We have a 3 hour drive to Bologna. When we arrive its a very unassuming place. In fact we drove in circles for a good 15 minutes trying to find the venue. It resembles a warehouse from the outside. I feel pretty burnt out this night. I’m not sure what it is. I know we just had a day off, but there certainly wasn’t much rest on that day. I could really use a day to do a little bit of nothing. I think the other guys might be feeling the same. I go onstage feeling tired, maybe even a bit sluggish. I don’t have the same jumpy nerves I usually do on stage. Perhaps I’m just becoming more comfortable. All I know is that it worked…whatever it is. I ended up having my best show of the entire tour. I played and sang better tonight than any other night. Perhaps it was because the excitement didn’t overwhelm my focus. The Bologna fans were amazing. They gave me all the energy I would ever need to get through a set. Its only the second show in Italy but I’m wondering if this will be the trend at Italian shows. We don’t stay in Bologna that night. We leave the show early to reach the next destination that night.
We make the 4 or 5 hour trip to Rome. We start the first of the “Back To The Future” trilogy to keep us entertained. I had never realized how over-acted and more “kid-targeted” that movie was until seeing it back to back with the first, and best of that trilogy. We arrive in Rome at 3:30 AM. We have plans to get in a bit of tourist activity the next morning before heading to the venue. There is so much I want to do. Rome has always been the place I desired most to visit. But I was determined NOT to do the 2 hour drive-by tour. We picked 3 things to do in 4 hours time. Which is still too short. But how do you come all the way to Rome and not spend SOME time looking around. We get dropped off at the Coliseum. From there we visit, or more like pass by, the Forum and head to the Fountain. The amount of history here is amazing. Everywhere you look and everywhere you walk, there is such a rich history. The only disappointing thing for this tourist is how many precious things were destroyed by the citizens. Perhaps it was by necessity, I’m not sure. But many of the reasons that there are mere ruins left is because the materials were used to build houses and various other things. I suppose the thought of preserving the history while living in it didn’t really cross the mind. But its beautiful all the same.
After a small meal and some gelato, it was time to get to the venue. And for the 3rd time in a row, the Italian fans were lovely. Much like Bologna, these fans didn’t need any direction or prompting when to clap or sing along. They were all over it. I think at the end of the show, we signed more things and took more pictures than we had on the entire tour. I can’t imagine how it would have been had more people understood my English announcing our presence at the merch booth. Thanks to the Romans!
If the final and last show in Treviso ends up as good as all the other shows it Italy, then I think it is safe to say that we’ll be welcomed back. And that makes me happy. Because Italy is definitely a place I would love to spend more time in. I think the land and the people are capturing a piece of my heart.
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