Take the ferry………

 

Woke around 7:30am, showered and had the free bagel and orange juice supplied by the Best Western. I was driving to Orient Point this morning, i was booked on the ferry that goes over to New London in Connecticut. I was booked on the noon ferry and the drive to it was about 90 minutes. Half way there i realised i was a little early and might even make the 11 o clock one.

I've actually taken this ferry about 5 or 6 years ago and its a real nice drive through Long Island, past the Hamptons and pretty much you drive to the most eastern point of the Long Island.

The drive to the ferry was good with no traffic, all the traffic was going the other way to get into New York,  was heading out away from it.

Always makes me laugh when i get out this way and up in New England as in the rest of the USA there are very few Roundabouts on the roads, in the USA they are called Rotaries and its funny watching people try to use them, most people have no idea! Its always funny when I'm in the UK with any US friends in the car how they comment on how well i handled that rotary! lol They even have Yield (Give Way) markings on the roundabouts!

Leaving Woodbury                               A “roundabout” in Long island          They even have arrows on them!!!

      

When you get about 30 miles out of Woodbury the scenery is beautiful its all wineries and fresh farm food produce stores. I passed several fruit stands outside house where they had tables full of dishes of fresh fruit with a box that you leave money in if you take one! imagine that in the UK!

Fresh farm food                              Welcome to Wine country               Fields of vines

    

 

I passed a sign for Long Island Sky diving, id love to have stopped to have done it but if i had missed the ferry over to New London that would have thrown my whole days plans out! I saw a few other signs on the drive as well, some made me smile but the “”dead End” one was classic, i drove past it and just had to turn back around and take a picture of it!

Pigs!                                             Kim, dare you say it three times!      Literally a dead end for some!!

   

There were a  few places i pulled in to take a few pictures and kind of wished i had had another day out in Long Island instead of driving up to Cape Cod but I've always wanted to see the “Cape” and I'm sure it’ll be worth the drive and missing a few things in other place.

(I'm actually sat on the ferry as i type this entry, its a one hour twenty minute ride and pretty far from land either side so there's not much to see)

Panorama out on Long Island:

Some of the houses out here and very cute, every one is different from the next, all in their own grounds with sunflowers, wineries, orchards and boating marinas all around them. I can only imagine how much even some of these smaller places cost to buy!

 

I arrived at the ferry terminal about 10:30, went to get my ticket in the office and asked if i was able to make the earlier 11am one, no problem at all i was told and i drove into lane four and waited to drive onto the ferry deck.

 

Orient Point Ferry                My rental car inline              The ticket office                    Onboard the ferry

     

There's a couple of dogs on the ferry, Zeus and Jack, two golden retrievers I've been fussing for the last 5 minutes, i miss having an animal so much at home.

Panorama view from the back of the ferry

So I've got about 50 minutes till i get to New London and then the 3 hour drive up to Cape Cod, a little further if i decide to go right up to the tip and see Provincetown which everyone says i should see!

Just wanted to say a quick thanks to Jane who has been reading my blog and sent me an e mail to let me know there's some delays on one of the bridges over to Cape Cod, thanks for the info and I've already planned a route around it on my GPS for when i arrive, thanks again, appreciate it. I'm guessing I'll be at the hotel when i upload this as i wont have an internet connection till I'm at my hotel!

Arriving in New London

   

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Nassau, second show…..

I headed out to the show around six, a little later than yesterday, i got caught in a bit of traffic and didnt arrive till near seven. Ellie called while i was on my way to say she had arrived as did my friend Brad as well. I was also meant to be meeting up with my friend Jeff whom i had missed at all the NY shows and last nights Nassau show. He was due in the bar at 7:30 but it got to pm and i couldn't see him.

The Nassau Coliseum venue
   

I saw with Ellie and Andy for half an hour and then my friend Brad arrived, Brad had bought a front row seat for tonight's show and had never seen the show from the front row, i knew he would like it and i wasn't wrong! once you've been front row you cant go back! Brad had also brought his friend Mike whom had not seen the show at all but was a big Wall fan.

We headed down to the floor and much to the disappointment of Brad he was only asked once to show his front row ticket while making his way to his seat!! I headed down there with them and met Mike who had already found his seat and was soaking in some of the atmosphere. I went for a wonder around the floor and finally found Jeff and his mom! I hadn't seen Jeff since the Ca-ira even in New York some 4 years ago, was great to see you again and to meet your mom!

My friend Jeff (no idea what I'm looking at!)

The floor was packed out tonight i couldn't see a single spare seat in the house. Last night the two sections right next to the stage off the floor at each side was covered by a cloth, stopping anyone sitting in the seats as this was where the wall fell down at the end of the show. Tonight there was no cloth! all the seats were open and people were sat in them! little did they know!

The show tonight was much better than the night before, the crowd were a lot more enthusiastic and even stood u for the opening track of the second half, Hey You.

I don't take my camera to every show as i don't enjoy the show as much if half the time I'm seeing it on a 2” lcd screen but id brought it along tonight. I stood with Brad and Mike on the left hand side on the rail for the show tonight.

Dave openeing Young Lust

Even being this close due to all the lighting and flashes and projections its so difficult to get the settings right on the camera, its a lot more settled in the second half and so much easier to take decent picture. This said i didnt do too bad in the first half and got some half decent shots.

 

The first half went without any hitches at all that i could see, roger was as talkative as ever and  again made reference to being here 30 years ago! Brad and Mike couldn't believe how different the show was seeing it from this close up. He had seen the MSG shows a couple of weeks earlier and there was a ton of things that he hadn't seen or noticed from his seats a bit further back at the other shows. As i said, once you've been on that rail you just cant go back! I stayed  at the front for the intermission didnt go wandering or anything, Jeff came down for a quick chat and said his mom was really enjoying the show and was taking lots of pictures.

By the time Brad and Mike had got back from getting a beer it was tome for the second half, as i said earlier the crowd all raised up from their seats and remained standing for the duration of the show! I love the second half, love seeing the band when they are out front performing. Mike turned to me during Hey You and asked if they leave the wall up for the rest of the show or if they take it down, i told him to just watch, wait and enjoy!

Few pics from the second half
   
    

There was a pretty big cock up on the crews side tonight, when the instruments rse from the stage and In The Flesh started it wasn't till about 20 seconds before the vocals started the Roger realised someone  had forgot to put his mic stand out and his mic! he was pissed you could see it in his face! it was then that Robbie realised and handed him his mic that he usually gives to Roger have way through when he goes walking around on the stage.

In The Flesh

The wall falling down tonight was spectacular! not the best but different. Remember the side blocks of the stage that i said had been uncovered and there were people sat in those seats ? will the wall on the right hand side of the stage totally fell down all over these people and covered them!! it was unreal there were people fighting themselves out of the bricks, oh if only i could have been there,lol The m,ain wall fell in two good sections forward towards the front rail, was great to feel the wind rush past us that was made from a whole sections falling so close to us. I don't think brad had any idea just how close those bricks are when they fall and your stood on that front rail!.

A friend of Dave and mine, Jackie, had messaged me earlier in the day to ask me to find out what was on Dave's t shirt at the end of the show, it was somewhat of a mystery and he hadn't told so so far!

I tried to get a couple of pics of it but it wasn't clear enough as soon as Dave saw me and knew i was trying to find out what was written on it he laughed, turned around and then covered it with his banjo! He’s later told us that Roger asked all the band members for a slogan that they would like on the front of their shirts!  Dave's first request was “sex appeal, please give generously” however he had ended up getting one that said “Wall or Nothing”

   
It was another fantastic show in a historic venue. View all the pics from the show here:

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Couple of pics from a great show tonight, more details soon……..