Saturday 12th September Hertogenrath [{I think]
The journey from Berlin to Hertogenrath took over 7hours, not so bad really…perhaps having your wisdom teeth pulled would be worse….The welcome in Hertogenrath more than made up for the long time spent in the now cool and airy Mercedes.
We were greeted by Catharina and Wolfgang Stefan and a whole team of wonderful helpers , who welcomed us so warmly, the long journey melted away.The sound system was set up, and for the first time we were playing an outdoor show.The setting was magnificent, an outdoor stage with an imposing and floodlit castle high above us, a classic German scene.
Hertogenrath is so close to the Dutch border that there were many people from Holland at the show, the border was about 500 yards from the show, we were also really close to Luxembourg…how cosmopolitan am I ?
The guys went for a meal but I decided to stay at the venue and change my strings on my new gorgeous BSG guitar, and just chill out for an hour or so . I was starting to flag a little and I knew I had to conserve energy if I was to get through the show.
The audience were fantastic, the evening was a little cool, but everyone seemed to enjoy the show.I thought the band played well, and there were some lovely moments..Lars’s solo on Berlin, and Uli’s solo on Not Over Now, and Heinz’s dumbek extravaganza in Romero.
After the show, the same wonderful group of helpers came like a small army to help put all of the gear into the van.
We headed back to the hotel and then lars and Uli and I, went off to the bar, with Dorothy and Stefan from the show.
We had a great talking about loads of stuff, teaching, America, angels, accents, swimming pool cocktails,teaching,Uli’s life after marriage, teaching, you know yourself…
Had a good sleep in the hotel.
Sunday 13th September Osnabruck
The weather has changed…Thank Christ! Traveling in the van is much more comfortable.
The guys take me into Cologne [Koln] and we stop right in the middle of town.
I had known that Koln was famous for its cathedral but I had never seen it before…
Omg omg omg
From the outside it is an imposing gothic structure, dwarfing the skyline, however when I went in, the breadth literally left my body.Koln cathedral is an amazing feat of mans ability to mirror the divine.I could have stayed there the entire day, perhaps a week…Mass was going on the incense had drifted into the vast ceiling and created a mesmeric image in front of the spectacular stained glass, I have to go back, I will go back, we only stayed minutes, but the experience will live with me forever 
