick phone call to the landlord – “the key is in the black box, leave the money on the table before you leave – thank you! Ciao! – so trusting). I settled in, used the internet and the coffee machine – of which I almost took pictures I was so impressed, showered and made my way to the Teatro Arcimboldi to see my first Tome Waits show since 1982 or there abouts. That was before mobile phones and the internet kids. How on earth did we buy tickets without a credit card or a personal computer? I can’t remember.
Outside the show – Italian chaos. Licensed area/ What licensed area? People generally wandered around with beers and wine. The Italian Rock crowd are all there – a little senior, and a very cultured raggedy look. Some young people put to see the legend – he last played din Milan in 93 or so – (before camera phones, before Melbourne had a Rugby League team....)
So apart from eh gleeful hum of all these people standing on the streets drinking there was actually two very well dressed police people doing traffic control. And completely ignoring the pirate t-shirt market that has set up with tables in a small pirate precinct across from the theatre – Tom Waits pirate tour shirts printed on Pirate Fruit of the Loom t-shirts. And they were actually better than the official merchandise which was a Rorschach like blob with no tour dates on them. There is one for the obscurest. I attempted to buy a beer before show time – 9pm-andso good is my Italian I ended up with two at 5 euro each. While drowning in beer I ran inside to try and get a sandwich – which seem to be plentiful, fresh and good in this country – especially if you like cured meats – and while standing in line spotted most of REM except Stipe, Robyn Hitchcock and the other dude from Young Fresh Fellows. I was so excited that I pointed it out to the guy behind me in line without thinking that perhaps he could understanding English, let alone a sotto voiced Australian trying to discreetly mutter – “there’s REM” or Rem (one word) as they are known here. After saying pardon and working out I wasn’t a drug dealer he too was impressed by the proximity of the rock gods a mere few metre away. (Yes we have the metric system in Australia as I explained to one amazed Italian – he says –what metres and centimetres? And the other Italian says – no – they only have metres they like big things in Australia! )
Les Chambre Valley.- St John du Maurieen or something.
Mike Mills came over to the bar and I said hi but was distracted by the woman giving me a sandwhich – I was HUNGRY ok?- so I didn’t make too much of a fool of myself. I lent the Italian guy behind me my sharpie so he could get his Tom Waits ticket signed
This little station sees so much action that the luggage trolleys are all set up waiting and a very healthy looking vine with purple flowers has grown over half of them. No one it seems is willing to pay a Euro to take a trolley – or maybe they still only accept francs?
I took my seat inside and found out that when you pay extra in Europe you are sitting further back – because the sound is better and you can see the entire stage – so that was a great bit of thinking on my behalf. My Leonard Cohen tickets will probably be somewhere near the rear as well!
Won’t bore you with the set up – I sat next to a Greek sound engineer who actually wept during some segments of the show – before the show e chatted about the gear – Tom sings from a round riser form the middle of the stage and had no visible fold back. I bet he has in ear.
Tom was late but the audience clapped REM for sitting down and gave Roberto Binnini a standing ovation – could you imagine that if Geoffrey Rush came to a show at the State?- while we were waiting. And at 9.45 or such the band and the Man ambled out on stage – Tom in a bowler hat and in fine form.
I made notes in my little note book in the dark – the sound was excellent – not too loud which made me lean forward a little in the guitar solos ( I am too used to Jason Walker and Mat Galvin’s work obviously!) – But every instrument was bright and even and sat in the mix perfectly – it is a modern theatre for classical music after all. The highlight was when Tom sat at the piano and the bass player stood beside him and he did On the Nickel – a little quicker than the recorded version – but still – magic. Will check the song list I wrote down and add more later.
Experienced and a line for a taxi after the show – an Italian Taxi cue is not really a cue so to speak. It is a mob people trying to negotiate while standing in the middle of the street. And the taxi drivers slow down and wait to hear if anyone wants to go where they want to go – nothing to do with the passenger giving the orders. New moments in social anthropology for me.
The next day – on the train and off to Tuscany! Stopping now because battery is going and I may need the computer after – some trains have power points – others do not. This one does not.
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