26.05.2006

please visit the official John Watts website to read the latest news about it.

25.05.06 Alpino cis

Despite seat reservations this train was going to Italy and so there was the expected chaos as people attempted to take ‘their’ seats. Picture postcard lakes and mountains abouned on this alpine trip to Milan. Korean business men argue watch tax with a bewildered train official. Old folks huff and puff.

Mr.Tired and Uncomfortable from Brighton headed for coffee and chocolate cake from the friendly waiter in the blue restaurant. Nausia in unrelenting tunnels. On return to seat and form I find the genial Icelandic, botanist, researcher opposite summarizes his travels by writing limericks in English! He recited his story into my phone and his limerick into my computer.

Quick hotel check in followed by interview with Corrado; the philosopher of the alternative economy. 15th century till now, alternative culture since punk. Agent, label, shop owner of music, book and bastard trousers and many other things. An encounter with one of the hardest working men in Milan. An interview and then drink outside the Cafe Berlin.

From there, late to a refined dinner with Nicolas, the stylish publisher on a scooter!

12.05.06 In Springtime

Friday came. Lots of meetings in the afternoon and preparation in the morning. Paris humidity gave way to Paris summer sunshine. No longer the pack horses of the previous day, we stepped out spritely before being delayed by demagnetised metro tickets! If computers and mobiles do this to my tickets, God knows what they are doing to our brains and other tender parts.

The Champs Elysse exuded magnificent calm, so that the 400 metre walk from station to Virgin records took on the wonder of a walk in the park. Jean Michel was also early and recognised we must be his 1:30 lunch companions. Good company, food, wine and laughter certainly make business more attractive. Reassured about my ability to sing in French, we took the no.9 once more ‘way out west’ to Saint Cloud. Pains in the chest are still prevailent.

Another positive meeting this time in the red end white striped building, then thoughts of dinner and Steve to come. Old friends are easily cherished, unlike most other relationships. I find that the trains are heavily booked forcing me to change Swiss schedule and consume an enormous Dame Blanche.

Back in the pre-dinner hotel, flights for Lisbon are booked, glasses and nearly tempers are lost before Steve wisks us off to the ‘Marseilles’ for dinner. British politics and French economics are discussed along with ‘the things we have done for the last time.’ Filming on a boat is set up for Saturday.

11.05.06. Paris Match

The morning started as the evening had finished, with wireless network stress. How strange in a major capital city where most of the locals move around with a very stylish lack of urgency. We transferred to a sister hotel where the internet availability enabled a considerably more relaxed attitude and dispensed with the need to trawl around from one café to another with an electronic signal detector.

Sunshine and heat were the order of the day. Many contacts were made by the now improving state of communications knowledge. (Although the phone ringer remained off until 9 at night.) 2 computers, a pc phone, high definition digital video dv camera and digital handicam – Can this still be art? Meetings for the next 4 days begin to take shape, but hey, where’s the real life?

Omelettes in the local café from the oriental Bardot made up ‘does she or doesn’t she’ waitress. It seems we are on our way.

Out with the cameras for the first time it became obvious that cold approaches could be hazardous. We could be mistaken for anyone from secret police to members of a religious sect sporting our ‘Real life is good enough’ badges. In the 21st century, Western culture has developed a highly attuned weirdo radar. After a fairly long and fruitless treck where a few potential storytellers were ‘cased’, dinner was taken in claustrophobia outside a salad restaurant. Panic, fatigue, phantom heart failure and despair had brought the trawl to it’s end. We had met our Paris Match.

Office day and gay Marais
Failed to melt the blues away
Nothing ventured, nothing lost
Real life’s a hippopotamus.

10.05.06 Rue Turbigo Paris

From Wails to Wirelessness.

3.30 in the morning and the grey fog of exhaustion finally weighed me down into submission. It had seemed inconceivable that all the junk on the table would actually go into the bags available. My body hurt all over and yearned to be horizontal. My companion dozed as her reading light slowly sunk it’s jaws of halogen heat into her soft foam pillows. Fortunately I smelt it before any major damage was done. Then… Peace. Sweetness and dark apart from the intermittent wailing coming from downstairs.

Waking to mediocre morning ‘sans’ downstairs distress, but with ‘her upstairs’ shower acting as a watery wake up call. My head still somewhere in Kemptown the day before. Rush, rush, bloody rush to get everything going in time. Missed continental phonecalls and messages catching up because I’ve changed phone provider.

In the shower. Out the shower and pretend things are not frantic. Mate comes by to get his cd’s back and wishes us good luck. It’s all too late now to worry about anyway.

No taxis!
Wonderful. In the end we get a Paris ex-resident with an interesting life and a background in perfume development. He gives us a guided tour in his cab.

The 10:34 train to Luton Airport is in the end a piece of piss to catch!

Arguments, slumping, cold limbs and new ‘techy’ kit exploration are the order of the journey. Heavy cases, steep stairs, pain and escalators dominate the proceedings from Brighton to Luton to Charles de Gaulle and beyond until the Republique Metro station, where a bed awaits – but a wireless internet connection doesn’t.

Never mind it’s dinner time. Off to the Café Leonard for a ‘Kir Royale’ and a swift but fast connection. Spot a worthy candidate. Young woman clad in fine clothes and stylish blue ‘wellies’, carrying a bunch of wrapped flowers. Smiling mainly to herself.

Mails go better and better with Cote Du Rhone. Unfortunately the last card runs out after 20 minutes. All smiles but off on the quest for a wireless signal…