Rome, Italy 13 July 2013

How can you come to Rome and not leave the hotel?  Easy when your completely knackered.  I finally got my head down last night at 3 o'clock in the morning.  Managed to sleep until late morning, jump started the day with two double espresso, gave a hell of a push at the gym, then went back to bed for the rest of the day.  We're down to the final 15 shows of the tour and only now feeling a little dip in the energy.  I have theory that however long a tour is, at the beginning you bank away that much mental and physical reserves, be it two weeks, four months or longer.  As you come to the end of that period those reserves start running down.  I'm convinced if we had another six weeks ahead of us I'd be raring to go.  So that's the long answer to how you don't get out when in Rome.

We drove through Rome's late afternoon traffic arriving at Ippodromo delle Capannelle around 6.  Ippodromo is the horse racing track in Roma and the stage was set up in the middle of the infield.  10,000 standing and seated in the bleachers turned out.  We hit the stage just past 9:30, the sun was down and the night air balmy.  A wildly enthusiastic audience as they have all been on this tour.  The band consistently in top form.

We could still hear the thunder of applause and cheers as the motorcade of Rovers left Ippodromo and made their way through this ancient city and back to the hotel arriving just past midnight.  Rang home, bed.

Sunday will be a staggering day of logistics and a show in Naples.  Stay tuned for the details.

So long,

Richard