A Man, A Guitar and A Song...

There are many hazards when travelling, particularly with musical instruments.

As regular readers will know, we have frequently had problems, especially with lost luggage.
Here are just a few random posts: 'A case of the Borrowed Tuxedo', 'The Robin Hill Saga' and 'No News is Good News?'

But by far the worst situation Robin has dealt with was this one, 'Missing - Miguel Rodriguez Churchdoor...'

Thankfully, we have never had the problem that Dave Carrol of the band, 'Sons of Maxwell' has had to deal with.
You can read the full story here: 'United Breaks Guitars'.
But below is Dave Carrol's musical response to the whole situation. It's worth watching, and also to remember, never come between a man and his guitar...
I wish Dave Carrol the very best of luck with any future guitars.

Airport Antics

Robin is now acclimatising to life at home.
He did perform an extra concert on the Queen Victoria, as she circled off the coast of Istanbul, waiting for the sea to become calm enough to dock.
All the staff and crew were very grateful that he stepped in, at only 30 minutes notice, to entertain the patiently waiting guests.

Then the eventful journey home began.
Whilst going through customs at Istanbul airport, Robin was taken to one side, searched and questioned.
"Have you visited any other countries before arrival in Turkey?" was the first one.
With thoughts of the film 'Midnight Express' coursing through his head, his mind went completely blank.
He couldn't remember one destination he had been to in the last week.
"Errm, ohh, you're not going to believe this but I really can't remember," didn't seem to satisfy the officer.

Eventually, he pulled himself together, explained that he had been on the Queen Victoria, and handed the official a Turkish landing card.
The customs men were happy, and off Robin went.

Once I arrived at Manchester airport to meet him I was greeted with the information that his plane was an hour late.
That was OK, I'd made arrangements for children to be collected from school, so purchased a newspaper and rather enjoyed some time reading and some people watching.

However, as the information on the screen shifted to 'landed', then, 'arrived', and slowly to, 'reclaiming luggage', (yes, I'm very familiar with the whole process, and for those not so used to it, don't be fooled by the 'reclaiming luggage' stage. Sometimes that only appears once you have already been reunited with your loved one, or, they are wandering around looking for you, whilst you while away the time in a coffee house thinking thy are still disembarking...)
But still no sign of Robin.
Even on the occasions of missing luggage, of which there are many, (try this one, or this one, for a start) he should have appeared by this time.

I was starting to become concerned.
Then, finally, he appeared and all was revealed.
He must have been looking particularly shifty on this day, as once again, he had been stopped at customs.
Not just stopped and asked to remove shoes and go through the scanner once again, I mean seriously stopped.
Taken off to an interview room and asked to sit down.

"So, Mr Hill, how long were you in Istanbul?"
"Just under two days."
"That seems a strange length of time."
"Well, I was just passing through."
"Passing from where?"

He we go again.
But this time he was ready, and recalled the various destinations, reasons for his travels, which was reinforced by the concert guitar in a large, protective case right next to him...(which had already been scanned and proved to be completely harmless.)
Finally they let him go.

Strange really.
He passes through the airport so frequently that you would think he was on first name terms with most of the staff.
Then again, maybe that's the problem.
Frequent traveller, multiple destinations, glazed travel weary expression...
Anyway, he's home and he's fine, as thankfully he was able to convince the various customs officers that he simply wants to play his guitar, and make music.

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.

Robin's Return and Francis Poulenc

Robin has arrived home from Boston, in remarkably good spirits, despite the overnight flight.
He had to hang about at the airport for a while, as I was stuck in rush hour traffic, having deposited two children at school, at the earliest opportunity.
In fact we had to wait for them to unlock the door, and the lollipop man thought he was hallucinating, when he saw us arrive at 8am. (We are usually the ones running through the gates at the last minute...)

However, I eventually made it through the traffic, and whisked Robin away from the airport.
Amazingly he had his suitcase!! (Read earlier posts for the various lost luggage problems we have had.)

Once home we enjoyed the chance to sit and chat, face to face, over coffee. After catching up with nautical tales Robin asked to see the post that had arrived in his absence.
I knew that this would be the point that I lost him to the music room.
A package had arrived, in his absence, containing music.
Robin had ordered it before he went away, and, as predicted, couldn't resist going off to play through it.

The piece is 'Sarabande', by Francis Poulenc, which is dedicated to Ida Presti.
It's a short, but beautiful piece of music, that Robin played many years ago, and wanted to revisit.
It is also the only guitar piece that Poulenc wrote, composed in New York, March, 1960.

For me, well, it was just so nice to hear the guitar playing around the house again.

Lost Luggage Again.....

One relieved guitarist is back home.
After flight changes, security checks, missed flights and finally arrival at Manchester, the sting in the tail was, of course, lost luggage.
This happens so frequently it's hardly worth a mention anymore.
At least Robin's guitar is now allowed back in the cabin of the plane so we didn't have to worry about that.
It's also not as traumatic on the return trip.
Past experience has taught us that having to perform concerts in a borrowed suit is not much fun.
We have been assured that the luggage it is on its way, and will be delivered shortly, by a courier who we are almost on first name terms with.

Not one to let jet lag get the better of him, Robin has already taken the dogs out for a much needed walk, and is currently on an extended bike ride with son number one, in the pouring rain.

No doubt he will be tempted to do some practice on his return.