The Sword @ The Mad Hatter

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The Sword performing at The Mad Hatter

The Sword came to town supporting their “Warp Riders” release.  More on that in a moment. Read the rest of this entry »

Sluggo Reunion

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Sluggo's First Gig In 25 Years!

Cincinnati’s premier hardcore band Sluggo held a reunion show on November 20, 2010 at the Historic Southgate House in Newport, Kentucky.

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Balluminaria 2010

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Balluminaria 2010

Balluminaria is a fun event held in Eden Park at Mirror Lake where hot air balloons are placed around the edge of the “lake” and lit up at night.

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Hello, Cleveland!

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4th of July!

Spinal Tap found themselves lost backstage at the Xanadu Star Theater in Cleveland at one point in their career after a 30-foot jog was miscalculated.  Read the rest of this entry »

A Yank In France: From Calais to Nolay

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The Royal Friterie

A two-hour ferry ride from Dover (21 miles) placed me in Calais late in the evening.  It was foggy and stayed that way for some time.  Without any Euros and a big appetite to take care of, ducking into a nearby casino provided an opportunity for currency exchange.  The Royal Friterie was open late and whipped up a huge kebab sandwich with a mountain of pommes frites piled on top. Read the rest of this entry »

A Yank In Sweden: Part Fyra (Gotland)

17th Century Ship Off The Coast of Visby

A Ship Of The Coast Of Gotland

Planes, trains, and automobiles make their way to the Scandinavian summer vacation hotspot of Gotland.  If you do take your car, be sure to use the ferry to prevent any water damage.  The Baltic Sea probably wouldn’t do your automobile much good.  Gotland is the home of the medieval city of Visby which has a stone wall called Ringmuren that is over 2 miles long. Read the rest of this entry »

A Yank In Sweden: Part Tre (Stockholm)

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Which Way To Stockholm?

I took a train from Gothenburg to Stockholm which only took a few hours.  The photo above shows an interesting art installation of a floating face and hand.  One of the first things I wanted to do while in Stockholm was to visit the Vasa Museum.  The story of the Vasa sounds doomed from the beginning.  They spent two years building a ship where construction plans had been compromised and the whole process was rushed to satisfy the King.  The ship was launched despite ballast issues that caused instability and it tipped over, sinking in the way you don’t want a ship to do.  On the positive side, the water it was living in was toxic enough to help kill off ship-eating organisms which aided in the preservation.  It was raised and now resides in a museum along with many artifacts to view. Read the rest of this entry »

A Yank In Sweden: Part Två (Kungälv)

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View From The Fortress

I briefly visited Kungälv.  In particular, I went to the Bohus Fortress.  The photo shows a view from the fortress with the Göta älv rolling along into the distance.  The fortress was built some time in the 14th century and eventually partially demolished.  The bricks were cannibalized to build other structures.  It even operated as a prison for some time. Read the rest of this entry »

A Yank In Sweden: Part En (Göteborg)

Let me begin this entry by saying “jag talar inte svenska” (I don’t speak Swedish).  Upon arrival in Göteborg,  I did like any typical yank from the states and bought some Swedish Fish.  Okay, maybe that’s not the typical thing to do, but they were quite tasty.  Perhaps I played my part of tourist and purchased a t-shirt first.   Whatever the case, I also took the time to seek out a fine restaurant called Sjöbaren  located in Haga.  (I think the restaurant name means sea bar, but I’m probably wrong).  I ordered fisksoppa (fish soup), svärdfiskfilé (swordfish), and crème brulé, which was all excellent.  I can highly recommend them all, including the candy. Read the rest of this entry »