My Depeche Mode Tour Blog 2017/18 Schulzi on Global Spirit Tour : Depeche Mode In Bratislava, May 20, 2017 or the rain is coming

When you read the title of this post you get an idea what is happened. The summer tour is an open air tour, not in every city but in the most, and so you have to accept the situation.
Athens a few days ago, a rainy show, I saw pictures of friends of mine, not funny.
Last tour in Bratislava, rainy.... So stay tuned, I start at the beginning...

The alarm clock rang by 4 o'clock a.m. and I went to the airport. So tired but wonderful when you awake before the sun is rising.

The train is coming... to the airport:

Then I ate my self-made raw vegan wrap.

In Bratislava I met my travel mate and we went by bus for 5 € to Bratislava.

Don't book a bus in advance. There are many of busses and so cheap. We got a free coffee, the crew was so friendly and you have a lots of possibilities to spend the time in the bus, "so get on board" at "Regio Jet".

We went out to the bus to Bratislava central bus station. It's not in the city centre but near by our hotel and the stadium.

First impressions of Bratislava:

Bridge of the Slovakian National Revolt:

Near the bus station Mlynske Nevy:

Then we wanted to take a few beers in our favorite pub "Tip Cafe" where we spent on the last tour a few funny days ( see the blog entry 2014 for Bratislava). But it was rebuilt and was not open yet. So we visited the pub near by called "Morgans", a fisherman's pub.

We had two beers with two friends, then they left us for sightseeing. Then another group of friends arrived. Very long good old friends. They came from a small town near Hannover, my birthday town, which I left as a child with 5 years. I met one of them 2001 the first time and we have a special connection because we come from the same small town ( he is the one in the middle).

Next picture is taken by Lars.

Then we checked into our great hotel Apollo. Very cheap, spacious rooms, clean, tasty breakfast, fitness room and so on. You can walk into the old town in 15 minutes, the bus station is near to catch the bus to Vienna, so when you are in Bratislava, I recommend this hotel.

We needed a nap after 2 liters of beer and later we had an italian dinner in a restaurant near by.

We shared a taxi with other friends to the stadium.

The stadium "Pasienky" is an old ruin, sorry, but it deserves no other name. They sold tokens which you have to change to get drinks. When finally one of us came to the head of the line to buy the tokens, they were sold out and they told us, now we can pay with cash.

Ok, means standing in the line for another 30 minutes. But the beer was cheap like everything in Bratislava and we drank so long until the beer was sold out. So crazy the situation there.

If you wanted to leave the front of the stage area you got this little notes. When you came back, they took it away again. I tried to keep mine, but no chance....

This guy, Marcel, I met him first time 2006 on the Bratislava concert. He came from Munster and later we discover that we have many friends in common. So it was so nice, that he was in Bratislava again.

A group of fans from Germany brought this sherbet into the concert and we filled it with vodka.

Tastes great, but - going backwards - not the best idea.

No setlist changes. In the beginning the atmosphere wasn't so good. Most of the people stood, only a few sang with the band.

I forgot it, but I think it started to rain at "in your room". And it rained cats and dogs, no fun.

Oddly enough now the concert turned in the best concert of this tour so far. The band gave now their best, maybe they had compassion for the audience, because it had already rained on the penultimate tour. "The rain is coming, the rain is coming...." ( found this picture on instagram).

Most of the Slovaks had rain capes, but me and my most friends not ( all my clothes including the shoes were squelching wet).

But it was a wonderful concert. We stood together, we danced together, we sang our favorite songs like "Everything counts" together, we were totally soaked. Alcohol, rain and later a few tears. Tears of happiness, maybe only a few drop of bitterness. " This is the last time.... the last time, call it what you want". So truth, this lines of Dave's song: "no more".

Wasn't easy to catch a taxi back to the hotel, but finally we came back. A few of us went to an after show party, a few not. I was to drunken and had to sleep.

And that was a good decision because it's very important for me to run in the morning. It was early but warm and I love the quiet empty streets. And it's a kind of fast sightseeing. Check it out, you will feel better.

Then breakfast in an large dining room. So many people sat their with their breakfast. I met my friends from Burgdorf again. We discussed the concert. Breakfast was fine, fruits, vegetables, perfect for me.

After the breakfast we all went different ways. A few catched the bus to Vienna for an early flight back to home. A few rest in the city for another two days, other ones took a train to Budapest where the next concert is and in my case I had a date with a good friend in the afternoon in Vienna, where he live now since 5 years. But I booked a boat tour for going back to Vienna. I love to ride with vehicles of every description.

It was a nice but windy trip, only 90 minutes then you are in Vienna with a very modern catamaran.

So here a few pictures of the trip and of Vienna, where my friend picked me up. Together we drank and ate something, had to speak about many things.

I went very happy back to the airport and flew home at the late evening.