some breakfast, then head back to the train station. the 2 guitars to haul are one too many for this kind of wander. got on board at 10:16. antwerp, belgium. 4 hour trip. at your seat you quell and the attendant delivers the coffee and beers. plenty of room to combubbulate and scatter luggage.

i get off at the right station to change trains in bruxelles, but the wrong station in antwerp. once corrected am fetched by the people who invited me here. koen,  the promoter and my host, admiral freebee. we walk to the venue. the town is soaked in spring sunshine and is stunning in that sunning.

antwerp was the first train station to be built in europe, which makes one wonder where the train was able to go. it has the 2^nd largest port in europe and numbers 6^th in the world. on the local beer glass is a large white hand logo that’s a symbol of the town. it stands for the giant that would stop the boats from engaging in port activity without paying a toll. eventually his hand was cut off and thrown into the river.

that hand is on every glass of local beer now. in every hang out, giant’s hand.

i oblige in a sound check i didn’t think i’d be un-jet lagged enough to handle. the theater is beautiful and rich in red velvet seats. the piano is a proper piece of furniture. all gets set up and ready to go.

then thøger walks in the door from arizona. nive and jan show up too. my lag is all over the place. an hour nap is needed. down deep i go.

dinner at the venue is good. then the set begins and deliver a fine one. songs remember me. begin with an old one and then make up the second one. bring out thøger on bass then and continue. nive and jan sit in nervously and that energy feels good. ignites gamble. the evening’s bag of songs float by like any that have slipped out of a giant’s hand and taken and flowed by the river of zippity.

afterwards we head outside for some local giant’s hand beers and people seemed charmed from the show. the night air gets cold. maybe i didn’t bring enough of a jacket again. seemingly a short time later i submerge back into slumber. the room is not bad. the dreams are wayward and they take  me out there.

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antwerp's giant's hand