Mediterranean Marvels - July 2018

Monforte d'Alba show
Photo © Marioluca Bariona @mlbariona

Pillars in the sky

Exploring underground Rome

Off to beautiful Barcelona... We were looking forward to the first gig of our mini European tour. But having reached Gatwick airport bright and early for our scheduled flight, we were told that due to some computer glitch our group could not be checked in for the flight. We waited for nearly three hours, and then had to run what felt like the whole length of the airport to reach the plane in time!

After that shaky start, it all improved as Barcelona welcomed us with sunny skies and fabulous food. The venue the following day at the Be Prog! My Friend festival was a wonderful setting - a purpose built old-style village celebrating Spain's history with a central square big enough to host the 3,000 strong crowd that attended the show. They were incredibly responsive and it was a great night for the band.

From Barcelona to Lyon by train, we enjoyed watching the scenery change, from craggy hills to coastal marshland and then on to the Rhône Valley. Fabulous response that night to the Lyon show. It was great to play there again after so many years.

We then flew to Rome for the beginning of the Italian leg of the tour. Having had a fun celebration of Rob's birthday with the team on the first night, Jo and I enjoyed a day off in Rome visiting parts of the Palatine and Forum that have only recently opened, including part of a huge underground passage once used by emperors and nobility to reach the Forum from their palaces. It's always intriguing to explore those ancient ruins. The Rome show was as exciting as ever, driven by the fantastic roar of the crowd.

On from Rome to Mirano, which included a special visit to Venice with our Venetian pals who took Nad, Jo and me for a boat ride through those spectacular canals and then across the lagoon to a nearby island for a meal. There is nowhere in the world like Venice!

The Mirano show was great fun. We had to leave early the following day to reach Monforte d'Alba in time for the show that night. Monforte is a magical hillside town in a big wine growing region with cobbled alleys and incredibly atmospheric old buildings. A terrific location for the show, presenting a whole additional backdrop. It was wonderful to meet up with our dear friend Vania there too.

On from there to Gardone Riviera, a gorgeous town lined with verdant foliage, bougainvillea and poplars on the shores of Lake Garda. Here we played a sold out show to another amazing audience.

Jo and I enjoyed staying in idyllic Gardone Riviera for another three days before venturing forth to Pistoia, Tuscany. Taking a small winding road through the spectacular Tuscan hills was a joy, except for the moment we turned into a lane which became a tiny dirt track! Stopping for coffee or a snack along the way, we really felt the pulse of that amazing countryside.

Joined by our team again as well as Vania who took care of us for the last Italian show of this little tour, we headed into the centre of Pistoia, a wonderfully atmospheric historic town. The main stage for the Pistoia Blues festival was in the big town square. James Blunt had played there the night before. It was a terrific setting for the show with a brilliant crowd.

A big thank you to Vania, Martina, Sergio Fornasari, Alessandra and everyone at Musical Box 2, as well as the promotors for Barcelona and Lyon, Brian Coles and all our team. It has been a fantastic tour...