Simone blog: Today's Blog: Sing the Truth Montreaux

Greetings All!!

We're at Schipol Airport in Holland awaiting the gate number for our flight to Geneva, Switzerland. The name "Geneva Switzerland" brings back many memories of my time at boarding school in Lausanne , Switzerland in 1975-76. The biggest city within proximity was Geneva and we went often I was 13/14 years old and it was an experience I will never forget having learned how to snow ski while making many great friends. The Doobie Brothers and Cat Stevens (when he still was calling himself that) were just a few of the artists that were all over the radio. I started playing guitar during that time, perfecting the intro to "Stairway to Heaven" and jumped off the 2nd floor balcony of the gym beacuse someone dared e and wound up tearing ligaments in my ankle......ahhh, the memories.

My mother performed at the Montreaux Jazz Festival that year. I'm sure many of you have seen the DVD that has been on the market....it's riveting, to say the least for she was in rare form. I still have the flyer from that festival in a photo album and i remember hoping to one day be a part of it. Well, the time has come!!!! 30 years later. God answers prayer.

Last nights show at the North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam was okay. We were 3 without Angelique and we held it down gracefully, but the audience seemed to be out of it having been there ALL day long (someone yelled that out). Our set began at 12:20 am which is late to be going on at all and they stayed. The show already goes by fast with 4 of us and last night's flew by with 3. We, three performed 4 women and closed it out to a standing ovation. It was not easy considering we'd been traveling all day having been up since 6 am and had a trip fraught with minor issues that wore us down.

By the time we arrived by train at Rotterdam station there was no one from the festival in sight. we schlepped our many bags in a freight elevator, that obviously doubled as a WC , to street level and there we waited until the vehicles assigned to pick us up arrived. The drive to the Schipol Hilton Hotel took about an hour. We checked in and went to our respective rooms. Upon entering my lovely room I wanted to call my loved ones and noticed there was no dial tone on either of the phones. I went down to reception. To make a long story short, I had to go down to reception twice before the phones were fixed and managed to get a message to my husband to please call me after having absolutely no luck reaching him or being able to leave a message - imagine my disappointment. THEN, I decided to use the hotel's sauna......it was OUT OF ORDER, as was the steam room as well. With only 2.5 hours to sleep, eat, sauna or whatever I'd already lost one. I wound up taking a bath and ordering room service; both of which were wonderful AND talking to my husband, so all was well.

We drove to the venue ( 45 mins each way ) and made our way through the maze of bldgs the North Sea Jazz Festival were being held in - WOW!!!! It was like a complex....so many people, artists, and stages. By the time we graced the stage at 12:20am!!!! And the rest I already wrote about above.

What you don't know is that I did not go to sleep AT ALL last night......not one wink. I was the first of our party in the lobby at 5:45 am and we were off to the airport. I fell asleep with my head on my lap at the gate and had to be awakened otherwise I would still be there hahaha...it's only funny because I'm here now:-). I slept all the way here on the plane and in the van as we drove one hour to wht is now our hotel. Today I will do what my body needs...after I eat something nourishing.

NOW !!!!! I have no words to adequately describe the Palace Hotel I am now blogging from located here in Montreaux, Switzerland!!!!! IT IS BEAUTIFUL. Another destination you MUST put in your wish list. I am so tired my body doesn't know what to do. I'm awaiting room service and writing this from my balcony which has an unobstructed view of Lake Geneva. I wish we could be here for an extra day. Oh well, no doubt I will be coming back here to perform and when I do I know what awaits and how to plan. The day is sunny and warm, just the way I like it. And we're scheduled to leave for soundcheck at 5:30 for an 8 pm show.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Stay well,

Simone