Solo Leg of the EU Tour

We enjoyed our time in Ticino very much! Below are pics of Roger, Brittan and I. Vineyards and lambs and a pic from the concert at Teatro di Banco. I have a whole bunch more to tell you...read on!

Photo courtesy of Roger Salem

Born yesterday! Still had the umbilical cord and really, really cute!

I have had a some very good wine here! Vineyards are everywhere. small and large

 It certainly was good practice driving a standard in the crazy stop and go traffic in the big city of Zurich. I don’t think the other drivers appreciated it. I accidentally drove on the train tracks and then jumped off when I realized I wasn’t on the street. Then I drove up a one way. The street signs look WAY different here!!! We found our hotel finally, which was really comfortable. There was a “farmy” stinkiness in the lobby unlike the cow pasture smell, which is prevalent here, and I don’t really mind. We deducted it was the smell of fondue from the restaurant, and the cheeses were making it that way. Cheese is no joke in Switzerland. The tap water is so tasty and clean where ever you go!

It was Brittan’s last day here, so we hit the ground running for some last minute shopping. It was fun to have a little down time/girl time. We managed to find some great bargains in some shops, and Britt got a cool pair of boots. I performed just steps away from our hotel in a tapas bar “Corazon”.

It was a busy bar, but people still made their way over to say “thank you” and buy a few cd’s. The managers were very nice as all have been this entire trip! I really like Zurich. It was my second time there. Very beautiful.

I dropped Brittan off at the airport, switched cars to an automatic and made my way to Chur, a nice little town. I drove on the sidewalk to get to the hotel. That felt wrong but the hotel said I could do it to unload. I felt like I had a huge sign stuck to my head that said “clueless tourist”. Luckily the venue was also within walking distance. “Kulterwerk” was a nice show. I was thankful for a warm welcome on my first evening alone on the tour.

view from my hotel skylight in Chur

From Chur I drove about 4 hours to Interlaken, a high elevation and the snow was falling down and the freezing winds were blowing. What a change from the early Spring I was feeling! I wish I could have enjoyed the scenery here more, but it was overcast. From what I can see of the lakes from the highway, they are a beautiful aqua blue. “Kunsthaus” is the place I performed at and it had a cool arts vibe. They were readying the upstairs space for a big modern installation. I had a small audience thank goodness, and I even got an interview and pics taken for a local paper. Sandro the manager took me to a nice dinner beforehand as well.

Kunsthaus and what looks like a giant bunny in progress

Interlaken. It was very cold. I bet it's spectacular in the summer!

I must admit I’m a bit lonely at the moment, typing and eating soup in the hotel restaurant. I’m growing in a lot of ways as a person and performer. Some of the harder stuff is making me see more clearly how much I care about my art, and how much heart I put into what I do. I feel blessed. I also feel a little crazy. Touring this far away feels just as much exhilarating as it is exhausting. I am going to Blonay next, a French speaking region.....

As soon as I got through some tunnels that burrow through the mountains, it was sunny and snowing. I was greeted by my hosts Patrick and Vivienne who brought me right into their home and plopped me into their hot tub. I knew I brought my bathing suit for a reason!! Unfortunately, my camera went "plop" into the hot tub as well. I hope she dries out. I managed to get pics off of the card but the screen is still blank. I guess i'll be taking pics with my phone until Paul meets me in two days. Boy will I be glad to see him! I am so tired i can't even tell you, but it has been worth it and I'm grateful for the experience!

Ahhh, Happy Kat


I was so glad the show here in Blonay went over well. People here are especially nice, ad it was good to see children at the show with their parents. I can't wait to go to sleep, and then wake up to the gorgeous views!

good night, bon soir

Katrin

More on the tour!!!

   I am so glad I have some reliable internet service and can post on my blog! A lot has happened with shows and more since my last post. After two days in France, the next stop was Zug, CH at Podium 41, right on the lake with the mountains in the distance. It was a quiet Tuesday night but people were very receptive to my music and I sold some cd's and made a good impression. Ute the owner said she'd have me back in the busier Summer time. Brittan and I enjoyed a little walk in Zug the next day and took some nice pics below..... then more about the tour, read on!

Baby Chinese Reindeer

I wish I could dive off of this dock in warmer weather!

There was an amazing exotic bird aviary with all kinds of colorful bird. Here is a handsome snowy owl.

Then off to Frick on the back roads. There is so much driving and go go go on this tour we have not had much time to stop and do anything except for a few pics, it's been a rush to get up and hit the road. Frick's Monti is a theater and restaurant in a small, farm-like town. It was a thrill to play for such an attentive audience, and a little unnerving! Brittan took some pics of me on stage. There were about 50 people there, and it was a really warm welcome and I got an encore. I tend to get big stage fright right before i start playing and then something kicks in and i'm able to pull it togther when I start singing. The thing is, I forget that almost every time!


The next day, we drove 5 hours to Tesserete, which is an Italian region in Switzerland. It's soooo beautiful there. Very Italian. I almost forgot we were still in Switzerland. I perfomed at Irish Pub Alpino the first night, and Teatro di Banco, a lovely little theater right down the winding mountain road where we were staying with Roger, my booking agent the next. It was a magickal night and all caught on camera and recording by Roger and his friend Jean! I look forward to sharing it when it comes out. An inspiring place to be in the mountains!

A walk in an old old village

catching a glimpse of a courtyard

Why can't MY rosemary get this big???

Gorgoeus sunset right out the window of the Teatro di Banco

View from Roger's kitchen window

I am now in Pratteln, and it's an industrial area. Not pretty. I am very tired! I have to get up some energy for my show tonight. Off to Zurich tomorrow and then Brittan flies home and then I'm on my own...Till soon.   xoxoxo Katrin

First two gigs in Switzerland and France

The past few days have been an adventuresome whirlwind right from the moment Brittan and I touched down and got into the rental car. Making our way to Luzern, Switzerland, I guessed at an exit from the highway as our directions were in German and we had not yet acquired a navigation system. Emerging from a tunnel, the buildings and landmarks became familiar to me from my trip here in the Summer of 2009. We followed the lake shore and immediately spotted Hotel Schweizerhof, a very old and opulent hotel overlooking Lake Luzern. We took an illegal left turn into the hotel parking lot (judging by the looks of the drivers and an old man shaking his finger and yelling obscenities at us) then dragged our over-packed suitcases up the stairs and into the lobby. I immediately felt a bit ragged and under dressed as everyone and everything was so polished and well put together. We were given a junior suite with a view of the lake. It was plenty big and very nice! 

I had the entire day and the next to rest up and prepare for my opening night show in the Hotel Schweizerhof Lounge. Excited to see the city, we freshened up and headed out to take a walk.

Luzern is a very pretty city, even in the very cold weather and overcast sky, it's authentic and old world beauty is everywhere. It is VERY expensive here. Two cappuccino's and a water ran us 26CHF. The soft chairs and view of the river were nice though :)

We wandered about the next day, visiting the open market and window shopping. Roger Salem, who is responsible for booking this tour, met up with us at the hotel before my show. It was great to finally meet him in person. He is so nice and packed with enthusiasm. He even brought all of his recording gear!

The gig at the lounge felt as if I were getting my sea legs back. I felt internally stiff and unsettled. The atmosphere lent itself to the stiffness. As lovely and as fancy as it was, it felt like more of a place you would go to hear lounge jazz or piano. I certainly caught people's attention, and maybe a bit off guard, as I tend to put it all out there. The room was very large and marble covered, so the acoustics were quite reverberant. It went over well according to Britt and Roger. There were no real screw up's but I was hoping I would feel more confident inside. All in all, it was a good place to start and certainly a soft landing!

I have been learning to drive a stick shift with the patient help of Brittan, who has driven one her whole life. We drove about 6 hours to Lournand, France, for my second show at Le Pont de Cotte. It was a contrast as it's nestled in the countryside, and much more laid back. The space was beautiful inside and out. My performance felt so much better, and the audience appreciated the music. We stayed and ate and laughed, and tried to learn some French from our very gratious host Henri and his lovely friends.

The next show is back in Switzerland tomorrow in Zug.

I'm starting to get into the swing of things and i look forward to sharing more with you soon!

Old pedestrian Bridge in Luzern

Brittan at the market

Ancient city wall/tower  Luzern

yum yum bunny cakes!

b+w , Luzern

Schweizerhof Lounge, opening night

Settling into a groove at "Le Pont de Cotte" FR

Henri on the left and J.P. on the right. These guys helped to put the whole thing together and I'm thankful!

Lournand, France (i wish i had this driveway!)

xoxoxo  Katrin

Getting ready for the European tour!

This is the first entry in my new blog. I decided to start my own blog because I am inspired by my upcoming tour to Switzerland, France and Italy! I'm looking forward to sharing my music with people on different parts of the globe, and getting new inspiration from the people I meet and the new experiences I will get to have. I feel so lucky! Please join me on my journey!

I'll be playing solo acoustic mostly, with a couple of gigs with a band in Italy.
I have been trying to decide what to bring for clothes for nearly three weeks!


I even learned how to drive a stick. Wow, it's about time!
My good friend Brittan will be my travel companion for the first ten days out of the month long tour, and for the last week or so, my fiancee Paul will be joining me for the Italian leg of the tour.

I'll be in a different town nearly every day, so there will be lots of photos and stories to go with them!

I look forward to staying in touch with you, and your comments are most welcome as I'm sure I'll need some company especially when I'm flying solo.

Till soon,

xoxoxox   Katrin

p.s. the entire schedule can be found on my website KatrinMusic.com