Limbabwe Records

Due to lack of electricity (too many people using too much) no extended post but another PTV3 tour picture. Eddie setting up merch in Bologna (and sold everything!)

Tonight the last show of this PTV3 trip. We are in Bologna, gigging and sightseeing.

About 40 km north of Bologna you find the Castle of Galeazza.

The oldest part of the Castle of Galeazza is the tower, built in the late 14th century by Galeazzo Pepoli, who was responsible for leading soldiers in the Battle of Marino on the 29th of April 1379.
After climbing 122 steps from the ground floor to the terrace of the tower, the visitor is rewarded with impressive views of the surrounding countryside and a bird’s eye view of the brick parapets and terracotta roof tiles of the castle. From the terrace one can climb up 37 more steps inside a narrower tower, named after the wife of Galeazzo Pepoli, Anna. At the top of Anna, one steps out onto a little balcony to a view of tree tops, the terrace and Ghibelline merlons of the tower below, the park and grounds of the castle, and the adjacent church and convent. On clear days one can see the Appenines to the south and the Alps to the north.
New buildings were added one by one through the centuries. The most recent and prominent additions to the Castle of Galeazza were made in the second half of the 19th century. Around 1870, the property was bought from the Pepoli family by Signor Alessandro Falzoni Gallerani, a gentleman from the nearby town of Cento, who was known for his exquisite taste and appreciation of art and culture. Falzoni Gallerani, who wanted to create a luxurious summer residence for his very large family, connected the buildings scattered around the grounds into a single harmonious structure with neo-gothic details. The completed castle creates a courtyard in the front of the property and an gate to enter the park.
Today the castle is open for visitors. It has a restaurant, library and possibilities to rent rooms (hotel).

On the road with PTV3, rocking, gigging and… visiting castles. Today sightseeing Geneva!
North of Geneva at the lake in Coppet you find Château of Coppet

According to an ancient document the construction of the chateau goes back to the times of Pierre de Savoie who died in 1268. The work was completed under his successors, the Villars.
After 1300, the expression “castellum” or fortified castle appears in documents of the time. The chateau with its tower dominated the houses which were grouped along the lake. A derivation from the river of Versoix, the Greny, fed the moats around the castle and turned the wheel of a mill in the park. After the Villars, Humbert d’ Allamand, then Othon de Grandson, the poet knight, lived in Coppet.
During the fights between the Vaudois and the Bernese, the latter ones partially burnt down the chateau. After its reconstruction it became the property of the Lords of Viry, the Constable of Lesdiguières, and then of the powerful prince family, the de Dohnas. They were the governors of the principality of Orange in France (The presence of the Hotel d’Orange in Coppet is a souvenir from those days). The philosopher Pierre Bayle was the tutor of de Dohna’s children.
It was the de Dohnas, and then their successors, the Hogguers, who gave the château, between 1680 and 1730, its current look. After them, in 1767, Gaspard de Smeth, put up his coat of arms on the front of the chateau (de Smeth = forgeron).
The fame of the Chateau of Coppet starts in 1784, the year of its purchase by Jacques Necker. Jacques Necker, born in Geneva, made an exceptional career in Paris, where Louis XVI, King of France, chose him to be his Finance Minister
Since these days, the chateau has remained in the hands of Necker’s descendents. The first generation was his famous daughter, Mme de Staël, followed by her eldest son, Auguste, who died young. After his death the chateau went over to his widow and since 1878 the chateau is in the hands of the Haussonville family. The current owner represents the 8^th generation since Necker and the 10^th generation since 1784.
Coppet is still the only privately owned property in the Leman region, which has conserved all of its furniture, pieces of art, paintings and family souvenirs. It is not a museum but a family possession open to the public.

It took some period writing again, anyway, you where to busy figuring out the complicated family structures in the surroundings of my whereabouts (my trip to the internet cafe). And yes, we are on tour. Tilburg, The Netherlands. Its 5 now hours before the first show of this trip. Again I will keep you updated about a rock band on tour with the sight, smells and…castles

TILBURG CASTLE

The Tilburg Castle existed until 1858 and was situated on an estate called ‘De Hasselt’.
The castle was built around the year 1500. In that period the daughter of count Jan van Haasdrecht married Robert van Malsen, the regent of ‘Tilburg and Goirle’. It is uncertain if Haasdrecht or Malsen gave the instructions building the castle. In 1621 the family Van Grobbendonk became regent and took over the castle followed by family Hessen-Kassel (1710-1754 and family Van Hoogendorp (1754-1858).

In 1858 the castle with estate and buildings was publicly sold. The castle was bought by Nicolaas Pesser and his son. They demolished it and established on the same spot a textile company, manufacturing with sheep whool and leather. The castle lake was very suitable for washing whool.
Due to city housing the factory and remains of the castle totally disappeared. To memorize the Tilburg castle the city councel raised a monumet on the spot where it once was standing. In a public garden on the Van Bylandstraat you can see the shapes of castle fundaments

My trip to the internet cafe part 2, I am having a ride with Pompeus on his ox-wagon. For reading the full eposide 1 go to the post of March 16.
Slowly we move down on a dirt road pulling big load of damping, stinky manure. Lucky, wind blows south-west, the direction we are going. On a crossing Pompeus must turn left, I go right towards village. On this crossing I jump of, shake hands, say goodbye and sit on a big stone on roadside waiting for the milk-truck driven by Aureliano Jose Lorenzo Segundo Maria Dos Reis, aka ‘Peixe’ (Fish). What gave him this name nobody remembers. Had to do with something in his teenage years, a story everybody forgot. Peixe was born from Maria Rosa Ferreira Gracinda Joseph Dos Reis, aka ‘Floracao’ (bloom), the daughter of Gordo’s brother (another Beteraba’s onkel) Jose Machado Martinho Joaq Maria Dos Antunes, aka ‘Carvalho’ (oak). Peixe’s father is unknown. Floracao was never married and she passed away suffering an unknown but fatal desease when Peixe was 11 years old. The family Reis (Pepino and Donna Doce) adopted Peixe raising him as their own son. Until today Peixe is unmarried. After 20 minutes waiting distance dust-clouds announce the approach of Peixe’s truck, rolling down the hill. Its nice to be with Peixe, always in a good mood, singing songs while driving. It might have something to do with the bottle of wine hidden behind driver’s seat that keeps his condition up. Besides his passion for music Peixe sees only good in people and is in his heart a socialist. Together we sing ‘The Internationale’, he in Portuguese, me in Dutch, while moving slowly (because of the many milk-cans) between meadows and farmland. After some time we reach the vegetable farm of Maria Laura Malacia Ludovina Joseph Dos Reis Dos Antunes aka ‘Mae Grande’ (big mama). Seeing her explains the name. Mae Grande is sister of Floro, although not really. Few months old Mae Grande was found and also adopted by the wealthy and caring Pepino and Donna Doce who named her. The real parents of Mae Grande are until today never found. Mae Grande married Jose Carlos Teodoro Martinho Maria Dos Antunes, aka ‘Delgado’ (skinny), son of Relvazinho and brother of Beteraba. Mae Grande and Delgado live a happy marriage and have 3 healthy sons; Carlos Jose Teodoro Martinho Maria Dos Antunes, aka ‘Charro’ (sticky), Teodoro Jose Carlos Martinho Maria Dos Antunes aka ‘Veloz’ (speedy) and the youngest Martinho Jose Carlos Teodoro Maria Dos Antunes, aka ‘Verso’ (fresh). Mae Grande owns a big vegetable garden. She sells her harvest on the local market. Aware of food manipulation by the commercial industry she grows her veggies the old traditional way, biologic and natural. Her husband and sons help along in the garden that grew out to a large cultivated field. The veggies from Mae Grande are good quality and popular. Her market sales cover most of the family income. They live a good life and can even afford a small truck. Besides helping his wife Delgado is also the village hairdresser. He visits his customers (almost everybody in the village) at home driving on a ‘Puch’ motor bicycle imported from Germany in the 70ties, last century. With Mae Grande I can drive to the village market, sitting in the back on a veggie crate. Arriving on the market I almost reach my destination. Waving goodbye to Mae Grande I walk to the internet cafe called Quase (almost) bar, just a few meters from Mae Grande’s stand, situated on the market square. The Quase bar is owned by Gabriel Nesco Vito Norberto Maria Dos Calvao, aka ‘Nariz’ (nose), son of the village mayor Vito Norberto Orlando Duarte Maria Dos Calvao, aka ‘Nariz Velho’ (old nose). Nariz tries to have a political career. He is frontman of the local party DC (Democratico Catolico) and hopes to follow in his father footsteps becoming the village first man. Busy with his career he leaves the Quase bar in the hands of his daughter Eugenia Ulises Adelino Fatima Joseph dos Calvao, aka ‘Beata’ (pious). While Beata is making me a coffee I open my laptop to go online posting this story.