jamon, jamon

Tuesday nov 22 lisbon centro cultural de belen
So after numerous police checkpoints and about 2000klicks, we make it to rainy, gray, Portugal. Nearly lost we make it to the gig, do our late load, retire to a dressing room in the bowels of the building and spend the day basically going, ‘huh?’ I am paid nearly immediately, benefica are playing in town thus not a big crowd is expected I am told. So I use the time to catch up on some accounting and data processing and shaving which is quite a novelty. It is only the rev tonight and the guys spend their day checking as it is cold and miserable outside and there is no internet so what else is there to do? We manage to rustle up some bacalao in the canteen of the arts center and bobs yr uncle. The guys play 2 hours to a very satisfied audience, hang about backstage with management, pack the bus and drive right back to spain.
Wednesday nov 23 bilbao/off
We miraculously make it back to bilbao and I miss my radio 4 interview(the station, not the band) and it is straight into the low speed internet(at 15yoyo/s a rip off). Do all the emails, catch up on some correspondence and basically destroy the minibar for lunch as I am locked into to the ‘net. I get out for a walk late at night, and the guys have an early one after some decent grub in old bilbao. I opt for the room service option and some European futbol, before retiring to zorba the greek and then bed. Not exactly the thanksgiving eve one is used to.