Yesterday we ended the longest string of shows we have ever had. In 11 days, we performed 10 times in four different countries. We all were thrilled to have a day off and even more excited to sleep in the same hotel for two consecutive nights. The band and crew celebrated by gathering at the hotel bar (the ONLY bar in Newcastle, UK that stays open past 11pm on a weekday) and clinking glass after glass.

The next morning I met Jenni and David for a bike ride. What was supposed to be a leisurely ride along the Tyne River to the shore ended up being an arduous physical event. Up and down hills, along traffic, around construction sites, and every once in a while, a brief promenade with stunning views of Newcastle from a cliff overlooking the river and red roofs. We made it to a pedestrian tunnel that goes underneath the river. We were like three school children zipping down the incline on our bikes and pausing briefly at the end to ask a construction worker to take our picture. "This is really big for us; we've never ridden our bikes under a river before."



When we reemerged from our under-river adventure, a fellow rider stopped and asked if we were lost. This gent, James (I told him he had a "good strong name"), ended up being the Area Manager for Cyclists for that region. Thank God we ran into him because he whipped out map after map showing us where we were, where we came from, and how best to return. Eventually he told us to just follow him as he was heading in the same direction. He took us through a beautiful verdant shortcut that ended at a pub with one of the finest views of the city and all its bridges. We stopped briefly for a tea before heading back to the hotel. David had a meeting at 2pm to meet with art curators about a potential future project. He asked if we'd like to come along.

We dropped off our bikes and met Judith King and her partner Peter. Judith is a five foot tall fire cracker of a woman who is a self-proclaimed "spy for contemporary arts." What, pray tell, is that? She finds classic traditional English spaces and invites artists to create modern work from performance to installation pieces. They drove us out into the country to Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens. The mansion, built in 1807, is displayed without furnishings and therefore is a sort of blank canvas for artists. She would love David to do a piece in the space, perhaps a la "playing the building." She wasn't quite subtle about it as she continually said, "Now david, I'm just planting a seed here... just planting a seed." Currently Stella McCartney has a gorgeous crystal horse hanging in the adjacent castle. David was busy taking photos of each room while Jenni and I tested out the acoustics with some pretty bizarre "sound improvisations." Lastly, they took us on a tour of the gardens, my favorite stop being a plant that smells EXACTLY like chocolate!

After a quick rest, most of the band met Jenni and me at a little independent movie theater to watch Shirley Clarke's 1964 film called The Cool World with a wonderful soundtrack composed by Mal Waldron and with Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet.

Oh boy, time is running out. We're in Sheffield now and its almost gig time. More later.