Wednesday, May 6, 2015

5/6/15 day 18: Vienna, AU

Up before 9 for breakfast. Had a good little sleep on my single bed. Breakfast was decent; had nice breads, yogurt, coffee... The meats were a little grey, so I bagged that idea and took my breakfast outside on the sunny, warm patio. My view was OK too...
That's the "new" castle up on that hill.

We threw the luggage in the car and walked around the town which has a lot going for it; old mining town, built on a volcano, prefectly preserved for the ages. Cobblestone streets like a Hollywood set.... Dig.
View from the bell tower of the "old" castle... This joint...
Look! They had windows back then! And doors?!

Sat outside and enjoyed the sun and a beer and the good company one last time. Gonna miss this country. My waistline won't, but I will.

Hopped in the car around 1:30 for the 2 hr trip to Brativslava which we made without international incident. Had a little time to scope out the scene. Dig, Bratislava.
All of these places and buildings have names, I'm sure, and historical significance... I just have no idea what they are. Oh and the castle.. Cue Steely Dan "up on a hill..."
Oh and this little snack attack was perfect....
Oh don't worry, it's low fat mayo...

That castle kind of pales in comparison to the old castle we saw earlier today, but whatever, it's still cool as hell and there is nothing like it in Phoenix... Except that little dinky thing on the hill just west of the I-10 at the curve past Priest. Phoenix! Ha! Suck it...

We met Olga's friends Hayden and Patricia at the Tesco (it's the Target of Europe) downtown and then walked to a restaurant just down the street. It was called like "Bratislava Restaurant" or something dumb like that. I would never have walked in without prompting, no real signage and when you looked in it was just a hallway, but Hayden had been before and had a good feeling it was the perfect spot... And it was. We got there shortly before the puck dropped (apparently I'm a huge hockey fan now) for the Slovakia vs Norway game. Dig.
Very vibey joint baby with good foods, friends and beers to enjoy. Slovakia lost this match. They are now 3 and 1. But still advance. And I finally got some goulash. Dig.
It doesn't look like much but it was slamming! Oh and then these.
Buchti? Bukty? Not sure the spelling, but they were little fig filled boiled pastries with poppy seeds and some butter? Hey. Look. Listen. They were tasty and that's all you need to know... Well, and the name, so u can order them later...


One last taste (for digestion only) and we said goodbye to our new friends Patricia and Hayden.

Olga drove us to our hotel near the Vienna airport and we said our goodbyes to our favorite Slovak. She was a great hostess and took very good care that we were well fed, watered, and safe.

This tour had its ups and downs as every tour does but we all agreed back in the hotel for the post tour debrief that it was more good than anything else. We are lucky to be able to do what we do and for that we are all grateful and humbled . Until next tour my friends, thanks for following along at home, Love Brian and The Sweet Remains Trio.



Tuesday, May 5, 2015

5/5/15 day 17: Banská Štiavnica, SK

Caught the tail of breakfast even tho I was up well before my alarm... I had a dog barking out my left window and carpenters building the arc out the right. Almost as annoying as to how my father would wake me for school as a kid... He'd unceremoniously throw the light on, open the curtains to the window by pillow, and then take the covers and put them on the floor. At least this morning I was able to maintain a shred of decency, not like back in the day...

Went downstairs and grabbed a quick bite at the breakfast table and then we walked back over to Chianti for a coffee.
Main square in Bardejov, a beautiful little town.

Said our goodbyes to staff and Kamil and hit the road for the polish border. Olga arranged a river rafting on the Dunajec River which slowly winds through a national forest along the Polish border. The weather was perfect. Finally sun and blue sky. Perfect timing.
River rafting cascading selfie.

Very relaxing afternoon on the water. Our rafting guide (wearing his traditional outfit) would pole us along (yeah, yeah, I know) and tell folk lore stories about the river and the surrounding mountains. One story involved 7 monks and a prostitute getting turned to stone.. It got pretty freaky.

After the river we got back to the tSR mobile and made our way west. Olga's plan was to get closer to Vienna so the drive would be shorter to get us to the airport. She asked her friends where we should stay in the middle of the country and they all recommended Banská Štaivnica. So, we headed there. Sure, sounds cool?!

Quiet car ride. Everyone was tuckered out from the river. Olga powered through though and made that highway her bitch as she tends to do. Got off the highway and followed a narrow winding road through a serene little forest scene. We started to climb up a hill and popped into beautiful Banská as the sun dropped out of view. Found our hotel (Hotel Grand Matej), ditched our bags in our economical rooms, and went out on a mission to find and watch Slovakia v Slovenia Hockey. I've never watched so much hockey in my life... Kind of digging it though. Kind of want to keep watching when I get home. Does anyone know of any good Slovak bars in Phoenix?

We ended up at Erb brew pub just up the street with the game on a projector screen. Slovakia won (great success) and we enjoyed some brews and some tasty food. I went with a salad with grilled chicken, and then traditional smoked cheese that is fried served with potatoes. The gym is going to hurt...until then, Prost!

We toasted a fun tour and all of Olga's hard work. We had a really great time seeing this beautiful country from Pezinok to Vranov nad Toplou and making new friends along the way and trying some very delicious food and drink. We hope to come back!

Even though spirits are high today, we moarn the passing of Rhys, one of Olga's prize dogs, who died tragically today. Much to Olga's credit, she put on a strong and brave face but we know she is hurting. I was a blubbering child when I lost my dog Rugby. I can only imagine what she is feeling. RIP Rhys. Glad we had a chance to hang out this week. You were a special friend to us all.

Monday, May 4, 2015

5/4/15 day 16: Bardejov, SK

Started late today. I opted to skip breakfast to grab an extra 30 min of sleep so I met everyone at 11. Was packed and ready to go by 11:01. It was hard to say goodbye to Penzion Familia. They were so sweet and hospitable...
That's my hairstyle from 8th grade. My mom will be happy. She always thought it needed more height... 

We left our home away from home and drove north to the Borošova family vineyard and we tried some delicious vinos. It got slightly wierd. It was before noon.
And dig this...
That's how you pull some wine out of the cask. So you have to suck into the glass bowl, draw the wine in, and then cap it with your finger. Sounds a lot like Freiburg '97, but that's a story for another day.. We tasted about 6 different wines from Moscats to Cabs and Peter and I agreed the Pinot Noir was the best. Well, until the special grape schnapps was busted out, that was very tasty. They don't bottle that tho, it's just for special occasions. Like late morning tSR wine tastings. BOOM.

We then went to Olga's friend Zuzka's (she is Enzo's owner, the horse I rode the other day) pizza shop for lunch. It was a little chilly but we sat outside on the patio. Maybe if we just act like the sun is out, it will come out? It was a really really tasty lunch and we had a lot of fun trying to learn more Slovakian language. I feel like German is easy compared to Slovakian. But anyway, back to the pizza...Oh, they even had some hot chili sauce which I totally appreciated. It was similar to Sriracha with less heat but it reminded me of home. Zuzka took great care of us and we said our goodbyes and got on the road. 
5 person cascading selfie! Thanks Zuzka!

We get back to the car and a tire was booted because our parking ticket ran out...Not just a ticket. Booted. 
Like we had been parked there for a week! Anyway, the cops rolled up and Olga was able to talk them down from a 50€ fine to a 10€ fine... But still, 10€ becuase we were 30 min beyond our parking time allotment... What the hell!? So, to ease the pain, we sang Bid You to the cops. Not sure it was appreciated. Ahoy!
I had time for a quick power down at the really beautiful Pension Le Monde around the corner from the venue. I feel like I have my own floor... My room could sleep a family of 5. Got cleaned up and walked over to venue Chianti which is a hip little cafe/wine bar right on the main square.

Quick sound check and started our set at 7:30. Had a good crowd of about 20+ attentive Slovaks who clapped and sang along. We switched up the set a little and I pulled an audible in the middle of the second and asked the crowd for names of their favorite bands... We heard Beatles, Eagles, U2, among others. I knew Peter had a U2 song up his sleeve, so I gave the guitar to him and we all sang "with or without you." It was kind of random, but fun. We had a great last night. After the set we were treated to a drink and some food with the two young owners of Chianti, Peter and Kamil. Peter Day was in heaven becuase they had his favorites. I stuck w red wine. And of course, Slivovica... For digestion only. My stomach is going to be SOLID after this trip.
It was a great hang and a really fun performance. A great way to end the  tour. 

Dear people of Slovakia, you have been very kind to us and made us feel very welcome. We hope you enjoyed listening to the music as much as we enjoyed playing it for you.

And a special thanks to our amazing friend, booking agent, tour manager, driver, translator, tour guide, dressage coach, among other things.. Olga Borošova! Thank you for bringing us to your beautiful country.

Thank you! Dakujem! Ahoy!

Sunday, May 3, 2015

5/3/15 day 15: Prešov, SK

Lazy Sunday. Grabbed a nice little breakfast downstairs at the Penzion in my pajamas. Today I went w a coffee, caprese salad, and a mushroom and cheese omelette. The weather was stunning. Scattered clouds, warm sun, bright blue sky. The patio was the place to be, for sure.

Chilled in the apt watching some more hockey. Big game for Slovakia today. They played (and beat) Belarus. Great success!

We piled into the tSR mobile and left for Prešov at 6. We rolled up as the opening act, a group of 5 sisters, finished their last song. It was a little scene; outdoor stage, people chillin at picnic style tables, having food and beers. The weather at this point had taken a small turn for the worse. Clouds had come back but the temp wasnt too bad.

We rocked a solid 60 min set to an active crowd. They were clapping along and were super appreciative. It's funny. Sometimes they will look pretty dower but then they rip up in applause with big smiles. The sisters sat in the front row and clapped (when they weren't eating their pizzas).
Made some friends tonight. Had a group of young people show up who heard us on the radio a couple days ago. That was nice. The owner was a really nice guy who loves the tunes and passed our info on to his buddy who runs a big festival in Slovakia in the summer. I can dig it.

Olga's friend David was at the show. We were going to eat at the restaurant by the venue but once we found out David worked part time at a bowling alley (with a really good restaurant) we decided to go check it out. I mean, we were skeptical. How good can a restaurant at a bowling alley be?!?

It was actually really, really good. I got a Filet (doesn't everyone get that at bowling alleys?!) for 12€ and it was probably one of the best steaks I've had in a long time. We were all really pleased with our food. It was just odd to have this killing meal wearing bowling shoes...

And then we bowled! I came out strong with a spare and lead the pack until 8th frame when Peter started dropping strikes like they were hot. He ended up winning by a comfortable margin after doing a victory dance which included taking his shirt off and then sliding on his knees across the floor. So dramatic...
Peter had 148. I was next with 114 (Woodbridge street make some noise), and Jeff and Olga trailed behind. Peter gets the prize for, well, winning and Most Dramatic Victory Dance. Jeff gets the prize for "Probably the best Bowler among us, but had an off night." Olga gets the prize for Bowling Well with Long Nails (not easy to do). I get the "At least you didn't embarrass yourself" award. Good fun tho and totally unexpected.
A fun way to end the night. We said our thank you's to David and then piled into the band ride bound for Penzion Familia.

Saturday, May 2, 2015

5/2/15 day 14: Košice, SK

Košice = "Co-Sheets-A."

Slept late again today. These late night jam sessions will creep up on you and I'm not the spry young lad I once was. I mean, I could try to blame jet lag but that would be ridiculous. We all bagged breakfast because we are expecting a big lunch.

Lukaš, Olga's friend who organized the media campaign for the tour, took us out to a really nice four course meal at a local restaurant around noon. They were closed, but Lukaš called up the owner yesterday and they opened up for us special. Royalty treatment, I tell ya.

First came sliced meats and cheese. Second was homemade chicken noodle soup. Third was twice baked potatoes, green beans, and grilled pork. Fourth was chocolate lava cake with ice cream and raspberry sauce. Yeah, it was pretty good... I mean, for a lunch. Good lord.

We caught the last period of the Slovakia vs Denmark ice hockey match (Slovaks won in second shoot out) back at the crib. Can you guess what happened next? If you guessed "nap time" you are correct!

Out the door at 5:00 for the 60km drive to Košice. Pretty beautiful drive; single lane 'highways' connecting little villages and farm land and rich green hills. We passed a memorial to one of the last eastern German/Russian battles of WWII. We also passed a small gypsy slum which started a talk about this relatively universally despised population. Is there an equivalent in the U.S.? Gypsies are legal residents here. They collect money from the state. Have every right to everything everyone else has a right to. It's interesting. No one seems to be pro gypsy, and yet no one is trying to make them leave or assimilate or whatever.  They seem to just coexist, albeit in slums, next to the 'regular' Slovak population.

Rider's Pub in Košice is just that; a biker bar or at least that's what it looks like. Are there bikers in Slovakia?! If so, I'm sure they are wonderful people. Riders Pub looks like Roadhouse got freaky with an Applebee's. Lots, I mean LOTS, of Jack Daniels paraphernalia and tchotchke. Smokey. A joint I'm not sure I'd be welcomed in back in the states or even feel comfortable in... but not here. 
Everyone was very friendly, the guys helping the PA (who are in a band called Grey Dog, btw, that plays heavy and hard rock which I'm sure goes over great here) were totally sweet and welcoming to us. We had some time to kill after sound check so we drove into the city center, which was really beautiful. The clouds were even breaking a little and we caught what we can only describe as a blue sky. Intense.
Remnants of the Soviet Union. Lenin used to stand on one of those pillars. Now it's a lamp... Reagan says "your welcome."

We walked around and grabbed a couple slices of some tasty but cheap pizza w corn and ham (.50€ a slice, I mean come on) and headed back to the club.

Had a nice little crowd for an unknown band. A real mix of students, friends of Olga, locals, and beefy biker dudes you wouldn't want to mess with.

Our set was good. Felt solid. Despite another one monitor scene which can be difficult to find the vocal blend. And in a moment of pure irony, one of the beefy biker cats got up with his girl and slow danced to 'Moving in Slow Motion.' It was amazing!! Totally made our night.

We find out shortly thereafter that the beefy biker cat who just slow jammed to Moving was the owner of the bar and it was his birthday! The same biker dude who you wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley, a well lit alley, or in church on Sunday. But apparently he has a real soft side and digs some acoustical jams and isn't scared to grind it out on the dance floor w his chica. After hearing it was his birthday, we stood on some chairs and did some more singing. Not a full on acoustic jam like the other night, just Bid You, but the 20 plus folks in the bar loved it. It was a moment for sure. The owners girlfriend was in tears. And despite all the in your face advertising for Jack Daniels, we had Czech Beer and Jamison. We were also introduced to Borovička a spirit made of junipers. Nastravia! Suck it JD!

Another couple quick slices of pizza and an impromptu dance party in the streets of Košice before the ride home.

Made it home in one piece. Thankfully we have a great driver, Olga, who safely delivers us through the Slovakian countryside to our home away from home at the Penzion Familia in Vranov nad Toplou.

Another unforgettable night for sure.




Friday, May 1, 2015

5/1/15 day 13: Vranov nad Toplou, SK

Scrambled eggs and onions and a couple coffees at 11:30 on the patio.

Olga rolled up and drove us to her stable and then this happened.
We hung w her very sweet dogs and yeah, rode some horses. I was on Enzo Ferrari. A large stead. Responsive. We had a connection. Peter was on Paška. Jeff was on Norbert. I did get to meet "What I'm Looking For" a very naughty young chap (as Olga would say), as the name would suggest, but a real sweet heart none the less. Young and rambunctious, much like his name sake.
After the dressage riding lesson I took a solid nap. One hour down. Full eye mask, noise machine, the works. We hit at 7:20. 
We played downstairs in the big restaurant space. We made do with one monitor and gave a very solid performance to a very full room of appreciative Slovaks. Stand outs seemed to be Dance and Crumble.

After the set we got some dinner; I got a grilled chicken breast with "hot sauce" and French fries (because they are delicious). The sauce was like a red pepper sauce, it's was good. Could've been hotter. I miss some heat.

Peter straight out said "I'm gonna take a tubby with a glass of wine and go to bed." 'Tubby' was really used in a sentence by a grown man not talking to a child. Now, if you know Peter, this is a very odd comment becuase he revels in the post gig jam session. Both Jeff and I were in disbelief...

Five minutes later, he was busting out the guitar and squealing with joy as he got the room singing along to everything from Metallica, U2, Beatles, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Coldplay. One of the daughters who helps run the Penzion Familia where we are staying, sat right next to Peter and belted out the hits. She too loves a good sing along. Fast forward like 2 hrs, many songs and a couple rounds of Slivoviška later (just for digestion), we called it a night. Not sure if Peter ever got his tubby.

Another beautiful night in Vranov nad Toplou. Thank you for all the beautiful memories.