Jurastrasse and raining.

Good god, the rain just doesn't stop for some damn reason. I mean really, I brought a sweet new velour sport coat that I can't wear if this keeps up.

Alright, at the time of writing I'm listening to this Dire Straits show live from Basel in '92. Check it out.

Just having an afternoon off and getting ready to hop an overnight train to Graz, Austria.

The tour so far has been great with 8 shows in 7 days. Started here in Basel and included Bern, Zurich, St Gallen and a few other great stops. Roger Waters found it necessary to book a gig the same night as mine at Bar Rossi in Zurich...I'm sure he won't do that again. I can only assume my show cost him at least 20 tickets. Tony owns the Bar Rossi though he doesn't manage it. We caught him on a strange night where he was there tending bar. Tony is Italian and he whipped up some pasta before the show. It was the best tomato cream sauce I've ever had, hands down. Tony then stood by the stage for most of the set and then personally carried a tip hat around. Tony is awesome.

Basel. . . our home-away-from-home this week

In Balgach we were introduced to a traditional Swiss game consisting of a big log, a hammer, and some nails. Hammerschlagen. This game is much like your typical Wisconsin yard game as it's best played along with a few beers. You set your 3 1/2 inch nail and then take turns with the narrow edge of a hammer, with one swing each round. The first person with the nail driven all the way in wins. Sounds easy right? Try it.

tough critics. . . in St. Gallen

Rico in St. Gallen sporting his homemade "Josh Harty" t-shirt (check out Rico's awesome handmade bags at hungric.ch!)

In St. Gallen I saw the most amazing hamburgers I've ever witnessed. Double and triple decker locally sourced meaty madness with lettuce, tomato, onion, bacon and of course real Swiss cheese. And let me tell you, the finished product on a plate at the table...looks exactly like the menu. All this for a mere 32 Swiss Francs. That's $34.52. Fries are and extra 9 Francs. Want a Coke? That'll be 7 Francs.
Later on in St. Gallen at the big annual market I saw more cheese, cured meat, wine and beer vendors all giving out samples that I could have ever imagined. Not just your typical fare but really, really great stuff. Prosciutto, ham, Brie....oh my. I asked a vendor for a beer sample and he gave me a half pint. I asked for one cheese sample and the guy gave me ALL the cheese samples. Then there was the hot Brie wheel where the woman literally poured the cheese onto a slice of bread. wow.
And, oh yeah, the show was great.

mmm....cheese.

Well, this one may have been a bit more of a food blog but I couldn't help it. Oh wait, also the tunnels in this country are amazing. They're everywhere. It's like an entire country's worth of Big Dig. Amazing really.

Alright, night train to Graz. Be good. Take care.
JH