Avanti! Ferarra to Mannheim with Teenage Fanclub

Avanti.

First off...

"Eminent Monsters" (Hopscotch Films) is a powerful, shaming doc about state-sponsored torture. Directed by Stephen Bennett, I was glad to provide music. It will be shown at a UN event in support of Victims Of Torture this month. Stephen has also been invited to screen its international premiere at Michael Moore's Traverse City Film Festival.

On a similar note (just kidding) - ABBA might be making a new album. Exciting. I was watching this a couple of days ago in the Teenage Fanclub tour van:

Love it. Just imagine there was a new album AND a tour - and a show in Glasgow (if they weren't "sick and tired of everything" by then... *chortle*)

So, talking of the Teenage Fanclub tour van... on Monday 10th June we flew to Venice, glimpsing the city from the plane window. 

Hi Venice, bye Venice.

From the airport we were offski in the direction of Ferrara.

Band and crew had pizza in a piazza, red wine and limoncello.

The oldest wine bar in the world was closed but we had a drink next-door.

Next day I accidentally visited the Museum of Resistance (It's a short story (I was trying for the nearby National Gallery)). There wasn't much info in English but I liked some of the propaganda posters.

 

To the National Picture Gallery.

Lots of religious art including more than one depiction of the unfortunate St Agatha of Sicily (that's her with her breasts on a plate above) and a rendering of Christ's circumcision which I kind of wished I hadn't seen. 

Our Lady had one Assumption but if my sources are correct, Mary Magdalene had 7 a day for the last 30 years of her life. Mary must have been like that, "Aye very good". 

I bumped into a fellow Scot with local knowledge. He advised me to try a Ferrarian (just made that word up) delicacy, pumpkin-filled pasta. And I'm glad he did. And I'm glad I did.

Some pumpkin pasta last week.

A very quick stroll in the Botanic Gardens...

...soundcheck then lunch.

Last known sighting of an Amaretto Pudding, Ferrara,  Italy - 11th June 2019.

The gig was divertimento...

I liked this beer. 

Reminded me of another one I like - vedett. (No one cares, Francis. Maybe delete? -Editor)

We drove north through Austria to Dresden. I dipped into this William Trevor book and started compiling a spotify playlist to soundtrack my van journeys.

In Dresden I took a tram into town and meandered round the beautiful Zwinger...

I visited the Old Masters Picture Gallery.

I'm getting a Bill-Murray-Peter-Cushing-lovechild vibe.

Author's foot for scale.

Ruffian.

The Procuress

Another ruffian.

I liked the story of this. Rembrandt being wry.

Thistle do nicely. Och shut it.

Before Terry Gilliam's 'Time Bandits' there was Lucas Cranach The Younger's 'The Sleeping Hercules With The Pygmies' (1551):

I liked this beer (Boring.... -Editor):

Bavaria

Building in Mannheim. It'll look nice when its finished.

Mannheim eatery - nice beer garden.

Dresden, Duisburg and Munich all rocked. The Maifeld Derby Festival in Mannheim rocked too, but during 'The Cabbage' I decided to ignore the guitar solo and go straight to the outro, whacking the toms instead of playing a rock beat on the snare and hats (wee bit of music parlance there). Very disappointed that no one among Dave, Euros, Norman or Raymond read my mind. But I managed to quickly adapt and cover for them. At least one of us is professional.

"Hands up if you've heard of Leo Sayer"

I watched a couple of episodes of Ghosts (I'm in). I ate my weight in schnitzels. I gazed out of the tour van window. I had fun. I like being European. 

#StopBrexit

Tinkety-tonk.