MUMBO JUMBO – June 2013
June 2013
Once again I’m writing from 35,000 feet, but this time somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean approaching my ancestral home of Newfoundland on the way back to Boston.
I’m lucky to have a few days recovery time at the old beach cottage in New Hampshire before hitting the west coast next week in the second leg of the summer tour with stops in Arizona, Southern California, Idaho, Montana, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois (see details below).
I’m on my way back from a couple of weeks traveling through Prague, Budapest, Venice and northern Italy, Austria, Munich and the Bavarian countryside and you may be wondering why any recovery time is necessary from a vacation? A valid question!
I’ve always been of the opinion that there are two very different types of vacations. The classic “Chill” where you plant yourself on your favorite body of water somewhere for pure relaxation, or the more arduous “Sponge” vacation where you travel to new and foreign places to absorb as much as possible in the precious time you have. After all, if you’re like me it’s just not financially feasible to jet overseas every few months!
The latter requires a lot more energy and preparation with all the pre-planning and research, not to mention the miles and miles of walking and the hectic and often maddening array of trains, planes and automobile travel (not to mention cabs, water taxis and gondolas) in unfamiliar and foreign places where communication is sometimes problematic. It’s exhilarating and fantastic but a different kind of vacation and frankly a lot of wonderful work!
When I recover from my sore back ask me about the insane hike down the Bavarian mountainside after the worst two weeks of rain and flooding Central Europe has seen in a hundred years. While lying in the cold mud after falling on my ass on slippery hill side rocks I would have been perfectly happy lying at the beach.
But after the long flight back, getting through customs for the final time and battling the last remnants of jet lag, trips like this really tend to stick to your ribs, even if they are a bit bruised. The incredible history and architecture, the different cultures and wonderful people who help when you are lost or those who escort you to their favorite bar in a foreign town are great and lasting memories.
But what I really love about the “Sponge” vacation is that it pushes me out of my comfort zone and motivates me to read history and learn something new, which is a wonderful thing at any age but particularly so as we get older.
I grew up (some may argue that point) in the small and sleepy old mill town of Penacook, New Hampshire, and hold no degrees in history so I really enjoy soaking in the many centuries of life in ancient places like Prague, Budapest or Venice. And I have to admit, as a teenager terrified of even driving into the city of Boston, I do enjoy some satisfaction in being thousands of miles from home and figuring out such foreign and Byzantine puzzles as the Italian water bus system in Venice! It took me three days but gratifying nonetheless and God willing, I shall return soon and now traverse the canals of this magical city with the ease of a Venetian Gondolier!
On the last day of the trip I found myself in Wolfgang Mozart’s childhood home in Salzburg, Austria, the very place where he was born, lived and composed until he was age seventeen.
It was peaceful and serene this day in the little museum, and after about 90 minutes of immersing myself in this genius’s early life, I slowly walked through the small gift shop on the way to the exit, my head respectfully bowed and hands clasped behind my back. When there, out of the corner of my eye, amidst the various books and discs of his historic work, a hideous and horrid site jarringly returned me to the reality of 2013: A glass jar full of golf balls with Mozart’s name stamped on them! I was so shaken and disturbed I quickly scurried away into the cold rain to search for a good piece of strudel.
And the vacation was over.
JUNE-JULY SCHEDULE
June 13 – Fini’s Landing; Tucson, AZ
June 14 – House Concert; Bonita, CA
June 15 – Afternoon House Concert; San Clemente, CA
June 15 – Evening House Concert; Claremont, CA
June 19 – Brewforia; Eagle, ID
June 21 – Food For All; Livingston, MT
June 26 – House Concert; St. Paul, MN
June 28 – The Brink Lounge; Madison, WI
June 29 – Trader Todd’s; Chicago, IL
June 30 – Skyview Lodge; Presque Isle, WI
July 12 – Whistler’s; Toronto, Ontario, Canada
July 13 – Private Event; Burford, Ontario, Canada
July 14 – Jim Bob Ray’s; London, Ontario, Canada
July 17 – Club Gerz; Des Moines, IA
July 18 – Gus’ Food & Spirits; Coralville, IA
July 19 – Giovanni’s; Rockford, IL
July 20 – Private Event; LaGrange, IL
July 25 – Gin Mill; Ellicottville, NY
July 26 – Gin Mill; Ellicottville, NY
July 27 – Conchy Joe’s; Lansdale, PA
July 28 – The Stephen Talkhouse; Amagansett, NY
July 30 – Tuckahoe Inn; Beesley, NJ
Please check the “gigs” page, as new gigs are being added!
iTUNES UPDATE
Look for the iTunes release of “Sol Searching” the first week of July!
See you out on the road and thanks for listening!
Scott Kirby
Copyright Scott Kirby 2013. All rights reserved. www.scottkirby.com
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