Naked Wife and Everest...

Since I last posted, Robin has been to many places, and carried out the first of his two concerts on the Queen Victoria.
This took place on Sunday whilst cruising the Ionian Sea and all went very well.
There was a good, and extremely appreciative audience, many of whom have been passing on some very nice comments.

This is all very helpful for Robin.
Now he is in his 4th week away from home he is rather travel weary, so to know that your music has been appreciated really makes a great difference.

Since the concert he has been to Aghios (Crete), Izmir (Turkey), and today, Athens (Greece).
So whilst Robin called me from one sunny destination after another, I escaped the rain, by checking out the latest Google searches.
I must say there have been some particularly amusing ones recently.
Here are a few:

'My wife nude on the QM2' - I really would like to know more about this one. I assure you that Robin was in no way involved with this incident, but as he will be joining the QM2 very soon, I shall ask him to investigate!

'Julian Bream's wife' - Sorry, you got the wrong guitarist.

'Robin Hill private bank' - I wish....

'Plastic making machine of Robin' - We've had lots of merchandise over the years but I'm pretty sure we have never made plastic Robin figures.

'Robin Hill jean weeks' - Neither do we have a line of designer jeans.

'Robin Hill and Everest' - Yes, Robin has travelled to most parts of the globe, but he has never performed a concert on Everest. Now there's a thought...

'Downside to being a musician' - If you're even asking that question then music isn't for you...

'Can musicians have children' - err, yes. We have living proof on that one.

'Robin's dark side' - I didn't know he had one.

So there we are, just a few randomly selected and quirky Google searches that have amused me recently.
Meanwhile, back out at sea, Robin performs his last concert of this trip tomorrow. So he has been rehearsing all day in preparation.
At least he won't be suffering with cold hands in the Mediterranean climate.
On second thoughts, maybe Everest isn't such a good idea.

No News is Good News?

The news is - that I have no news....
Literally.
Actually it has all been rather difficult for the last 24 hours.
Here are the facts so far:

I know that Robin, and son, left Crystal Serenity on Sunday morning as they called me from a hotel whilst waiting for their transport to Athens airport.

I also know that they arrived at the airport and boarded a flight to Madrid.
After the recent dreadful events there, I was rather anxious about this particular flight. I know this was completely irrational, but try telling that to your brain as it works overtime.

The anxiety then increased when there was no call on arrival at Madrid.
However, I reminded myself, frequently, that it was a rather tight connection, and that the flight Athens - Madrid had been delayed by 30 minutes, thus making the situation worse.

So, with the aid of a glass of wine on Sunday evening, I reassured myself that there just hadn't been time to call home.
Then, later, I got a call - from a public 'phone box (Remember those things!)

They had landed safely in Madrid, run as fast as they could to make their connection, and caught it - just. Then they flew to Alicante.

The battery had gone flat on the mobile, hence the use of a 'phone box.
That's all OK, I was just relieved that my two Hill men had arrived.

10 minutes later another call.
"Can you get hold of Izzy (Cooper) and tell her we are here but they have lost our luggage..."
The 'phone line went dead.
Urmm.
I called the only number I had, spoke to a very helpful lady who said she would pass the message on, and basically that was the last thing I heard.
This was late Sunday evening.

So all day I have been thinking about what might be happening. (Apart from a very pleasant few hours when I was out with family.)
No news is good news, right?

My current thinking is that the luggage didn't appear as the charger for the 'phone will have been in the suitcase.
But to lose both sets of cases!!!
Maybe they are still on the dockside in Athens. Or perhaps left in Madrid. Or even on the wrong plane completely and are right now in Honolulu....

The concert is on Thursday so there is time for the cases to appear.
But I have been concerned how Father and son have been coping with the complete lack of clothes, wash bags etc.
More importantly, strings, nails repair kit and most of Robin's music will also be missing....

Actually, I'm rather pleased I'm not there.
And as the 'phone can't be charged until the case arrives, I don't even have to deal with any of the 'long distance' fallout.

But this is a scenario that we are unfortunately rather familiar.
A few examples, 'The Robin Hill Saga', 'A Case of the Borrowed Tuxedo', or, 'Lost Luggage Again', and the most frightening, 'Missing - Miguel Rodriguez Churchdoor...'.

An added frustration has been an inability to access Twitter. This is ongoing and I don't know if it is just me, or whether the whole system is down.
The lack of tweets for 24 hours has made me realise just how much I use it - and how much I needed a few reassuring words from the global community over the last day.

But for now all I can do is wait.
Hopefully at some point the cases will be returned.
So the 'phone and charger will be reunited.
Then I can find out exactly what has been going on.

Amsterdam - Athens and the Dawn Chorus

The end of a busy week is now here.
This culminated in a 3.30am alarm call.
Like any dutiful wife, I got up, made coffee for Robin to ease him into the day, went back to our room to remind him that he was actually the one that needed to get up, then kept out of the way whilst he frantically ran around the house picking up all the things he'd forgotten.

By 4.30 he was on his way to the airport and I was on my way back to bed. (Having very briefly admired the dawn chorus.)

By the time I was awake for the second time, and dealing with a tearful 5 year old, ("I don't want Daddy to go away," were the first cause of tears, closely followed by frustration, as I wouldn't let him play his violin as it was only 7am...) Robin had arrived in Amsterdam, made a quick call to say he was on his connecting flight, and is now on his way to Athens.

Before he left he had a lot to do.
Yesterday was the only day that he and Izzy Cooper could speak about the programme for the concert in August.
Contact was made, musical decisions made, and there is a slight chance that they may 'bump' into each other somewhere in the Mediterranean over the next few weeks, which could prove helpful.
They will however be able to meet up in July to go through the repertoire.
Whilst this may sound very close to the actual concert dates, it's actually quite normal for musicians of this level to carry out most of their practice separately.

Now that Robin has gone off, I can focus on the return of son number one later today.
I'm bracing myself for one exhausted child, most likely filthy and bruised if last year is anything to go by, (gorge jumping being one of the activities...) and a rucksack full of smelly wet clothes.
I think I should go and lie down for a while...