Back on the train, this time from Tübingen to Marburg (from one university town to another) with two changes at Stuttgart and Frankfurt. Tonight I’m playing my very first private party gig – let’s see how that goes!
That strange sensation of arriving at a train station of an unfamiliar place and just walking aimlessly until you hit civilization, a coffee or some internet access maybe. As I made my way over the river and up the hill I took in the slightly surreal scenery and was reminded of my uphill struggles in Glasgow – the same mixture of exhaustion and happiness, of feeling both lost and right on track. I pass steep steps too cumbersome to climb with my luggage, so I take the underground route (in a Tolkien kind of fashion).
I never know what to expect. Actually, it would be more accurate that I have very few expectations, as this is my first Germany tour. At first as I waited around at the Café Haag where I was too perform that evening, I was wondering whether there would be an audience at all (you just never know!). With coffee and Kirshsaft I watched the gentry come and go, mainly just stopping by the bar in between movies (the venue was part of a really cool independent movie theatre). Fast forward nearly five hours and three coffees, all seats were taken and people were crowding around the walls, bar and stage. Maybe it was the lack of sleep, or perhaps just routine finally kicking in, but for the first time ever I wasn’t nervous before the show. It was just fun. I really had such a great time playing for you and chatting with you all after the show too! I would definitely like to return to Tübingen, please do stay in touch and I hope to see you again soon.
This morning I had a wee while to walk through the old city centre, which is really beautiful. Apparently there was a deal during the war in which the UK agreed not to bomb Tübingen and Heidelberg, for which in return Oxford and Cambridge were promised to be left unscathed… What a bizarre world we live in.
Anyway, back to trains – I’m nearly at Frankfurt now, so will gather all my things and catch the next train.