I am at the end of a very long day where everything went according to plan … almost.
I left that great hostel in Charleroi (in hindsight, the town was lame as f, but the hostel vibe was great), at about 11:30 to walk to the train station. Greatest train day yet — Got to the right places, was able to help someone else, transfers were smooth, and figured out where on the train to sit to charge my phone — win win. And the scenery continues to be jaw-dropping. I just can’t get enough of it … I have to be judicious with pics, but it is absolutely extraordinary – the textures, the colors.
From the train station in Antwerp, I called for an Uber. I waited for about 10 minutes and he hadn’t moved – was still 6-7 minutes away. Whatever. Called. Cancelled. Called 2nd uber, was picked up in a few minutes and dropped off at property. And then realized that I was supposed to go pick up the key first. At a different location. Near the train station …. lolol. SO … 20 minute or so walk BACK to get the key and then 20 minute walk back to the property. It sucked a little, because I’m packing all my shit. But honestly, I am SO SMITTEN with Antwerp that it didn’t matter. All I kept thinking was, if I get back to the place and it’s good, I AM TOTALLY STAYING HERE FOR A FEW DAYS. It has such a great energy …
And then I walked in and was like … WHAT WHAT WHAT!!? Messaged and got online and booked this space for a few more days.
This feels like what I wanted this trip to be like. I got sorted out for a bit and wandered down to the little market at got some fruit and meat & cheese n shit and honestly I just keep getting all choked up.
Before Charleroi, I have been going going going going going going. I LOVED my Croatia time with the car, but I am worn out. In a good way for the most part, but not really planning has come with the setbacks of having to get here or there in big chunks of time. So landing here today and feeling the vibe and finding this place to spread out and maybe take a bath was just like BALMMMMMMM to my soul.
And then Matt Maeson — oh my gosshhhh. So beautiful and intimate and astounding sounds. The opener was fabulous too and I was transported.
Cool Matt Maeson story (he told a lot during this show: He had just been on his first “semi tour” experience – he and his tour manager were like 23 and they were getting super drunk daily and going crazy so that he felt like he was more the tour manager than his manager … the tour ended in Seattle, but then he was sitting in his hotel room and wondered what he was doing and whether he should be living life. So he took a shot of the minibar whisky. Then that evolved into a hotel lobby bar and weed and the bar next door and shots and beer and meeting people that ended up at a house party a ways away. Then he said he was out looking for weed and knocked on a door and there was meth, which he did for the first time and then the night continued and he knew he needed to get back to reality … and walked back to the Seattle hotel … 8 miles away … and knew he needed to get his shit together and wrote that song ;).
And then Abdul, my Uber driver, told me what to do for the next couple of days and gave me his number ;). He actually confirmed a couple of the things I thought I wanted to do – so cool …
What a day… what a freaking day.
I think I’m going to go check out the bathtub.
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