France >> Spain >> Italy >> Greece -- June/July 2013

It's begin of August and I am just back in Greece after traveling for two months in Europe, trying to spread the music vibes, learn share and exchange with people. So, this is a post about this travel and what I learned so far. :)

5 June - The Hague

My (music) travel actually started in The Hague with a concert we organized together with Joan (Ell Sol). Sivan, my ex- housemates and really nice friend took care of the visuals and decorations and gave the place some magic. Good friends from the Hague came, that were related a lot with the creation of this music, so the atmosphere was quite intense. - In a good way :) -
Was also our first concert together with Ell Sol and made us both realize that it makes a lot of sense collaborating together and joining our energies into one!

Here are some small clips from the concert. (video by Sivan)







8 to 12 June - Paris

After being very lucky I reached Paris in a day from the Hague, hitchhiking and meeting nice people. In this enormous and chaotic city I found some friends on the streets and played in a small bar called Les Idiots. Trying to do what I do in a bar, where people go to talk with their friends, drink beers and eat was a real experiment and made me realize that maybe this is not the best setting for this kind of music. Nevertheless, it was a very interesting experience and I also made a bit of money there to go on to Nantes.
 We also made a small event through couchsurfing which brought us with a couple of friends in a park playing really nice music under the rain! On the streets, between other people, I met Joris who felt for me like a simple friendly soul in a place where people seemed to be much more complex than that. He made a drawing of us sitting outisde of Centre Pompidou. Thanks!

J.K.

15 June - Coueron

I arrived in Coueron (close to Nantes) again hitchiking from Paris. I used to think it's quite impossible to get out of Paris but I was lucky enough to find a very good spot. And this is in Massy. I would recommend to get the train to Massy (2 euros or so) and hitchhike from the roundabout next to the station. Anyway, in Coueron  we made a house concert in the garden of a really good friend that also hosted me while I was there. It was an amazing evening with all kinds of wonderful people. Friends, neighbours, young, old, relatives, mothers, daughters.. Was amazing to meet these people, play and share this experience together. Here's a small soundclip from that evening.





16 to 19 June - La ZAD

It is the second time I visit this magic place. Maybe the most intense part of my trip. SO much to get and so difficult to explain to people who haven't been there.So, I would say just go there! In short words, it is a community of autonomous people living in the area of Notres Dames Des Landes north of Nantes where Vinci has plans to build an airport and are resisting since a couple of years. It is in fact a social experiment that can teach you some much about living in a different way..

Through all the things I experienced there and the people I met I would like to tell you about Sam, the storyteller. He travels from village to village and carries with him stories from one place to another. I met him there, heard some of his stories, played together and got his positive energy. There is a lot of things I learned from him and have been thinking a lot about.
 
I don't have anything to show you from my stay in La ZAD, but I think it's better this way. You can go and see with your own eyes :) If you want more info about this place and the struggle, check out their site or send me an e-mail ( dimitrisathanas@hotmail.com ) and I can send you back some more links and info or talk about it together. :)

20 June - Noirmoutier

Shapatia made a new friend in Noirmoutier, Petida!

21 June - Bordeaux

After travelling through the west coast of France for a couple days, meeting nice people and playing music, we arrived in Bordeaux. On the day of "Fete de la musique". We had arranged to do a concert in L'Oukaze, a really nice squat with nice people and lots of things going on, such us a free shop, lots of art and music and hosting people.We made an intimate concert with +- 15 people, ate all together and danced to some nice music. One thing I learned from this event, was that music helps a lot to communicate with people that don't speak the same language with you. It was really nice to spend a couple more days there and then head to the south again.

23 June - Biscarosse

Travelling with friends in the van up to north of Spain

30 June - Granada

We finally arrived in  Granada on the 27th of June and stayed there for a week. We made a concert in Huerto Del Carlos and had a lot of fun trying new things out. Unfortunately, there is no material to show. Anyway, Granada is a magic place. Just a week there was enough to suck me in to this Granada experience! Playing on the street, I met a lot of people from all over the world. Australia, Belgium, Chille, Mexico Spain, Italy. The only thing I have for you to listen is a recording from the castle, Alhambra. I found a place, entering Alhambra, which was an inside part of some walls or entrance to the area of the castle. It was very quiet and with really nice acoustics. So, I started playing and something amazing happened. A big group of tourists (30 people or so) entered this place and then went slowly out, so this made an amazing effect on the recording. You can hear the volume and dynamic of the people's voices and noises fading in and out and then I continue playing. So remember there is no editing on this recording! 



5 July - Sabadell

After Granada Vasia joined me and we headed to Catalunya to meet Joan (Ell Sol) and join him for a part of his Catalunya tour. The first concert in Sabadell was in the stairs of a house! About 30 people sitting and playing on a stairway of two floors. You can watch here two videos from that day :)





And a nice photo as well.

6 July - Capellades

We went to Lemon Day festival where I saw ZA! playing for the second time.
The first time was amazing, but this was unbelievable!
You have to see this band live!



8 July - Cap De Creus

After joining Ell Sol in Moia and Casa De La Selva we ended up playing music for the sun to come out at the end of the world. The wind was playing with us for hours. When the sky was grew brighter we went to sleep. Next day was somehow like this.

19 July - Asti

Me and Vasia left Ell Sol to continue his tour with Zea and King Ayisoba and headed to Italy, passing through France. We hitchhiked a lot, spent a night on the beach and the some days in the nature, close to Pont Saint Esprit before going to Asti, to visit a good friend. We stayed there for a week and made a really nice house concert before leaving. During our stay there we visited Antonio Catalano and his magic world. I could never imagine that something like that existed before we visited him..amazing!
We have some really nice video footage from the house concert, but it will take some time to edit and upload, so for now here is a recording. 



23-28 July -  Cortona/Perugia

After Asti we travelled through Ravena and Bologna and Siena and arrived in an artistic farm close to Cortona. We spent there some days, helping, joining the activities and meeting people. Also played music in the center of Cortona where the ambience and people where amazing. Last stop was Perugia, we were hosted be a couchsurfer, went to a music festival, played on the street and met a lot of nice and interesting people. It was great to meet people that took Via della Viola on their hands and made it an amazing and lively place to be, full of art and events!

On the boat to Greece

We met some people from Firenze and spent nice time together. Also some very young fellows and one of them helped me draw this.

30 July - Athens

Just back and guess what; time for Shapatia to take a bath after two months!
So goodbye and see you next time :)