Belgrade, Serbia

Wide awake at 8 this morning after only 3 hours sleep. Tried to get my head back down for another hour but could not. Room service arrived 10 minutes later and the fellow who was rolling a very large cart containing little more than toast and coffee, hit the edge of the bed and it all came tumbling to the ground. He was very apologetic but it ended with maid and vacuum in my room and a scuttle for more breakfast. All I really wanted was a cup of coffee and now at 9-something I had a bit of a scene in and out of the room. The mess was finally cleared and a new tray of coffee sent. Down to the gym for the usual, then out to the fabulous pool that looks out on the shores of the Bosphorus and the ancient city of Istanbul. A magnificent view. A few minutes later Guy came down and we decided to ring Danny and drag him in as well. The sun shone brilliantly and I had the feeling of being on a large cruise ship, laying at the pool with the ocean just the other side of the rail. The smell of seasoned, grilled meat kept wafting over from the outdoor restaurant and we decided it was time for lunch...pool side. Platters of food arrived, club sandwiches, hamburgers, cokes, fizzy bottled water, orange juice, coffee and freshly sliced watermelon with mint foam! All dispatched in minutes and every morsel magically delicious. We hung round for another hour, then it was time to get ready for our flight to Belgrade.

On board the Legacy for an hour and forty minute flight, still full from lunch and armed with only 3 hours sleep, I skipped the meal served and napped for most of the flight. It was a short drive from the airport to the Arena. We arrived very late today, 7 p.m. The latest arrival for a gig ever was in part due to an accident with one of the equipment trucks. Early this morning, about an hour and a half out of Belgrade, one of the trucks ran off the road. Fortunately the driver was all right and the truck stayed upright. Still, another vehicle and driver had to be dispatched, the old truck unloaded to the new and then on to Belgrade. This of course set things back as far as the load in. When we arrived you would have never known anything had happened, everything ready to go for a 9 o'clock show.

After yesterday's less than ideal venue, the Belgrade Arena seemed like heaven, modern and the dressing rooms clean with plenty of places to sit or stretch out. We did a quick meet and greet and then that smell of raw sewage began seeping in and got worse over the next half hour. Oh well. As for the gig, it might have even topped the previous night, absolutely storming. The audience was one of the very best of the tour so far and it was an unbeatable gig with 9,000 thunderous fans on their feet for the encores. Hats off to Belgrade.

Back on the Legacy, our hostess Alex had dishes of perfectly prepared lamb kebabs with roasted veg and the most delicious flat cheese bread I've ever tasted. One short martini (too tired these days for much more than that) and we landed back in Istanbul tired and ready for bed.

So long,

Richard