Well, dad and I have been having a great time so far since my last BIT, we’ve moved to a few different locations.
First off, we went to Leonberg and stayed there with a German family we met at the IBC Church… we stayed with them for about a week. They have a large family and Marion, the mom, is a great cook… I think we gained a few extra pounds while staying with them!
Leonberg is a really neat old town, everything is like stepping back in time… in fact, my dad and I walked into town everyday just to scout out all the interesting places we could find!
On day, Marion put together a Bar-B-Q for her friends and family and I gave them a private concert… they had around 50 people there and between the food, music and fellowship we all had a super time!
I also played at the IBC Church a few more times since my last Bit. I also played there with Siegfried Schreiber at the kid’s “AWANA” club meeting twice. That was a blast, they had over 150 kids at the first meeting and well over 300 at the second!
Siggi also invited me to play for the monthly Men’s meeting at IBC. That was a really nice gathering. After the Men’s breakfast, Siggi took us to his home in the outskirts of the Black Forest, what a awesome area… I think it would really be worth spending a few weeks there just to take it all in. He also took us to the town next to where he lives called Calw. It’s one of the most beautiful little towns I’ve visited so far!
While we were there, we visited a couple of music stores and I got to play a variety of guitars made here in Germany… one of the Guitar stores is owned by a guy that has a group that has toured the US and he and his employees really liked my playing… we spent awhile just jamming before we continued on our tour…
Then on Sunday I played for the Spanish group at IBC and again in the Vineyard Cafe after both services.
We then moved to a place in Sindelfingen for a few days with a really nice couple, Johannes and Renate.
They are into Penguins so I signed their guest book with a couple of drawings of Penguins… one with a cowboy hat on and they loved it! We also are into Penguins so we really hit it off.
We then moved on to stay with another family in the same town where we’ve been for the last 2 weeks. These folks, Shawn and Tami have a young son named Caleb…he is a riot…he says the neatest things and he has a huge train set!
They have been great and we are having a really nice time here! Both families have been wonderful. In fact we went over to Johannes and Renate’s for dinner this past week… it was nice spending time with them again!
On May 1st, I played at an Open Stage guitar night event in Stuttgart. A friend and his wife and daughter took my dad and I to the event and we had a nice meal and afterwards he… also an accomplished finger style guitarist, and I had turns getting on stage and playing a some songs, it was quite an experience.
After an encore performance the crowd demanded, everyone was really interested in how I play the guitar… I always enjoy talking to folks after a performance!
The restaurant, club owner asked me to come back to put on a full concert as the patrons really liked my style of playing. The concert is listed in my tours section, it will be the 19th of Sept.
The worse thing so far was that I got sick for a few days, fever, sore all over and not hungry… now that’s when I know I’m sick :), but I’m feeling better now… thank God!
I also played at the IDI Language school in Stuttgart about 2 week ago for the students and part of the faculty… it was quite a nice time. Afterwards I played some guitar with one of the students who likes flamenco style and we had a great time exchanging ideas!
Last Sunday, Shawn and Tami took dad and I to visit the city of Tübingen.
It’s a beautiful place and we had a wonderful time visiting it. There is a river that runs through the town and you can rent all types of boats from paddle boats that move by peddling like a bike to Gondolas that are pushed along by with a long pole… these can sit maybe a dozen people. The river was full of boats leisurely going up and down the river with spectacular scenery on both sides of the river.
We ate at a place overlooking the river and afterwards we found an ice cream store where we attempted to try all the flavors! They have the best Ice Cream! That was a really nice day off for the two of us.
I also played a concert in the city of Karlsruhe a few days ago. It’s about an hour away from Stuttgart going toward France, in the Black Forest area.
Our friends Johannes and Renate drove us to and from the concert. Before we arrived at the church to set up for the concert, we went to see the Palace of Karlsruhe! It was really neat to see, it is huge!
The concert was held at a Spanish church that the Pastor had organized this concert for. The whole event went off even better than originally planned.
There was lots of interaction from the crowd and a few questions I’ve never been asked before which made it fun for everyone… between all the laughing and guitar playing I was exhausted when we finally got back home!
I also played at IBC again in both services last Sunday to promote my upcoming concert there this coming Sunday in the afternoon! That will be my last concert there until I return to German in September I think! l also played at a Korean church service that afternoon as well and they invited my dad and I to eat with them after the service… they like really spicy food and so do we… it was quite delicious!
On Wednesday I had the opportunity to visit Carlos Juan’s shop in Stuttgart-Botnang on Beathovonstr. with Siggi Schreiber. He has an amazing collection of fine and vintage guitars (both Acoustic and Electric) for sale.
He also manufactures his own acoustic guitar pickups! When I was at his shop I got to play a guitar equipped with one of his pickups, and I think that it has a uniquely dynamic “feel” or “air” about it for an under saddle pickup. In short, it had a very pleasing tone and sound!
Well, I’ve got to go, today’s my birthday and my dad is taking me out for a tour of the old castle here in Stuttgart, afterwards we’ll find somewhere to have a nice meal… I’m off to a great day… you all be blessed until my next Bit!
Take care,
–Buddy
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