Paris A: Saint Chapelle

Yesterday was my day off and I went to look for Paris, perhaps now my favorite city in the world next to Barcelona.

Perhaps the most exquisite stain glass in the world lies in Saint Chapelle in the heart of Paris. I asked everyone there to leave, as "I vont to be alone, as Greta once said. Am I looking at the best of man or the heart of God through man? It is completely breathtaking. It was built in the 1200s by King Louis IX.

It has been damaged and repaired through time, including the mess of the French revolution where the spire was removed and then replaced afterwards and they sold off some of the glass.

Tonight, Yusuf ( Cat Stevens) plays at Palais de Paris, Bercy. After an amazing time in Morocco, everyone is keen to do their best for the show tonight. Yusuf is adding Sad Lisa to the song list for the first time on this tour and I simply cant wait to hear it played.

Kevin Nitrovane

The Swedes and the Dobro

Flew into Stockholm yesterday.

I've now travelled on British Airways twice within Europe and the flight attendants are second to none.

In Stockholm I met Bjorn Borg precisely five times in one day; or is it perhaps that all Swedish people look alike?

Two things I want to say about the Swedes: they're all attractive and they're all nice. I've started to learn the language, which I test out on every unsuspecting Swede I come across. They have all been excited to help me learn.

I've spent countless hours on Yusuf's Dobro (pictured). I hope to upload some sound clips soon. Yusuf wants to play it like a normal guitar, so I had to dismantle it, pull the neck out, reset the neck angle, do a partial refret, and take humps and bumps out of the fretboard.

At rehearsals today the Dobro went really well. It's probably going to be used for Yusuf's song Popstar, but there was also a jam on Peace Train with it, so you never know.

London, day1 rehearsal

In London, that it be!  The Royal Wedding.

It's difficult not to get swept up in the pomp, ceremony and nostalgia of the wedding while I'm here in London. The feeling of joy in the streets has become quite tangible.

When I was younger, and knew much more than I do now, everything was black and white. I was completely convinced there was no value in the monarchy.

Everyone has an opinion, much of which consumes more of their life than it probably should. The interesting point is that I have met so many people interested in displaying their complete lack of interest in the wedding. That is interesting in itself. And yet, there are people here so interested in this interesting event that they have sat for 4 days alongside the road, waiting to get the prime view of the newly married couple, William and his chick (whose name escapes me at the moment). These people have formed little communities where they interact and share together, even though a few days earlier they were complete strangers. (Shame on them for wasting their lives in such a matter.) My cabbie declared his complete "disinterest" in this. Surely he was receiving much financial gain at this time?

Those uninterested in the wedding describe these people as being anything other than sane. They are calling forth the Tower of London guards to promptly arrest them so they can be sent to an asylum. I, of course, agree with them…….And now , for a more noble use of my time, I'm off to watch a soccer match in a stadium. I'm going to view a little white ball through my binoculars, and scream at people I don't know when that ball doesn't go in the direction I think it should. And I'm going to yell even louder at those folk next to me who think the ball should go some other way.

Now that I'm older and know less than I used to, to be black and white on anything seems to me rather foolish and naive. But thats what happens when you get older.

I can see my friend Emma now, cross-legged sitting in front of the TV in her Basso townhouse,  cheering with raised arm and fist at every glimpse of the Royal couple. I too, will join in and wipe a tear from my eye, seeing people happy for no particular reason at all, but just enjoying being part of the event, and living.

Oh yeah, I think I'm actually meant to be talking about London rehearsals with Yusuf (Cat Stevens). I've re-acquainted myself with the band today, and I'm slowly getting my tool kit together. I'll be setting up the workbench tomorrow to modify and setup Yusuf's guitars.