And so the story begins in Portland, Oregon - where I played The EastBurn on a Thursday night. To my surprise, I had people willing to come out and listen on a late 10pm Work-night show. This made me smile - and put me in the giggin mood. I love playing Portland for many reasons, and it was a great kick-off to the tour.

The next morning I headed to a new and fantastic little coffee place owned by my good friend Amanda Horne. Amanda is a fabulous artist in her own right (the art of painting) - but in addition, this girl knows her coffee. As it is an upstart business, if you want amazing coffee on the go or the stay, check out Grind House Coffee out at the intersection of Rosa Parks and Denver.

Here is where the adventure begins. Gaelen flew out to join me for the next 4 shows and we had a bit of a drive to Boise for a house concert. On the drive, we stopped many times to pee, pee, and . . . um. Pee. It was one of those trips. Anyway, flash forward several hours and several stops, and we arrived in Boise in time for a little shopping. Just as I was getting out of the car, it hit me. I had a flash of leaving my wallet on the toilet paper dispenser of some gas station in . . . where?! I don't know. So - the panic began. I spent the next 30 minutes, searching the car, the glove-box, under the seats in all of my bags. Nothing. Nada. Zip. Shaking and freaked out about three weeks on the road with no I.D., I immediately called all of my banks and cancelled accounts, closed cards, and ordered an express shipped Debit card for emergencies. I was devastated. I called my good friend Marty at The Mailbox in Seattle, knowing he would be near a computer, and asked him to look at a map and read all of the small towns between Portland and Boise. He did so, and the hunt began. I called nearly every Shell station (I remembered that much) in Oregon and Boise on I-84 - and to no avail. Nothing.

We pulled up to play the show, and as I was unloading the car, I pick up my guitar bag and what do I see? A small. green. wallet staring back at me. Are you kidding me?!! I don't know which was more devastating, losing it - or finding it again. At that point, I had another adrenaline surge, realizing that I had just spent the last hour freaking out and cancelling all of my accounts. I immediately hopped on the phone to try to remedy the situation - and announce the finding of my wallet.

Needless to say, I was a little exhausted by the time the show came around - but the audience was so amazing, the stage built was so fantastic, the energy so fun, that it picked me up again and we played a really fun show. I loved it. Thanks to Sharon for putting such love and attention into a house concert. I can't wait to return.

Next stop - Salt Lake City, where I played a great show with Mary Tebbs - and her devout following. Mary has put together two shows for us and never dissapoints. We also stayed with new friends Karen and Lerraine, where we were spoiled with curried black eyed peas, organic salad - and the most ridiculous Vegan Ice Cream known to man. I will add the link to her page below to check out. Yummmmm . . . . that's all I can say.

On to Fort Collins CO. for a Sunday night show on Easter. I am happy to say that a nice crowd came out to celebrate Jesus that evening - and we had a blast. Avo's is a great room - and Rob always treats us right. Speaking of the show, I should share with you all that on the road, Gaelen and I discovered a large vessel traveling with us through all three cities. It was a large Tube. We spent the next 5 minutes repeating that word. Tube. tube. TUBE. And, we decided that it might just be the cutest word in the English language. Try it for yourself right now. tube. :) Makes you smile doesn't it?

Next stop, Albuquerque NM - where I played a rather interesting cafe. It was almost reminiscent of a cafeteria - with bright lighting. I was reluctant to play on a monday night, but it turned out to be fabulous! I have some amazing fans that live there - including April, Ethan, and my friends Sarah and Jen. I feel like they are a part of my small traveling family and it is great to see them on the road. We celebrating in penny-slot style, which has become a hilarious tradition in New Mexico - and Jen and Sarah were incredible hosts as usual.

On an aside, I have been in the mood to listen to Jesus radio for some reason. When I am by myself, and feeling a bit lonely, I just turn it on and up - and begin to feel uplifted. Seriously. Try it. Also - it doesn't hurt if you replace every "You" with your name. That helps even more.

Last night, I played in a small town called Clarkdale AZ. It was a beautiful drive and the show was pretty great. Unfortunately, it is my 2nd time playing here and the turn-out was a bit low - but I had a great time. Those that were there, listened intently to both my babble and my songs. I sold merch and had long talks with several sweet locals.

I am now sitting in the town of Cottonwood, in a great new cafe: Crema, eating a salad and generally feeling like this journal entry is so long that you might be in your pajamas by the time you finish. I will continue eating my organic salad - and then take some gelato for the road to Prescott.

Shouts to all of you from the road. Thank you for your incredible support.

Ice Cream Link: http://www.sproutandrhythm.com/2008/08/menu-for-week-of-august-24-2008.html

Bye for now!
Camille

I am sitting in the waiting area of a salon, waiting for my trusted
do-er Julie to whisk me away for hair color.  Whilst I wait, I am
sending you a notice with the most updated, most exciting, most
fabulous Spring news!! 

• First, I wanted to announce that my new Spring Tour dates
  are finally updated.  They are listed below - and they include the
  entire Western U.S., a Homecoming show in Seattle on May 1st @ The Mix
  and a month long European tour through 4 countries.  As I write this, I
  almost can't believe it is true.  It just seems so amazing to look back
  and see the journey that has taken me to this point. 
  

• Next,
  the new cd is getting quite a bit of press around the country, even in
  areas that I am not touring!  ( I am not sure how this happened
  actually, and I am baffled).  I continue to get notices from Radio
  Stations about airtime, and I am just feeling generally awesome about
  the reception of the new record.
  

• Summer
  is just around the corner and festival bookings are coming in.  Look
  out for appearances for Wenatchee's Summer Concert Series, Red Rock's
  Women's Music Festival in Utah, Basin Summer Sounds in Centralia, WA.
  and the Bellevue Street Fair.  More to come soon!
  

• The
  recipe for successful touring takes about 1 cup planning and routing, 2
  cups booking, 3 cups promoting 8 cups hard work, and lastly . . . the
  secret ingredient I am going to tell you about.  It is something that
  only you can provide.  Are you ready?  Your help spreading "The Word". 
  If there is anything that would help me, it would be this:  Look below
  at the tour schedule, find a town that you a. live in or b. lived in or
  c. have friends in etc.  and . . . send them an e-mail a few weeks in
  advance.  Give them a few words about why they might like the music -
  and include show details and a link to my site so they can check it
  out.  I recently had someone in Ithaca NY tell me they were sent by
  fans in the Netherlands.  It works!!!  In addition, if you send a group
  of fans out to a show - I will make sure you get into the next show for
  free. Now there's a win / win.
  

• I think that's it for now.  Peruse the myspace.  Take a listen.  Spread the Love.
  

As usual, always feel free to send on comments, questions, suggest house concerts or festivals in your area.  :)
See you on the road!
Camille
-Camille Bloom

http://www.reverbnation.com/camillebloom

I am addicted to a game called Bubble Breaker. I mean, so addicted, that I almost can't focus on anything else. We have been on tour for nearly 3 weeks and I think I have played over 300 games. It is something I have not admitted to many people. In fact, I have even found myself wanting to hide in the corner when I play it so Nicole doesn't see just how addicted I am. At first I was in denial, but I am really coming to terms. I have hit Bubble Breaker Rock Bottom (or BBRB for short).

I find that anytime I have a spare second after loading in, or in the morning, or just before bed . . . (you get the idea), I sneak in a game. When we are driving somewhere and it's Nicole behind the wheel, I often begin a game with the intention of playing Just one. But, like a potato chip, no one can eat just one. The insanity begins.

If you don't know what the game is, it is a cell phone game in which the page is filled to the brim w/ 5 different colored balls. That's right, balls. You must find at least pairs of 2 in order to break the balls and make them disappear. The goal is to find large clusters of balls to break, and then the remaining balls attach and you go at it again. Really, it does not sound nearly as exciting as it is. :)

So - we are on our way to Easthampton today for a show tonight - and you know what I am thinking about?!! Balls!!! In fact, they are calling to me right now . . .

Tour news and Whole Foods Sponsoring tour!!


The running joke on our tours is that the title should be "The Whole Foods Tour" because we spend as much time finding the local Whole Foods as we do our venues. I love this store. In fact, I can spend hours, just perusing the aisles and picking out my gluten-free food. A lot of times, the most stressful thing about tour is finding whole, organic, food to eat.

Anyway, they have graciously sponsored part of our tour w/ gift cards. We have been eating incredible, healthy, and gluten-free foods, for free!! It has been the best I have felt on tour in the food category, and I thank them so much for their support.

In other news, the neck is healing just fine, in case you were wondering. :)

The tour kicked off in a furious fashion. I flew into Denver on Thursday afternoon to be picked up by my tourmate, Nicole Torres. We played Denver's premier listening venue, The Walnut Room. The night was incredible - the stage / sound perfect, the crowd large and
listening. A musician's dream. Then, my new friends Connor and Chris took me to a 'late night diner' for breakfast and put me to bed. :)

The next a.m., Nicole and I hustled over to the Whole Foods to pick up our first donation, before driving to Lincoln, Nebraska in a near blizzard. We pulled into the Meadowlark, played to a great crowd and then found our way back to Mike's house to meet all of his neighbors on Y Street.

Our friend Al took us to breakfast before making the short drive to Des Moines, Iowa where we were welcomed into the great house of Jen C. We were graced w/ an incredible dinner before heading down to The Ritual Cafe. This cafe is awesome. Great stage, sweet owners, good coffeee, and to be honest, one of the best salads I have ever eaten in my life. The venue was packed, and the audience alive. We had a great time playing and stayed up waaaaaaaaay too late playing "Silver Strike" and pool at a local bar. Good times.

Yesterday, we stopped by a mutual friend's place in Mankato to check out "Two Fish Studios". What a beautiful place - and what great people. I felt like one of the family, in the short 30 minute visit. We then headed directly to the venue in Minneapolis for an early show at Acadia Cafe. Our friends Tracy and Anna let us head to their house early for a pajama night of resting and eating gummy bears.

And now . . . we head to Madison, WI for another adventure . . .

So - here I am, after a long winter rest, getting ready to head out on tour tomorrow. I am excited and a bit crazed as I prepare. But, this morning, after going to a great Yoga class, I decided it was time to do some naturopathic therapy on my plugged sinuses and cough. While in Hawaii (which was a fantastic show and good vacation), I happened to catch a terrible cold / flu bug - and I am now working to push it out of my system before the kick-off show tomorrow night. (Get to the point, Camille, sheesh!)

So this morning, I decided to boil some water and inhale eucalyptus oil. I started the gas range and promptly headed upstairs for a quick second . . . or so I thought. Thirty minutes later, after going into computer trance in my bedroom, I hear a very loud hissing coming from downstairs. I suddenly remembered the boiling water. I sprinted down stairs to find out that thankfully, there was still a wee bit of water left in the pan, and it was at a spikingly hot rolling boil. I took the water off the burner, and immediately grabbed a towel to put over my head, dropped about 10 drops of the oil, and began huffing away, first through the nostrils, and then the mouth. Then, the nostrils, then the mouth. (You get the idea). Suddenly, I got lost in thought about how I should really be careful not to inhale too much steam or I could burn my throat. Instead, after losing focus, I put my head right near the edge of the pan, only to hear a searing sizzle, that was my neck against the lip. I think I would have howled, but since no one was there, I just leaped up into the air and immediately grabbed a container of homemade frozen turkey noodle soup and jammed it against my throat. Awesome.

So - I am heading out tomorrow for a 10 state tour in 3 weeks - with a nice blister on my throat. Can you believe it?

I guess this teaches me a lesson. As for now, I am not sure what that lesson is. Anyone? Anyone? . . .

So - first of all, I want you to know that I wrote a very long blog the other day about my adventures in Spokane and Missoula. When I tried to post it, Myspace freaked out - and deleted my post. Not sure why, and I am not saying this as a victim. I am just letting you know that I intended to write about many things on that trip. Instead, I will do it in quick form.

Long drive over to Spokane,
Radio show with 'bob' was grand.
Next day took us to Missoula.
Tried to make all the fans Droul-a
Loved the venue loved the Wine.
Try Lake Missoula Cellars anytime.
Next day, quickly to Spokane
To play a show that was so grand.
Audience beautiful, full of laughter,
Though show didn't start til 40 after.
Super evening, much much babble,
Then to tapas where large group dabbled.
Wild Sage food was freaking fantastic,
The gluten free items nearly made me spastic.
I love Missoula. I love Spokane.
Thank you from the bottom of my . . .

Pan.

Now - this brings me to my point. Today, I decided to grab a quick lunch out of my pantry. It was a Thai Kitchen Phad Thai that you microwave. Now, normally, this would sound unappetizing, but this morning, it was sleeping in that took precedence. So - many hours later, stomach grumbling, I followed the directions. Pour 1 cup water and all ingredients, and cook for 4 minutes. After four minutes, I pulled out the stiff noodles and dis-colored water and did my best to stir it. Let's just say that 5 minutes later, it was still a barely recognizable pasta soup that tasted a combination of cardboard and soy sauce.

What is your point, Camille?! What is your point?

I got to thinking today about how that Phad Thai is not unlike songwriting. You can't do it well without love and attention. Now, I have been working on a couple of new songs, and instead of getting frustrated that they are not done, I remind myself that good songs take time. You can't just add water, throw em in the microwave for a fast finish. They will just end up flavorless and stiff.

Home again home again . . .

I am sitting on my bed on a rainy Seattle morning (imagine that) - and decided to try to capture the last week and a half in writing.

Let me just say that overall, I feel so lucky. I still can't really believe that I just spent the past near month touring Europe - a dream I have had for a very long time. It was four countries in just over 3 weeks - and it was a whirlwind. The last 7 days, Gaelen and I spent exploring England, from Newcastle to Oswestry to London. My favorite small town was Oswestry, with winding brick streets and a small village feel. It seems that everyone knew everyone. We spent two nights there and had a small show at one of the neatest venues of the tour. It is a place called The Ironworks and it is run by Steve and Rose, and their family. They have built an incredible listening room and are on their way to building it into one of the best venues in Wales. In this economy, it is not easy, but I fell in love with their little family.

On to London, where I played the next night at The Distillers, which is truly amazing. This also was a fabulous listening room, and it was hosted by fabulous musician Tony Moore. The room was full, the energy high, the staff and sound were incredible, and I had a great time. Unfortunately, I was a bit under the weather so I wasn't my usual cheery self.

The next two nights were spent in celebration of my birthday, where we went to see "Wicked" at the theater and ate incredible food. We shopped and saw The Eye of London, The Tower of England, Big Ben, Leicester Square, Camden Market. We ate Gilatto, walked at least 6-8 miles a day, and took the tube all over London. It was fantastic.

I must say that after 3 weeks of traveling, I was really ready to come home. When we did arrive, I had 4 days to gear up for a show in Yakima and get over my jet-lag and a serious cold that started on Halloween.

Without going into details, I have to tell you that Yakima's show was the best homecoming a girl could ask for. We played the Seasons Performance Hall - and I was lucky enough to bring my full band. The crowd was amazing, the room was beautiful, the sound was fabulous, but more than anything, I felt love pouring out in the room. I know that sounds cheesy (nearly cheesy enough for me to erase it) but it was true. In the crowd were faces that have been there from the beginning. Faces of people who have watched me and supported my career for years. There were also new fans, who were excited to be there and see the show. It was in that room that I was reminded once again why I do this.

I think that while I was in Europe, forging a new path over there, I forgot how wonderful it feels to be surrounded by family, by fans, and by friends. I am very happy to be home.

My first official blog on a train!! We are in Newcastle, UK and finally, I have a few quiet minutes to write. I think the saddest thing about being this busy, is that I don't have ample time to write about all of the magic that has transpired on this trip. Truly, the warmth and kindness of people has been unbelievable.
To start where I left off (I think) – we shall visit the T-Huis in Breda. Upon first seeing this room last Wednesday, Carrie and I both walked past, not quite sure that the room could actually be in the middle of a park. It had no "real" address even, so we asked and asked until somebody pointed us to that strange glass house in the middle of the trees. And so, in the 2 hours prior to the show, one of the owners, named Marike, transformed the room into a candle-lit oasis, built a stage, and fed us the most amazing Fennel Soup for dinner. We were surprised to find a full room of silent listeners – appreciative and excited to hear the music. This night also brought us in touch with other fine folks like Michael (Pronounced Mee-shell) and Marion. I think most everyone from Breda has a name that starts with "M". Also we saw Ronald again – who had seen us play in Haarlem, and drove all the way to Belgium to see us again!
Anyway- the next morning, after staying up and talking Politics until 4 a.m. was a true European morning – with a great latte in the town center w/ brick streets and shops all around. We didn't want to leave. We really felt like we had found friends here. In addition to a great lunch w/ Marike – she surprised me by giving me a beautiful pair of Soft Black leather Italian Boots, w/ turquoise fur – insanely cool, wool-lined and perfectly new. I was dumb-founded. I was spoiled. I had been looking for the just-right boot for so long – and I had spoken of our shopping trips for boots to Marike – and then, I was given the perfect pair! I have been wearing them for days and several shows. I will put pictures up soon. ☺

So – on to our first and only show in Belgium @ The Crossroads – which is a well known bar in Antwerp. We were very excited to visit Belgium, but after a long day of shopping and eating in Breda w/ our new friends, we got into town just in time to get to our hotel and eat a quick dinner before our show. This room was a bit different from Breda, but the owners and the sound and the audience were all very nice indeed. I must say that there was not a show on this tour where the audience wasn't incredibly attentive & appreciative.

The next morning, Carrie and I got up at 6:30 – after 4 hours of rest, to leave for the Amsterdam Airport to pick up Gaelen. She flew out for the last few shows and planned to spend time in the UK w/ me too, singing back-up and visiting the sites. We picked her up w/ no time for hellos before driving another 4 hours to Hildesheim, Germany. Here, I ate my first German Sausage, and tried out my new German phrase: "Voa ist eine Wurst" which translates to "Where is the sausage?" I was very proud of that one. Hey – now that I can't eat Gluten, sometimes I have to supplement w/ Meat. Weird.
The show was not as big as we would have liked, but still a pretty full room. We were put up in a former Monastery, which had a very interesting vibe. Gaelen had been up for 36 hours by this point, and was beginning to hallucinate, but as we were well protected by God, we slept very well before getting up to head to eat dinner w/ our new friend and European Agent, Theo. Theo and his partner Diane fixed and incredible dinner of Portugese stew, and we visited a bit before heading to Neerkant, where another magical room was waiting for us. Each place we played felt like someone's home. The sound and lighting here was incredible and we had such a good time that we stayed quite late to visit w/ Peter and Robert – who drove all the way from Breda to see us again!

The next morning, we headed back to Amsterdam to drop the rental car and play our final show at the KHL coffee house. It was a bit of a reunion as our previous hosts, Paul and Yvonne, and their son Thomas, joined us. The lovely Damon flew out from Seattle as well, to join Carrie for their upcoming France/Spain vacation. We were so grateful to have an extra hand with the luggage, and to see his smiling face! To our surprise Ronald was there again, as well, to see us for the third time! The venue was beautiful, and aside from the owner singing us War Protest songs under is breath, to voice his disapproval w/ the Iraq war, all was fine. I think he eventually got the picture, however, that we protest the war as well.

This brings me to one of the biggest impacts from this trip. Everyone, I mean EVERYONE in Europe, is following our Political Race, Economic Shifts, and Housing Crisis. They are following the War and our National Debt increases. They have almost as much in their news about the crisis in our country as they do about the crisis in theirs. On the last day in Harleem, our host took Gaelen and I to a Post Card Gallery and shop, where locals could buy a post-card to display and then send to our To-Be President. It was truly sad, and so intense to see the words of these people, who are devastated by the state of our country. They are appalled by the war, and our status as a country. They are saddened by our selfish ways. We read their words in Silence and could hardly process it afterward.

So – off to Newcastle by over-night ferry (which by the way, was as large as The Love Boat. I am serious!) and then I took 3 naps yesterday before going to bed and sleeping for 12 hours. It was so nice to have a night off. Really. I can't tell you. We have another night off tonight before playing my first show in Wales. The countryside is beautiful here. I am happy . . .

We are still kickin it European style . . .

Carrie and I have been here for 8 days and it seems like longest and shortest 8 days of my life. I woke up not too long ago after a late night playing a show in one of the cutest towns in the Netherlands, Den Bosch. There, our new "mama and papa" showed us all around the town and we shopped for hours in the town center looking at beautiful boots, fine olive oils, cheese markets, and beautiful people on bikes. We also tried a thing called a Bosche Bollen - which is very much like an eclaire in the states, but shaped just like a tennis ball. The folks here looooooove them. I had only a teeny tiny taste - and it was divine. This is the Dream Ball of Holland. You would think that I would go on an on forever about these balls, but since they are made of wheat, I won't.

The show there was in a nice room called "De Rode Pimpernel" which was a darkly lit, candle filled, restaurant and bar that had incredible food. The show was late, and the people were great, but a little chatty in the back which made it a bit hard to concentrate. All in all, we were well-received, encored, and we sold cd's etc. Good times. :) We also met Theo (who booked us several shows on this tour) and Diana and Coen for an early dinner. Paul and Yvonne also escorted us to dinner and the show and we made the late drive back home.

The night before that, we played in a town called Arnhem - where we played a cute little bar below an "intentional living community". It is a bit like a mellow hippie commune - all vegetarian, sweet people, lots of music. The show was fantastic and we were called back on stage 2 times - sold lot's of merchandise, and had a wonderful night off after the show,

Carrie and I awoke and spent the first half of the day in Arnhem to get breakfast - where I think I seriously had the most disgusting omelette of my life. I don't actually think that omelettes are popular in Holland. We have found that the Dutch add a hard boiled egg to almost any meal, but for some reason, that is the preferred form. Luckily, I love hard boiled eggs and I can't usually find those on tour at all, so I have been enjoying at least one a day. Anyway, the omelette (fyi - out of curiosity, I just spent the last 5 minutes looking at all of the different spellings of the word omelette. Seems there are many acceptable options, but for now, I choose omelette. :) So this little cafe has omelette on the menu and we are soooo excited! We tell the wait person to bring us a veggie omelette, with as many veggies as they have. We were salivating in anticipation. We were smiling with joy. We were discussing oh how grand it was going to be . . . and then . . . it arrived. We dove in with our forks to discover what?! The veggies in this omelette were canned. That's right folks, canned peas, baby cubed canned carrots, and some other mushy green object that is yet to be identified. It was truly an experience to remember. It turns out that when talking to Yvonne and Paul (our find hosts) the word "Veggies" doesn't mean much to the Dutch. In fact, it doesn't exist in their language, and so the the lesson of expectations continues. I think that the kitchen staff might have been confused when they got the plate back and it was empty except or a big pile of "veggies" in the middle . . .

That day we found an organic grocery store and bought some beautiful "Veggies" for a dinner that we made for Paul and Yvonne as a thank you. We made a great dinner (which I would go into here except I think you like to hear about music and not the saute'ing of olive oil, shallots, white wine and garlic). We had a great dinner and evening off and even enjoyed an episode of Seinfeld before a mellow evening of reading and resting.

Today, the adventure continues in Breda - a new town, a new venue, and new faces to be announced soon!

Sitting in the livingroom with my new Dutch Family, I finally have time to write after nearly 5 full days in Europe. It has been a whirlwind for sure. I flew into Amsterdam last Tuesday at 6 a.m. and had been told by many that the key to beating jet-lag was to make sure to stay up all day no matter how tired you are, to try tricking your body that it is night time. Now - for those who don't know, Amsterdam (and much of Europe) is 9 hours ahead - which means that when I got in at 6:30 a.m. - it was really 9:30pm my time. Needless to say, the feat of staying up for another 16 hours did not sound appetizing.

It was my first time ever flying over-seas and immediately upon landing, I found my way to the rental car place - only to find out that there was an additional 85 Euro (about $100 U.S.) + another 200 Euros ($250 U.S.) was being charged for the GPS. Needless to say, it wasn't the best news - but we REALLY needed it. So, I hopped into the car and started driving in the city of Amsterdam - which was honestly the scariest moment of my life next to getting bitten by a rattlesnake.

I made it to the home where we are staying several nights on the trip, to meet Paul, Yvonne, and Thomas - who have been taking very good care of us. They have fed us, treated us to glasses of wine, great cheese, and rides around town. They are my new adopted Dutch Parents.

So - because it is impossible to catch you up on everything, I thought I would give you some highlights . . .

Biggest Surprise: Self-cleaning toilet seats and if you want to use the restroom, you have to pay 50 Euro (75 cents). Are you kidding me?!! To pee? We stopped at rest areas to find out that we needed money - but what you get in exchange for that money is amazing: A SELF-CLEANING Toilet. Seriously. It has a wind-shield wiper type gadget and it sprays water while the toilet seat rotates. Amazing.

Best Truck Sign: "VD Mark, Shit Group" This was written on the side of a big semi. Not joking.

Best Foreign Lyrics: While Carrie and I were driving, we listened to the radio for several hours. A lot of the music here is sung in English - but as it is the 2nd language, there were some hilarious lines. If you can imagine this in pop music in Holland:

"I don't think the registraar will be very pleased,
When we show up an hour late like two frozen peas"

Happiest Creature's: The farm animals seem so incredibly happy, you can see them smiling.

Saddest thing I've seen: Children crying in Holland. I have seen at least 4 kids crying on the back of the bicycles being driven by their parents. I am not sure, but something about being strapped down near your parents' hind end might be the cause.

Best Road Sign: This sign was outside of a rest area: "Guht Fahrt" - Ya. Fo-shizzle.

Best Dutch Food Item: Aged Gouda. Seriously, it is the best thing in the world. Every night when we are staying with Yvonne and Paul, they make us a big platter of cheese - and I have a glass of red wine - and looooove it!

Truly, I have so many more stories to tell - but I will just give highlights. We have had 5 shows so far - including 3 venues, 1 radio show, and 1 in-store performance. We have travelled 9 hours to Nurnberg Germany - and played in the cutest venue - Pegnitzbuhne - where we slept in the venue - and after getting only 3 hours sleep, headed back the 8 1/2 hours to play another show in Haarlem. Now - for the funny part. After our show, I was told I could go upstairs to make a phone call on Skype. I went in the dark, entered the apartment, and had my convo before heading back downstairs. When I returned, I realized that I had left my phone in the apartment. My hosts took me upstairs to try to find it - and to my great horror . . .

The door they lead me to - was not the door I had entered to make my phone call. IN FACT, I had broken into a stranger's apartment, turned on their hallway light - and talked on the phone loudly for 20 minutes - and then left my phone there as evidence. I was so lucky that the person didn't come out screaming at me. I just about pee'd my pants. I was so mortified. And so, the next morning - we had to admit our folly in order to retrieve my phone. Pretty funny in hindsight, but at the time, I was as red as the lips of a little dutch girl riding on the back of a bike. :)

Last night, we played a show in Amsterdam, and then decided to busk in the Central Station - just for fun. In 20 minutes, we made about 15 Euro's- and laughed all the way home. Tonight we played a show at the Velvet Music Store in Rotterdam, and then a radio show on LONRadio. The people were so fantastic. Our hosts are also fantastic. Today, they took us to a real Windmill that produces wheat - and then to the North Sea (Prounounced Nord Zay-e in Dutch). It was beautiful.

I think that is it for now. Carrie and I are enjoying our stay - and I can't believe it has been 5 days already. Until next time . . .