We've been on the old Island for nearly a week now. Jolly jolly pip pip ho! Yes they all talk like that here, and frankly, friends...it's contagious. Pip!
Ummm, but getting real. Our island life began in Brighton- a lovely seaside town if I do say so myself- at the Great Escape Festival. We got to hang out with lots of Canadians...weird seeing your Saskatoon and Edmonton buddies in Brighton of all places, but there it is. Had a great Canada blast party with the Sheepdogs, Slow Down Molasses, Born Gold, and Jordan Cook. Got day drunk! Ate japanese food! had tea by the sea and gossiped about minor Canadian celebrities, and it was Good! We didn't get a ton of time there, but we did manage to make some curry with our host Liam and watch the Mighty Boosh. Everybody look at the moooooon!
We played in Norwich next. Everybody told us it would be scary. Actually, it was lovely. We played in an old Church, on top of graves and corpses galore! Great stuff. Plus every single staff member there- from the sound guys to the bartenders, were the most attractive venue staff AS A WHOLE to date (no offence other bars!!). But damn. That was some attractive staff! Just sayin'.
Next came paradise. I am lucky enough to have the best family ever. My sort of aunts and uncles own a bunch of holiday cottages in Whitby, and donated one to the panda cause during our 3 (MUCH NEEDED) days off. We're talking a hundreds-of-years-old fisherman's cottage by the sea in Whitby. Picturesque as fuck. We were plunked right down by the bottom of the 199 steps that lead up to the ruined Abby on the cliff where Dracula lands in England in the story. First things first we get treated to this massive curry dinner courtesy of best family ever. Then we sneak up the cliff in the middle of the night, scale the wall to the Abby, and have the greatest mischevious panda bonding session ever...drinking red wine while looking down at the lit up town, up at the stars, and out over the ocean. It's hard to describe how quiet and amazing it was, sitting under all that abandoned stone...i think there were some photos taken...we'll have to get those up here soon.
The next day we walked several kilometers down the beach down to my other uncle-ish's pub at Sandsend. Now, we, as Edmontonians...we dream of fish and chips but we never realize what we're truly missing as land-locked prairie kids. Now we know. Now we know. This fish, according to Iver, was probably still wriggling as of that morning. Battered in golden delight, it sat there...making us silently weep for what we never knew we didn't have. Mmmmmm. Best fish and chips ever. Best family ever!! After that meal we all passed out and didn't wake up till the next day....we probably needed that.
The next day we went kayaking on the river Esk. I fell in twice. I don't want to talk about it really, except that my abs hurt today from all the hysterical laughing I was doing as I rowed back to the docks soaked to the bone and fending off a menacing swan with my oar....Um!! We ate more delicious food, tried to find ghosts in our cottage to no avail, and jammed with some pretty cool teenagers in an old Vickerage. Not bad, for a holiday!
Well our time in paradise is up...time to return to the world of rock and roll, which brings us to Exeter tonight, at the Cavern pub, which is where i'm sitting now! About to rock!
We should go, but we love you. We really do!
XHP
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