Traversed the planet when heaven sent me, I saw the kings who rule them all
Still by the firelight and purple moonlight, I hear the rested rivers call
And the wind is crying, from a love that won’t grow cold.  

Well folks I’ve lived a little this summer.

I’ve listened to AC/DC ‘Bedlam In Belgium’, in Belgium:

It doesn't get any better than this!
It doesn’t get any better than this!

I’ve grooved to Kraftwerk ‘Autobahn’ on an autobahn:

Autobahn

Paid homage to, the immortal, Plastic Bertrand in his own land:

It doesn't get better than this!
It doesn’t get better than this! (slight return)

Spotted AC/DC and Iron Maiden themed cars in Malterdingen and Colmar respectively, the Maiden one was particularly incredible although I wasn’t quick enough to get a very good picture:

ACDC car

Iron Maiden Car Colmar

Found the entrance to the Temple of Syrinx and the road to Hades in Venice:

2112
We are the Priests of the Temples of Syrinx / Our great computers fill the hallowed halls

Highway To Hell

Was generally a bit taken by Venice, there’s water there you know:

Grand Canal Venice

Grand Canal Venice 2

Discovered that Belgian hotels have beer in vending machines, thereby making them the most civilized race ever to walk the Earth:

Belgian vending machine beer

… and felt a bit like this going back to work this morning:

Bruges fountain

I read loads, saw all manner of places for the first time and had shed loads of fun.  Apart from the above I’ve barely listened to any music* in about 3 weeks either, I like having a proper break away from it all.  I suppose I best get on with reviewing some stuff then …

573 Down (still).

PS – Don’t you just hate people who bother you with their holiday photos? especially when half of them are just bad photos of the inside of a car.

*of mine, things are far too democratic in the car these days, now my kids are older.

43 thoughts on “The Rover

  1. Sounds like quite the wonderful getaway. And really? Beer in a vending machine? I think I need to move to Belgium. Love their waffles, too. Can you get waffles from a vending machine? Never mind. Let me keep thinking you can.

    Good to have you back. Set the controls for the heart of the sun. Or Belgium.

    1. Belgium was a great country – I can’t even begin to tell you how much you’d have enjoyed the beer there. I’ll fly you out there when I win the lottery.

      1. I’ll hold you to that….or at least bombard you with emails reminding you of it once I see you’ve purchased your own island and marshmallow castle.

  2. I love that autobahn on the autobahn – experiencing the music in the proper setting! The Tragically Hip have a song ‘springtime in vienna’ which of course I intend on listening to, in the appropriate season, in Austria some day.
    Good to see you back, hope the return to work goes well!

    1. Thank you – there’s the makings of a great TV series here, listening to music in the appropriate places/doing the appropriate things.

  3. Wahoo! Welcome Home (Sanitarium)! Super-cool pics. I would love to tour Europe like that, gotta admit a bit of jealousy on that one. Glad you had a good time!

    Next you’ll have to tour Canada so you can spin yer silver discs (given your other fun connections in tunes)!

  4. So I’m wondering about the next Journey. Perhaps the itinerary could be entirely song/album/band driven?
    Berlin…
    Vienna…
    Winchester Cathedral?
    Glad it was so much fun. Commis over work (slight return).

    1. Hiya, almost made it over to Koln for the Jarrett homage too. Didn’t see a single record shop the whole time I was away, looked for them too, couldn’t quite find the one in Ghent.

  5. What an awesome adress 2112 would be.
    I would have Geddy Lee as my doorbell and anyone that shows up at my house would be expected to bring me Something for
    Nothing
    Bedlam in Belgium and beer in vending machines. I can not think of a greater reward after a long day of driving.
    Was the beer any good though?
    I love the Iron Maiden car, but it is different than what I would expect. Too small and new for your typical metal head. Over here it would be an old V8 with t tops and loud exhaust.
    Awesome post. I’m glad you had fun.

    1. Beer was okay – Belgians don’t do bad beer, some of the bars and cafes there have 80-100 types on sale; all stunningly presented and stunningly strong.

      There’s something quite sweet about the Maiden car being a bit of a tiddler, there are other pics of it on the net if you search around. Fella driving it was of a certain age and wearing what looked like an original Powerslave tour T-shirt. You have to respect that!

  6. I was wondering where you’d been. Seems like it would have been fun. But did you listen to Dark Side of the Moon on the Dark Side of the Moon? That would be awesome.

      1. I want to go to “Europe” someday. I hope that I get to see the “real” sights and not the “fake” sights I heard about from my friend “Joey” who drives a 1967 Pontiac “Tempest”.

      2. I had Stark Industries install all the latest security features up at the Nunavut facility. I also have a Bat Signal on order. We’ll be fine.

      3. I would love to see a certain “wife” of a famous musician make a video with Raymond. I think I would need to buy some Depends before watching it though.
        😉

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