Mountains, sea and ancient fortresses - August 2015

Steve and Djabe - Budapest Jazz Club
Photo © Gergely Temesvári

Steve in Diocletian's palace, Split

As always it was fab to see all the Djabe boys again in Budapest. Jo and I were welcomed back with a terrific BBQ cooked by Attila in a huge cauldron over an enormous fire as shepherds and nomads have done for thousands of years... an ancient dish which tasted great!

After a lively gig in bustling Budapest we headed off to Banksá Ŝtiavnica, a picturesque old town in the Slovakian Ŝtiavnica mountains. Apparently the gig was intended to take place in a church, but they rejected the idea on account of our inappropriate music! So instead the venue was a Gothic castle, several hundred years old with high crumbling walls, towering turrets and several spooky black iron weird shaped tombs. It could have been Count Dracula's domain. Fantastic atmosphere for the gig of course...

Beyond the mountains we journeyed across the great plain of the Carpathian basin to Debrecen in the far East of Hungary, where we performed the next gig to another enthusiastic crowd. And so the adventure continued with a twelve hour bus ride across Hungary and into Croatia... Our Croatian festival spot, the old walled town of Bale with its tiny winding cobbled streets, rustic stone buildings and archways had extraordinary character... Another great gig location.

Following a picturesque drive down the spectacular Croatian Coast though blazing sunshine to Split, Jo and I explored the huge and impressive Diocletian's ancient Roman palace. Then all aboard we sailed through a wonderful archipelago of islands to the town Vela Luka on the island of Korcula... Beautiful harbour, palm trees and old buildings. From the hotel our irrepressible friend Roger Salem and Maria kindly took us for a meal in the town via taxi... by boat. After a fun show which narrowly escaped a thunder storm, we set off in the wolf light for the long journey back to Budapest... And finally home.

The Djabe experience is always an adventure. All in all an overwhelming feast for the senses, playing in some of the most beautiful places in Eastern Europe. My thanks to Attila Égerházi, Tamás, Ferenc, Zoltan, Szilard and everyone involved with Djabe, and the promotors and Ben Fenner for making it all possible.

Steve with Djabe at Bale, Croatia
Photo © Ben Fenner

Steve with Ben Fenner and the Djabe team

Journeying through the Croatian islands

Attila the cauldron master
Photo © Ben Fenner

Jo in Vela Luka, Korcula

Ben, Steve and Attila on boat bound for Korcula

Steve in the old town of Bale

Tombs in castle in Banksá Ŝtiavnica