Many huge Grazies to Tizio for the shows and to the other fine folks who made the "Italia in treno" tour a reality. My stomach has finished bugging me about visiting this country, it is very happy to have visited and it wants now to eat okonomiyaki, so we'll see what happens.
After a Caffè correcto con sambuca and two slices of pizza in Bologna, I arrived to Poggio Rusco a little late, but by coincidence, Tiziano was late at the same time ! So, we went directly to the communal wine house to pick up supplies for the concert. I saw some nice bottles of  lambrusco, and the scent sent chills of good earthy wines to my mind. We then went to pick up the ham for tonight's treat: Gnocchi Fritti.

It is simply a fried bread with which we eat Parmigiano with balsamic vinegar and different sliced meats.

This in conjunction with lambrusco, and music and a bottle of Montenegro, leads to an evening that passed rather quickly.

The next day we went to Verona. Shakespeare. Romeo, Guiletta, and the venue :  Esposta a greeeat place to play with a very interedted and receptive crowd. The concert was very nice, I found a bottle of limonade that kept me company until I forgot it in Rome.

There was an article in the local paper, an attentive public, I sold some discs, I met some nice people. It doesn't sound like much, but all of these things together give some depth and purpose to a tour. I spent the next day visiting the town, holding Guiletta's breasts, eating pizza, and trying to visit Officina Bodoni without an appointment. I did not know. I think this is really when it is obvious that I am from the United States, I think it is possible to visit letterpress printers to talk about their work. Lesson learned, I will visit next time on the pretext of a research paper.

As it became late, I went to the station to catch the train.

Bologna appeals to me for its arcades. It was interesting to open up for an American band. an acquaintence from the states. I think this is the day I told myself that I am not an indy rock band.

The next day I went to the beach ! It was stormy. I passed by San Marino for the 6th time. I really want to visit there. It is a longstanding facination with small countries that attracts me to this place, just look at the temporary nations project !

I made a small video. I think it is here. It is of the waves and storm. It was a really nice venu. Piadina ! Yum ! Giovanni and the other musicians of Senegallia were nice sympathisers of my concert, it was nice to talk about music and be able to invite others to visit my new home.

I took the train north, to a nice dinner hosted by a group of girlfriends, It was a large birthday dinner. Afterwards, we tasted rare homemade liquors and I was treated to a little gift of cherries ! For this concert, I knew the other group would be loud, so I played in the percussion version, where I walk around and find metal objects and other objects to play with sticks. I danced a little bit after the concert. The next day I took a photographic tour of San Martino Spino. I am working on the photos from the trip to post them as a project on my site.

Tizio and I went to Ferrara we drank Prosecco and took a little tour of the town. Then we ate well, I went into a chatting haze, I was payed 20€.

I suffered from insomnia so I took a walk around the city for a few hours from 3-6am it is nice to explore alone like this, to have this secret relationship with the town, to be the only ghost, to forget that I did not make enough to get to the next concert.

SO to celebrate the next day, I bought a bag of clementines, and I forgot my ticket in the automatic machine. So I was controlled and asked to get off the train. I  had to buy a ticket for the fast train. So my trip was double the cost !

Thankfully, getting to Fanfulla 101 was not difficult, and Romans are nice enough to give good directions. Albeit, in Italian !
and the venue ? What a madhouse !!!!!
Absolute party time ! What else can I say ?
Best Pizza of this tour Award !
Et Manu est français donc c'était chouetteos ! Merci !

The next day, I caught the train for Massa. I spoke with a fellow about the fact that we were very close to a third world war, but someone payed off someone else so it did not happen. Imagine.

Massa was another good pizza, and the opportunity to see an alternate life. In this future, Le Ton Mité was already a quite popular band, I had some hard times, and am currently making a subtle comeback tour under a different sound and name. It was a good experience for me to see what I do not want to become. The fellows played in my favorite band of the late 80s with another singer. So it was in a way cool to play with them, but I did not have the heart to say that I was a really big fan of their first band.
Still the drummer remains one of my favorites.

The morning after, I borrowed a bike and went to the beach, found some samples of marble, I was,  after all, next to Carrara. Rock nerds know what this is about. My host trated me to lunch and took me to the station. I then took the train in the wrong direction ! to La Spezia where I had a couple of sandwiches to sooth the pain.
Finally, I arrived in Florence and made a walking tour of the city. I ate a pizza in a place where I  was close to the only customer who was not Japanese. I took pictures and walked too much.

Florence is the Kyoto of Italy.

Then I went to Arezzo,
The show was cancelled.

Alez is a really good man.
We ate well, went to a jazz show, it was cool.

Next day, Tipographia Scheggi was closed.
Then we went to Florence.
What the heck crazy out of control party party paerty parttyyyy !
It was definately an interesting way to say arrivederci !
Yummi dinner potatoes, meatloaf !
a little chocolate.
Maybe a little too much wine.

But all is good and the next day I payed too much for my bag. but needed to keep the bottles of presents.

From the sun and fun to the snow snow cold at Bruxelles sud.

Ciao Italia
arrivederci !