Hey Yall So glad to hear some of you are reading this and 'joining me' on this trip... I am now about half way thru the DAFT Tour and am having one of the most wonderful musical and personal times of my life! EACH of the artists is so unbelievably talented so playing together is just such a joy! FYÍ-Info about the artists is at the DAFT website. http://www.DAFT-tour.com Though we are playing our own individual songs, we are accompanying each other, and as in the last tour we did in the US, the coming together of our sounds is like that of a band which has played together for years. There are the folks from Germany- Martina who plays brilliant compositions and songs on German bagpipe, mandolin and guitar, Jorg who's voice and songs in German send chills down our backs, Ron originally from the states, but from Germany for years, tells hysterical intros in German and then sings wonderful songs in English... Bob, also born in the US, but a long time Germn resident, who now teaches linguistics at the university in Cairo Egypt hasn't yet joined us. He'll arrive tonite. He was also in the last tour and we know things will escalate once he hops in the pool! George Wurtzbach from Brooklyn, NY is one of the Americans in the group. Besides writing GREAT songs,he is just one of the most amazing piano players I've ever heard, proficient in every style imaginable, so we have him snazzing up all of our songs, along with Ron & sometimes Martina on mandolin and Jorg playing bass. I'm playing percussion as well, so we have our own rocking band! Last of all and certainly not least, our mighty leader and tour organizer (also an incredible musician) Wilfried Mengs keeps us in line and joins us on the last encore- a group version of 'Where Have All the Flowers Gone' in English and German. We're also fortunate as hell to have Frank the best sound wizard to double as driver... and Larry as roadie and all around helper. It just couldn't get any better! In each of the cities and towns we visit we're taken on a tour, so we're seeing Germany as one only gets to see through an insiders eyes... so much old history! The actual places we've performed at have been so varied and wonderful. The tour has been so far in Western Germany in towns small and large- so we've played at schools, where we then taught classes in music and English, arts centers, town halls, and tonight a club in Berlin. We've been treated to a castle tour, a traditional German Christmas meal in a glass enclosed garden in an ancient arts center surrounded by candles... we've raised several glasses of German brew surrounded by stone in old cellars, we drank some green stuff that was a combo of mint schnapps, listerine & ti-d-bowl ;) As you can see... we're all having the time of our lives. We're busy driving between cities most days- doing mini tours, and most of all laughing and laughing... Both George and I have German ancestors, so we're also looking here through those eyes as well... George speaks some German and is doing great with the language. I came here knowing about 5 words, but am now introducing some of my songs and singing choruses in German. We all communicate in both languages and are learning somuch about each others culture which is why we do this!!! We are also learning much about what it must've been like living in Eastern Germany longing for freedom... Last night we arrived at the flat of Ron who's been living in W. Germany for years. We climbed up the stairs to his 5th floor apartment, went out onto the balcony and looked east. From his balcony, as if we were looking across a small city street, there is a beautiful tree and flower lined area. It is where the wall used to be. On the other side of the trees are more apartments. I then realized what it had to be like for those on the other side looking over to Ron's side of the wall from high in the sky- seeing freedom, but not being able to get there. The stretch I now see was a wall and a wide path of dirt where tanks and gunners watched and waited. I always pictured how it must've been to look at a high wall... but to be able to see OVER the wall from a high balcony to freedom just brought me to tears... and it still is now... So tonight and tomorrow we rock Berlin... then we continue on to other towns and cities... Our other mighty leader Bernd Haber joins us in a few days... We can't wait to see him! What bliss... We are all so very grateful! Danke!!! Annie