Day 16 - Micheldorf
We awake early this morning and decide to venture out for some sight seeing before this evenings show in Micheldorf, Austria. Ryan encourages the group to travel out to Hohenwerfen Castle to see something a little different. We happily obliged and a few wrong turns later we finally arrive at the castle.
As we ascend through the trees and over the mountain - we are once again met with gorgeous panoramic views. We run along and catch a "birds of prey" show in the main yard of the castle which is amazing and scary. Please excuse my lack of knowledge on birds, but the castle had four eagles/falcons on show and they're simply flying around catching mouse mid air and being boss-like gliding around the castle and over the mountains. Spectacular stuff. Ryan and I get a little close to comfort when an American Bald Eagle (there you go, I did learn something) swoops down and nearly takes us out. Ryan loses his hat in the process while I let out a girlish scream and dive for cover. This moment scarred me for the rest of the day as any sight of a bird would set me off into a girly fit. Following the eagle viewing we eat some schnitzel burgers and take in the view of the alps. Not a bad start to the day.
Hohenwerfen Castle
Views from the top of the castle.
Hello, my name is Andrew and I am now petrified of birds.
We later roll into the town of Micheldorf with a population of only a few thousand. It's a little odd that the venue is located in a industrial estate, but with noise complaint and parking problems from the previous few shows…it's a welcome change in proceedings. We get fed a spectacular meal with plenty of meat and vegan options. A few of the TToL boys are claiming this to be the best meal of the tour. A fair shout but it's still difficult to chose at this point.
There's an extremely limited PA so we set up for more of a stripped back set without any keyboards for the show. We've done this on a few occasions on this tour and the punters are still impressed with what we have to offer. I didn't feel too comfortable on stage tonight and I wasn't at my best unfortunately. The lads solider on through and deliver the goods but I can't hide my frustration with how poorly I played. I couldn't hear much of myself and I had a feeling my lead was cutting in and out. It sucks when you have to deal with this as your focus switches from playing your heart out to making sure everything is working. Oh well, them the brakes.
We dedicate the last track of our set to our driver Albie - who is departing tomorrow morning to continue his studies back home in Germany. It's quite sad because we've developed a close bond with Albie over the past two and half weeks (much like TToL have with Maarten). Albie, you're a legend. We initially bonded over a mutual appreciation for At The Drive-In and loading gear in and out of venues. But the friendship quickly blossomed with your views on beer, partying and getting naked in hot tubs. Thank you for everything, Albie! I hope we can do this again in the future.
Post show we manage to catch up with a few of the locals and they're very appreciative that we have made it out all the way to their town. Again, it feels really good. With a monster drive on the horizon, we pack the van once more with Albie and head back to our accommodation for the evening. Which is surrounded by horse stables and farms. Mozza finds his element once more.
Tomorrow is the last show of the tour. We play in Wroclaw in Poland. It's shaping up to be a big show so I am hoping we can go out on a big bang. Arsenal are also in the FA Cup final. So I could be an absolute wreck by the time we hit the stage. Pray for me. Pray for Arsenal.
xxx