Perdifumians

Midnight mass

When in Rome, do as the Catholics do.

Merry Christmas

Season's greetings to everyone around the world! It's been an amazing year. I met amazing people and have enough memories to last me a lifetime. Thank you to you all!

I'm in the south of Italy near Salerno with Maria and her family for a real Italian Christmas. The sun is shining, the pasta is bright and the pope is on TV. They're mad for the nativity here. Every house has a scale model of the Jesus and Mary show. I was in Napoli a few days ago and there's a whole street that sells just nativity kits. It's a real industry.

It's nice to kick back and take a break from travel and music. After the last show in Germany I went via Amsterdam to Gent to watch the 6-day cycling for my father's 65th. Then lost my passport in Brussels (travel stamps and all) and had to go back to England to get a new one. Then Salerno for a week, Amsterdam for a week, and then back here. It's to england on Wednesday for another Christmas (my brother's back from Austin with his family to) and new year.

Next year I have zero planned, which is a great feeling. Just the chance to explore the interests I've collected on my travels. There's a new Buddhist temple in Rome with a retreat going on so I can sit still there for a week. Whatever makes you happy hey ;)

And I've found an Ayurvedic doctor in Rome where I can get a Panchakarma for another week. It's expensive but worth it. I have become obsessed with ayurveda and spend all my time reading textbooks about it. It's like discovering the musical scales of life when before I'd been tapping random keys.

Cologne

The after-party downstairs in the kitchen after a lovely show last night in Cologne. Elke hosted me and did a fantastic job. A great end to my German week.

Waltrop

David hosted me in the community house he lives in on a farm outside Dortmund. A lot of people made it out to the middle of nowhere. Thanks for coming!

Essen

Maya was my host in Essen for one of the best shows. They all spoke excellent English and it went down really well.

Duisburg

Friday was a real party in Duisburg. A student house with great people hosted me.

Geldern

Thursday was in Geldern in a small bar. Not many folks but those that came were lovely.

More house concerts this week

All in Germany. Send some friends down if you can. I'll send you the addresses if you ask.

17th (Thur) - Geldern (at the Dorfkrug)

18th (Fri) - Duisburg

19th (Sat) - Essen

20th (Sun) - Waltrop

21st (Mon) - Cologne

Collaborative track

I put guitar and vocals for a new track online here:
http://kompoz.com/p/28272
If any musos want to add some music on top that would be great.

Rome

Back with the extended family in rome. Turbulent times in Italy though. Let's hope the bastards gone for good this time.

Hannover

Another big crowd last night. 50+. I've been lucky to get such good organizers. Claudia and her two kids did a fantastic job putting it together. They're hosting house concerts every two months now. Addicted. Theyre so organised. Germany, you've got to love it. Although I think I did too much banter and too many lyrical songs last night because even if you speak good English it's still hard to catch everything as the words come flying by. It would be nice to have a bit of a band with me, drums and double bass would make it more about the music than the lyrics.

2nd night in Bonn

Bonn was a treat. So nice to play without having to change towns, and to not have to leave the same living room was even better. Shows are two sets of 45 minutes and I did all different songs the second night so katrin had something new to listen. I have so many songs now, I could have done a third and even forth night if I practiced my back catalogue to remember ones I've long forgotten. 300+ songs now. The only downside is I feel less of a need to write new ones, although I did come up with one about bob diamond, the barclays ceo, and played that with katrin on piano.

Bonn double bill

First of two shows in Bonn last night, the same living room. Katrin is an old friend and a formidable organizer. 30 people last night and more tonight. Hanging out in the daytime, visiting in the hospital and baking in the afternoon.

Jamming with the flatmates

Jackie, Philip and Johannes on the ukes.

Kaiserslautern

A fantastic show with 40+ people. An orchestra and a choir, unfortunately they didn't all play along. It's a big technical university town and lots of smart people there. Really a show to remember. Thanks so much for Johannes and flatmates for fixing it up. See you next year!

Zurich

Zurich was wonderful last night. A big thanks to everyone who came down and susanne and family for hosting at the last minute. I didn't play on the stairs. It was just for the after-party. All the shows this week are through couchsurfing and if they're all as good as this then it's going to be a great week. I'd forgotten how beautiful Switzerland is. With the leaves changing. Quite breathtaking!

And the food

Rome

Back to the sights and sounds of italia

99%

I played two songs live before the march. A great atmosphere! Power to the people

The people

The Bellbines

Occupy!

Temple Diez

Very atmospheric Amsterdam band www.templodiez.com

Pageturner

Wicked event last Thursday in the Pakhuis Wilhelmina. Ottoboy here in his duo phase

Dinner

Thanks Erik and Roos for dinner last night. They even let me hold their baby. 

Ad hoc

I played with Ad Hoc, an excellent swiss duo from winterthur.

Back in Amsterdam on Wednesday

I'm on the radio www.amsterdamfm.nl live at the main library on Wednesday afternoon from 3pm to 5pm and then a house concert at Celebesstraat in the east of Amsterdam at 8pm. If you'd like to come along please email Marike Knaapen at info@stadsgiraffe.nl

Imparando

Up and away

Balloons

Paestum

Man with laptop

Either a smart worker or a Facebook obsessive.

Another day another cake

Maria's mum and dad

Clara and Nicola

Perdifumo

I'm in the south of Italy with maria's family. It's really beautiful down here. The food, the wine. Lots of eating. It's like Hari raya but I prefer this food. I'm even learning Italian, slowly.

Heading south

Roman dining

Francesco

Maria's cousin's a character! Baked us a welcome home cheesecake. Buonissima!

Back in the UK

For my mum's birthday. Ah!

Breakfast Malaysian-style

Back to Hari Raya

We met up with Mokhtar and co in Kuala Lumpa and they're still eating at Hari Raya parties!

Kuala Lumpur

Goodbye Rusty

We sold our beloved tandem in Phuket. A sad moment. I've been reading a lot about Buddhism in Thailand so that makes it easier. Knowing that none of this actually exists and it's just suffering makes it easier.

Bus to Hat Yai now and tomorrow KL.

Last ride

More jamming

Offerings

Sightseeing

Locals

Locals

Taj at work

Beautiful home he designed himself

Onstage in the Rocking Angel

Backing band at an impromptu show

Not too shabby