Re: RAH related travels, encounters, etc aka 'The 2009 Mimi Tour'
Amsterhammer wrote:Some time last year Eva posted about a prospective 'mini tour' but mis-typed it as 'mimi tour'. That name has stuck with me ever since and this seems like a perfect occasion to use it!
Lots of you are visiting 'Europe' for the first time and will be going to all kinds of interesting places as well as meeting up with forum buddies in the flesh, often for the first time. I thought it would be a nice idea to share plans, encounters, adventures, reactions, etc in one place.
My 'great adventure' starts tomorrow already, when I'll be meeting RICjunkie here in Amsterdam for some local liquid refreshment (I'm not a whiskey drinker).
Then I've got a few more days of serious cleaning and tidying to do before Cathy arrives on Sunday morning. Our 'Mimi tour' plans then look as follows -
Apr. 30 - Cathy's first Queen's Day in Amsterdam (lots of walking, drinking, listening to live music and just generally having wide-eyed fun).
May 1 - Drive to the south of Holland for the Moulin Blues, where we'll meet up with Eva, Marianne and Andre (anyone else from the forum attending please let us know so we can met up) and see James Hunter and Watermelon Slim before Joe takes the stage.
May 2 - Get home in the early hours with Eva, sleep a bit, then head for Calais - stop in a French town on the way to Calais so that Cathy can finally taste absinthe! - Cathy and Eva's first chunnel trip. Maybe have a look at Leeds Castle on the way to London if we get over early enough.
May 3 - Do some London sightseeing before heading for Camden, where the ladies can shop to their heart's content while the gents explore local drinking establishments. I also hope to meet up with my youngest son, who lives five minutes around the corner from Dingwalls. See Aynsley, find good curry.
May 4 - Head for Hyde Park, then just follow the crowd for the rest of our communal BIG DAY .
May 5 - Meet up with Ken, who'll be bringing a pram back in the car, replenish the t-bag stock at the mega Asda in Docklands and then head towards the Chunnel. Arrive back in Amsterdam late and shattered.
May 6 - Cathy and I head east towards the German border to see Little Feat, our final joint musical treat in the context of Cathy's 'birthday month', which will continue for her after she returns to the US on May 10 and then heads for the Chesapeake festival on the following weekend.
Phew! I wonder if us old folks still have the stamina for all this?
(edit - this topic is not meant to replace or duplicate the 'RAH side trips' topic in the 'General ' forum, but rather be a broad topic for all of our 'adventures' and travels related to the central great event.)
Hehehe you guys are going to be KNACKERED after all that travelling .. I'm going for the more leisurely approach as I know how tiring travel + London can be.... flying into Gatwick on the 2nd... (hopefully not 'literally' ...) then visiting friends in Brighton.
Up to London on the 3rd and will probably end up finding a show to go to in the West End (Waiting for Godot looks interesting!) ..might even see if there's any decent Opera on at the ROH
4th..... long breakfast and the 'obligatory' trips to Chandler Guitars in Kew (+ a wander around Kew Gardens if weather is good) , and most likely 'window-shopping' Denmark St. too ...(last time I was there I bought FOUR windows! ) .. then will probably find a suitable Nando's for some nuclear-hot chicken and a few beers, then head to the RAH. Assuming all OK and I'm able to go to Cocoon...I will be the first one out of the door, as there's is ALWAYS a STAMPEDE getting out (and beware everyone..the South Kensington Tube Station entrance nearest the RAH has a nasty habit of being locked when gigs empty out...)
I'm heading west to Bath on the 4th for a spot of culture and meeting friends, then up to Liverpool on the 7th..meeting more friends and possible seeing a few bands...
(this is all assuming I sell one of my prized guitars on ebay..if not I'm sleeping on a park bench )
ps... talking of 'Mimi'...I'm in a movie with Mimi Rogers ...how's that for a bit of bizarre / off-topic trivia??