Karlsruhe - Germany

Greetings from Karlsruhe, with a population of around 300,000 it is the second-largest city in the state of Baden-Württemberg, located in southwest Germany, near the Franco-German border.

The time is now 1.20pm and I write to you from the comfort of our hotel, which is the strangest I have had the pleasure to stay at. Something if a cross between Hobbiton and a crazy golf course, we even had to dodge waterfalls on the way to the rooms, bit like It's a Knockout.

                                                Our Hotel

As this is a one off show we flew in early this morning. This bleak day did not start well, as to my dismay, my car had acquired a flat tyre overnight. But disaster averted as the AA sorted out in 15 minutes. Marvellous! So I made it to the airport in good time, indeed time for breakfast with the boys.

Leaving London with a scene of freezing cold and driving sleet, only for us to arrive in Germany to torrential rain. But mustn't grumble, I still have four hours 'til lobby call and considering my room has a huge sunken bath to take advantage of. So excuse me for a while, I shall return later after a luxurious soak.

The car is prompt as we are whisked from our hotel to the venue for soundcheck. We are welcomed by the crew and there is a real buzz about tonight's show, our first in Karlsruhe and we are informed that tonight's show is already Sold Out! Speak later.

Slowly I stirred from a satisfying sleep this morning I am greeted by the first snow of the year. It must have been heavy in the night, as it is sitting thick upon the ground, The snow was just starting as we left the venue after the show last night. Good show actually, our first time in Karlsruhe and surely but it won’t be the last.

Very welcoming crowd too, they were starting to cheer a full 30 minutes before stage time, so nice to know people were excited to hear the band perform.

Talking after the show, many people had driven an hour or two to be here, last week, in Berlin, 2 people had travelled 300 kms from a small town near Bavaria to see Letz Zep.

I didn’t have the heart to tell them we played just 30 kms from their home town just the week prior. Nice girls too.

As I was talking to the local promoter here in Karlsruhe, I noticed he was wearing an old bent coin from the 1880’s around his neck, when I asked about it, he told me it was worn by his Great-Grandfather in WWI.

A bomb had landed near him and the shrapnel, although tearing his clothes, it never hurt him as the deadly projectile that surely would have taken his life, hit the coin in his breast pocket, damaging the coin, but saving his life.

It has been a family heirloom ever since, worn by his Grandfather and his father before him. And now he wears it everyday.

You could hear the emotion in his voice as he told his amazing story. Quiet moving really.

Traveling the world and meeting new people, and hearing their stories is a thing to treasure. Long may it continue.

They are calling our flight now, back to Heathrow today, I wonder what the weather is like back home?