Stuttgart Stuttgart Uber Alles
Most people privy to my travel plans have asked "Why Stuttgart?" Well, simply put, I promised I would go there. Very early in this trip, at a pub in Southwark London, I encountered a gang of 20-something German men. It turned out they were a roving bachelor party, in their second day of bachelor par...
Frankfurt
I was only in Frankfurt for about 40 minutes, and all I saw was the inside of the train station, but I liked it, and here's why: THAT, my friends, is herringbrocken. (I think I spelled that right) And there were several other fishy sammiches that looked equally good but that I didn't get a chance to...
Bruges
Hurray for Eurail passes! Trains go back and forth from Brussels to Bruges all day, every 30 minutes, and the one way trip is an hour. A nice lady I chatted with in York told me that I would like Bruges, and she was right. The place is charming. The "Venice of the North", it has canals, it has 13th...
I Don't Like Brussel Sprouts Either
I stopped in Brussels because I figured a trip from York to London, then up to north London to drop off some equipment with the Hudsons, then back to the train stations, then the Chunnel to Brussels, well that was probably a full day travel. I was unimpressed with what I saw of Brussels. It was nota...
The York Report
I spent a week in York, and there’s a lot to report. Train rides are a great time to update the blog, so let’s get started. Fortune Telling: I did pretty well at fortune telling in York. And there were two venues that worked. 1) The Shambles. This is a super narrow bit of road, really a brick walkwa...
Phase Three Begins
Well, thank you, London, for all you've taught me. I found your audiences hard to hold, but your other buskers friendly and supportive, and your police courteous and fair. Phase 3 of Project Eurotramp is starting. We're done with London except to wrap up at the end. It's off to tool about England an...
Voodini Workshop
London is great, y'all, but what about the rest of England and Europe? Well, a primary reason I've been sticking around London is I booked myself for an all day workshop on psychometry and mediumship with noted psychic entertainer, Paul Voodini. Psychometry is the reading of psychic impressions left...
York Daytrip
So I did a daytrip to York from London, to see a magic exhibit and to scout the place out as a busking site. Let me say again and again, if you come to Europe, get a Eurail pass for your trip, and use trains to get around. Trains are awesome and the US has screwed itself thoroughly by not investing...
Happy Fortunes
Somehow or other, I injured my right hand. Did I sleep on it? Bang it against something and not notice? I have no idea, but it's intensely painful to use my thumb and wrist. No sleight of hand. I babied the hand for the whole weekend, but I still wanted to work. So I spent the weekend fortune tellin...
Wellcome Magic Exhibit
Today I took the day off from performing magic, to see an exhibit on it instead. The Wellcome Collection has posters up all over town about this exhibit, The Psychology of Magic , and on Thursday evenings, that includes a live magic show, and it's all free. What a fabulous town, London. I really do...
Busking Behind the Scenes
You know that I am performing with minimal equipment. I flew here with what I could carry on my back, both normal luggage, costumes, and props. I worked hard to build a "packs small, plays big" show. And you want a big show, because in street performing for tips, it's basic that a larger audience me...
Birthday Party Show
The Hudson family has been so gracious in letting me take up their guest room for an extended period while in London. It's been great. It has saved me heaps of money. I get to sleep in peace and privacy, neither of which you see much of at hostels. Everybody in this family does some kind of art, mos...
Logging the Flight Time
So the Victoria and Albert Museum area has basically become my go-to place to work. I have seen some musicians working the area, but they don't stay long, and I more or less have that whole stretch of spots, from the South Kensington tube station, to the museums, all to myself, 90% of the time. It's...
Back to London
So, I'm back in London, in time for the three day bank holiday. The weather is outstanding and people are out and about. The initial plan for Saturday was to visit Leicester Square, get some breakfast, and sign up in the magicians' queue at Covent Garden. Covent Garden. Well, it's a problematic pitc...
Playing Card Museum
I'm on the road from Zurich to London, so I can work the three day bank holiday in London. My hosts in London tell me it's well worth my time, and I am eager to give London a second try, with kids on vacation and warm weather. But I'm stopping in Paris on the way to run a couple of errands. 1) Last...
My Fake Rolex
Enroute to London from Pisa, I am stopping to take care of a couple of errands. The first of these, inspect a magician's street table made by the fine Swiss engineers at Needful Things. Daniel, the proprietor of Zauberers Paradies (Magicians' Paradise) only opens by appointment, but was happy to mee...
Lean Times
On my continuing trek south in search of warm mediterranean weather, I found myself in Pisa. Alas, the weather was unseasonably cold, and it rained daily. Pisa is, of course, famous for its failed architecture, the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The city’s tourist trade revolves entirely around Americans da...
Genoa Report
So, Genoa. I understand why it's Vince''s favorite. There's something amazing around every corner. There are winding medieval streets everywhere. The place is graspable as a pedestrian. There are all these renaissance merchantile palaces, in rows and rows, with stone streets, these incredible canyon...
Cousin Vinnie's Favorite
These TrenItalia trains are old and creaky. The chairs don't lean back, and there's no ventilation. It's close, hot, and stinky. They've tried to address this with some kind of pomander, hanging in each car. I'm not able to identify the herbs used, although I know there's a tradition that Mussolini...
Busk Me Like One of Your French Towns
Ah the French Riviera. The weather is certainly a lot better. With this town, I've worked out my New Town routine. Three nights is long enough to 1) recover from travel, and wander the city a bit the first evening 2) play tourist/scout the next day, and busk if I want to test out a spot 3) put in a...
Springtime in Paris?
It's early May. Paris is cold. Paris is wet. I'm really just here on my way south. I stopped because I wanted to visit Musee Rodin, and see Le Cri again. I saw it as a young man in 83, and it kicked my ass. It made me irrational, and in my ignorance, I was unaware art could do that to you. I felt as...
Heading South
Every day in London, it seems to be either cold, or rainy, or both. Even on the "nice" days, I'm a creature of warm climes, and my muscles never really do unclench. (And the street shows are stressful enough as it is, my inability to relax my muscles is surely reading to the audience as lack of conf...
I'm Working Too Hard
Just a brief note. Street performing is HARD, y'all. You know what's not hard? Sitting at a table with a book or my lunch, and a sign that says PALM £10 -- TAROT £20, and doing a couple of readings. Eating lunch at Kings Cross the past two days, I've made more than I have all week trying to learn pr...
Doing My Homework in London
I just finished working the "Early May Bank Holiday". The weather wasn't particularly cooperative. I didn't work Covent Garden because the line was super long. Instead, I went looking for other venues. I had plenty of notes from the CG magicians and wanted to try some things out in peace, and (even...
Back to School
In yesterday's report on the busking rules in London, I mentioned Magician's Corner in Covent Garden. In review, CG is tightly regulated with an audition system, but Magician's Corner is an open pitch for magicians, no audition necessary. Today I arrived to find that pitch empty. The signup sheet on...
Busking Rules in London
Overview: In theory, you may busk in any public space in London, because freedom of expression and freedom of assembly. In practice, it's much more complex than that. And the rules online aren't relevant when compared to the rules you find with boots on the ground. All the online sources reference a...
I Like This Place
"I like this place and willingly could waste my time in it." - As You Like It I've been in London for a day and I'm mostly over my jet lag so it's time to explore. My hostel is in Southwark, a fitting place since I've always imagined Henry Best got his start here among the stews, bearbaiters, sturdy...
A 90 Day Packing List
Worn Black shoes Smartwool socks ExOficio boxer briefs Black cargo pants Red silk shirt, embroidered Black sportcoat silk/linen, red lapel rose Black fedora, red rose Cane Packed Black cargo pants 2 black silk shirts Red linen/cotton shirt 2 ExOficio boxer briefs 2 Smartwool socks 2 merino wool tsh...
Bon Voyage
I leave tomorrow morning. My very dear friend Michelle has been such a help getting ready for this adventure. She just told me she'd made me a bon voyage gift. Before I could protest that I couldn't carry the burden of even one more object, she allowed as how it didn't weigh anything. Here it is: Th...
The Tools of My Trade
My props are all selected for the trip. My apprentice and I worked hard on this, winnowing down to the bare essentials for 90 days under unfamiliar conditions. (Thank you, Michelle. So much I couldn't do without you to focus me.) I thought people might enjoy a look. One of the problems I've seen wit...
Houdini Always Had a Backup Plan
The nominal task ahead of me, as I’ve said, is to support myself, day to day, in a foreign land, with nothing but hat money. Well, but I’m a magician, and if you’ve ever seen a magician perform a Danger Trick, you should know the danger isn’t real. If the magician doesn’t get out of the straitjacket...
There and Back Again
“It's a dangerous business, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.” It's late at night and the house is quiet. Everything I see around me is familiar and comforting. My wife is asleep in the next room. My cat...