Vienna

Everything in life is happening in cycles or seasons.  It started to become clear to Dave & Kate in Prague that there was a pattern to what was going on.  This period was feeling very much like a previous period they'd went through back in Paris.

Back then they'd come to the end of the money they had, they were staying in hotels and there was a lot of confusion and misunderstanding around.  Towards the end of Dresden it began to feel like this all over again.

This was more than simply a feeling.  After the storm in Paris, an apartment showed up for them which had a PC.  Perfect for emailing, of which they had a lot to do.  Now this apartment in Vienna also had a PC at a time when they really needed one.  The Truffaut apartment in Paris was in the 17th district.  This apartment was in the 17th district of Vienna.  The owner of the Truffaut was called Elizabeth, the owner of this apartment was called Elisabeth.

As they entered the apartment they were both struck by how it reminded them of the Truffaut one.  Yellow and orange colour scheme, about the same size overall, the bedroom was arranged almost identically, there was a glass coffee table in each apartment with a guest book on it... these features weren't in every apartment they had stayed in.  The 3 butterflies of Paris had also returned, this time on a mug which Kate would drink from...

Maybe more bizarre was the message graffiti'd on the light in the lift...

On the last day in this apartment they would walk a different way down the street it was on and pass this sign...

Without Brian & Agnes, Dave & Kate wouldn't even have been there.

Just like with Kaisers in Berlin, they were super close to a supermarket.  In fact, this was the closest they'd been, a Spar literally 2 mins round the corner.  They would understand why later. 

As they walked the short distance in this area they already could feel a different energy in Vienna.  It was very serene.  They were just off a busy main street with shops but there was an unusual quietness to the place and they found this everywhere they went in Vienna.  It immediately felt good to be here.

The first night in the apartment they went to bed around 3am.  As Dave was drifting off to sleep he thought he could faintly hear some music he recognised.  It sounded like a ukulele strumming.  Then he heard a familiar voice.  Was this real or a dream?  The upstairs neighbour was playing "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" at 4am!

Soundtrack To The Zion Europa Express!

Way back in late summer 2009, in their Jordan Lane flat in Edinburgh, this became the 'theme song' of what was coming - a new vision.  Dave & Kate had just moved into the flat and Music began to stir again, this time to do it right:

"its gonna take plenty of money to do it right...  its gonna take time... its gonna take patience and time to do it right...".

Brian, Agnes, Will, Georgie & Brother Mark can already testify to that!

The return of Europe & Music!  This song became very significant during the summer of 2010 when Europe was turning into reality:

"...it all makes sense to me somehow..."

"...and its not what it used to be, no, we're suddenly free to let go..."

"...these are times that come, only once in your life, or twice if you're lucky..."

Another song that found them back in the 'incubation period' of Jordan Lane and which Brother Mark reminded them of in January 2011, Berlin.

The song of Movement!  In the last few weeks before leaving Edinburgh, this became THE SONG!

"...Let me tell you if you're not wrong then everything is alright..."

"...We know where we're going, we know where we're from, we're leaving Babylon, we're going to our Fatherland..." 

"...Oh people if you're ready me say get on board now... and then you praise 'fari"

"...Here you're going in the same direction"

"...And where there's a will, there's always a way..."

Back in the 1980s, when Dave was 7 years old, he used to be fascinated by maps and was especially intrigued by the Eastern Europe area and places like Berlin.  He'd listen to the radio with his friends and they'd study the atlas...  they could name the capital cities to most countries in the world.  This song was a hit at that time and for some reason it always made Dave think of Berlin and wonder what it would be like.  To suddenly hear it come on the radio in January 2011 in Berlin was like deja vu.

Dave & Kate laughed as they began to realise they were in the army Now!  They were SoulJah's on the frontline of a 7-strong army and on the look-out for new recruits.  Jah Rastafari!!!

Many a time when Dave & Kate were feeling stuck and helpless this song would appear...

The 'theme song' to the crushing of ego and return to the Natural State...

The money song... 

First heard back in Barcelona and has been a companion to Dave & Kate ever since...

Dresden

Arriving in Dresden's Neustadt Station on Sunday 23rd January 2011, Dave & Kate made their way along the to the hotel on the outskirts of the Neustadt area.

They were soon back in the world of takeaway Subway's for tea each night (they did try some chilli con carne from this place called Cafe Europa as it was only €4.40 but were reminded of why they don't bother going to these places usually - annoying music and table service).

Luckily they found a cool cafe for coffee, called Dreißig, early on which would become their resting place each day for an hour or two.

They had no idea what the hell they were doing here but it didn't feel wrong.  On their first full day they walked down Königsbrücker Straße onto Hauptstraße and crossed the River Elbe on Augustusbrücke and into the Altstadt.  It was Monday midday and the place was deserted but they liked this - being in the tourist part of Dresden without the tourists.

On their way back to the hotel that night they walked a slightly different way and accidently found themselves in the musical area of the Neustadt, passing by 3 musical instrument stores.  In the window of one they were taken by a Zoom Handy Digital Recorder.  They hadn't seen one of these before but it immediately struck a chord inside.

The following day they took a different route into the Altstadt crossing the River Elbe over Albertbrücke this time.  They carried on walking alongside a big park, Volkspark Großer Garten, and after a while Dave pulled out the map to check how to get to the Hauptbahnhof (Central Station) where there was an internet terminal.  The only road they could take to the station was Wiener Straße, where they were immediately greeted by a wee guy with some flowers...

11/01/11

On Tuesday 11th January 2011, the signs were abundant.

The song 'Somewhere Over The Rainbow' came on the radio 3 times in the space of 2 or 3 hours, on two different radio stations.  Dave & Kate had been listening to the radio on and off in the space of that time and it seemed each time they turned it on or changed stations, the song would be there.

Later on, another old friend in the form of song made an appearance - 'I Need A Dollar' - followed by 'Lean On Me'.

Shortly after that, Kate found a small orange butterfly sticker in the bottom of her toiletry bag (with no idea where it came from).  When she came through to the living room to show Dave, he had a huge grin on his face as Bob Marley's 'Is This Love' was playing on the radio.

They had just enough money left after this apartment to secure one more apartment in Berlin for a week or two.  They were sure after this there time in Berlin had come to its natural end for now.  With little effort, the right apartment appeared on the following day, 12th January, with just under a week to go and again, it was slightly further east.  The title of it had the word 'Kunst' in it - German for art.  They got it for 7 nights.

Roses & Rainbows

Shortly after all the festive mayhem had been and gone, Dave was again stopped in his tracks by a song on the radio.  It went:

"Some say love it is a river that drowns the tender reed
Some say love it is a razor that leaves your soul to bleed

Some say love it is a hunger an endless aching need
I say love it is a flower and you it's only seed

It's the heart afraid of breaking that never learns to dance
It's the dream afraid of waking that never takes the chance
It's the one who won't be taken who cannot seem to give 
And the soul afraid of dying that never learns to live

When the night has been too lonely and the road has been too long 
And you think that love is only for the lucky and the strong
Just remember in the winter far beneath the bitter snows lies the seed 
That with the sun's love in the spring becomes the rose"

He had never heard the song before but the last two lines in particular seemed to speak to him about what was happening during these times.

A few days later Kate noticed roses on Karl-Marx Allee and also Will & Georgie had just sent her some photos of roses.

A few weeks later, the day before they checked out of the apartment, Dave was making porridge and while drying the bowls, he began laughing at what he was staring at.  Kate walked into the kitchen at that very moment and exclaimed "a rose!".

They hadn't clicked until now that the bowls they'd been eating out of everyday for the last month had a rose design on them.  That day as they sat eating their porridge the song 'Somewhere Over The Rainbow' came on the radio.  Later, as they walked up to check out the area where their new apartment would be the first thing they saw as they turned onto the street was this...

That night on tv a programme called 'A Portrait of Bryan Adams' came on German tv and in the background while he was being interviewed was a single rose in a vase...

The following morning, January 16th 2011, as they sat down to eat their breakfast of porridge, the song on the radio was 'The Rose' - only the second time in their lives they had heard it... just before they left the apartment to move into a new one.

Human Hibernation

In the run-up to Christmas Dave & Kate spent even more time inside, often only popping out to Kaisers nearby for food.  They were finding they were sleeping long into the afternoon and it was as if everything was shutting down.  At other times the same energy would leave them unable to sleep all night, especially hitting Dave hard as they entered the New Year.  This would lead them into a period of napping, sleeping for 3 - 4 hours at night and then taking 20 - 30 min naps throughout the day.

On Christmas Day they took the long walk to check out the Christmas markets at Alexanderplatz and came across some wallets for a good price.  They had been considering getting new ones for some time and this was the time.  On returning to the flat, Dave switched the radio on and was stopped in his tracks by the song playing:

"Right now I feel - just like a leaf on a breeze
Who knows where it's blowin'
Who knows where it's goin'
I find myself somewhere I - I never thought I'd be 

Following a star - has led to where you are
It feels so strong now - this can't be wrong now

Nothing I have ever known - has made me feel this way
Nothing I have ever seen - has made me want to stay
Here I am - ready for you
I'm torn an', I'm fallin' - I hear my home callin'
Hey - I've never felt something so strong - oh no
It's like nothing I've ever known
It's like nothing I've ever known

Right now I feel - just like a leaf on a breeze
Who knows where it's blowin'
Who knows where I'm goin'"

It felt like arriving in Barcelona all over again - another Bryan Adams song - only this time it was for these times. 

On Monday 27th December 2010, Dave & Kate took a walk into the Kreuzberg area and passing over the River Spree, Dave realised it was the perfect place to discard of his old wallet.

Europa Passage

Just round the corner from World Cafe was the shopping centre, Europa Passage.  On the floors were the names of various European cities.  This felt like the Paris Europe thing all over again.  Yet it was no joke.

Money was fast running out, time was ticking and they now had a train ticket to Berlin but with nowhere to stay there.  They played the lottery scratch cards and then put all hope on the Wednesday night lottery, knowing that on Thursday morning their train left for Berlin.

Was it a passage to Europe or a cruel joke?

With all this going on, they wandered around the markets, took a walk down the Reeperbahn and to the harbour area where the water at night really seemed significant and somehow necessary to be around again.

During this time the rainbow appeared for them again.  Going down the stairs in the hotel, one day Dave spotted a painting on the wall with a rainbow on it.  Then sitting at the computer at reception trying to find a place to stay in Berlin, the song 'Somewhere Over The Rainbow' was playing on the radio in the background.  This song  would follow them around, appearing at auspicious occasions.

3 Hotels In 3 Nights

It felt like Jah had delivered a real treat for them that night.  They were so grateful. 

Although it looked increasingly certain they'd have no choice but to book a flight back to Edinburgh the following day, it didn't matter, for now they were fine.

That night as Dave brushed his teeth he saw he was staring at a rainbow in the sink.  The light was reflecting off the running water in such a way it had created a rainbow.  He began to laugh.  They had also noticed that there were three random tiles in the bathroom each with a butterfly on them.

Yet again they checked out in the morning with nowhere to stay that night.  They managed to book a Best Western hotel on Rue de Moscou after another internet trip.  The internet rates in Paris were really swallowing up their finances.

That afternoon Dave sent an email to the folks back in Edinburgh to let them know they'd almost certainly be on a flight there in a day or two.  Dave & Kate felt they weren't to ask for money from anyone, no matter how strongly they felt about remaining in Europe.  They had to put all their trust in Jah.

Somewhere Over The Rainbow...

Dave & Kate flew out of Barcelona around midday on Monday 25th October 2010.  The fondness they had for Barcelona remained and they knew it wouldn't be their last visit.  On arriving at Paris Beauvais airport and hopping on the bus to the city centre, as they waited on the bus to leave and wondered what Paris would have in store for them, they looked out the window and another rainbow was in the sky...

Once they'd found their bearings and got the metro to the Ibis hotel, they were welcomed by a guy hanging out his window as they walked down the street saying "bon soir!" and holding his hand out.  All credit to him for finding a new way to beg.  They would find him there with his hand out most days they went down that street.

Everything seemed ok at check-in and although being on the outskirts, in an ethnic area, was new to them, they never felt threatened.  Maybe they hadn't anticipated being such a long way from the centre - they forgot just how big Paris is.  Setting out to get something to eat that night it must have been close to a 2hr walk before they found anything.  They got the metro back at about 11pm that night.

Welcome Onboard The EUROPA Zion Express!

On Sunday 3rd October 2010, Dave and Kate took a walk around Edinburgh for the last time with Brother Mark.  The journey felt strangely like a trip in a time machine that stretched back 10 years or more.  At the end of the day a rainbow appeared in the sky.