JUNE 2011
Welcome to Paul's 2011 tour blog, in which Paul will be detailing what daily life is like whilst touring with Monica and The Explosion.
In his blog, you will find descriptions of venues, support bands, and of the various people that Paul meets along the way.
Paul will also share various photos from his travels
The first entry for this month is at the foot of the page, with the latest entry at the top!
KEEP CHECKING THIS PAGE...
30 June 2011 – Sverige (A turnip in the land of Swedes).
“Do you know what is the most dangerous creature we have here in Sweden?” asked Lars from the back seat of the car, rousing me from my no doubt unattractive slumber. This sort of question never fails to solicit a keen interest from me. To be fair, the last time I’d received friendly advice about a possible threat to my wellbeing it had taken me all of 15 minutes to painfully establish that the danger was all too real. On that occasion it was the sting of a “Bluey” or Portuguese Man O’War (see blog dated 8th January 2011…..)
So what was the neighbourhood threat this time?
Before I could hesitatingly reply “Wolves?”, the answer was fired back at me.
“Ticks!”
We were travelling from Arlanda airport to Anna-Clara and Bengtzon’s house in the small coastal village of Åkerö in the Rådmansö region of Sweden, northeast of Stockholm. Anna-Clara is Monica’s older sister. We’re on a 6-day trip here, this time mixing business with pleasure as we only have one show in Stockholm on Friday and a songwriter’s competition in Kalmar to enter and perform in on Tuesday.
OK so here’s what makes the tick more dangerous than the humble Canis lupus lupus…
“A record number of Swedes may be infected by encephalitis and other potentially fatal diseases by the country's billions of ticks, whose number is increasing because of milder winters. Sweden had the highest rate of tick-borne encephalitis, or TBE, in Western Europe last year. The illness affected about one in every 20,000 residents, according to Eurosurveillance data. One in every 1,000 patients dies from the illness, according to doctors.”
Now given that our ultimate destination was a small cabin in the woods, you can see why the following information was of some interest to me.
“Ticks are found across Sweden's eastern coastline and the country's 220,000 islands, the top holiday destination for Sweden's nine million people, who use traditional deterrents including garlic and sprays to ward off the insects. Demand for vaccinations also means doctors are using new ways to reach patients, including a tick clinic that's based on a boat.”
There is also a “Tick Bus” that travels from village to village offering the same service.
Apparently if you’ve been in or near tall grass you should examine your anatomy for telltale signs of infection. For the parts of your body that you can’t inspect yourself then you should get a friend to have a look…
At last some good news.
Although later I did find this recent newspaper article dated Tuesday, April 26, 2011:
Wolf Attacks Mother Walking with Child in Sweden
Sweden recently overturned a 45 year ban on wolf hunting as wolf populations have grown to more than 200 animals, and wolves impinge more frequently on areas occupied by humans. The clash between man and nature has claimed another victim, as two wolves converged on the path of a mother out walking with her child in Norrtälje, north of Stockholm. The wolves appeared suddenly on the path in front of the young mother, who was pushing a baby carriage and accompanied by the family dog. One wolf attacked the pet, seizing it by the neck and turning to carry its prey off to the woods. Initial reports indicated that the second wolf turned its attention to the baby carriage, but later reports confirming the wolf attack indicate that the wolves did not threaten the baby. The later reports say the woman began screaming and flailing her arms, which wolf experts praise as the right course of action.
Norrtälje is 19 km from Åkerö !!!
Below: Paul's latest Blog Pics. Click to enlarge
- BRAND NEW MONICA AND THE EXPLOSION DVD SINGLE RELEASED
See advert below...
Available at Monica & Paul's forthcoming gigs at only £2-99.
Or BUY online at the Radar Proof Recordings' secure BIG CARTEL site HERE
- MONICA AND THE EXPLOSION CD TO PURCHASE:
Click the CD cover photo to purchase the totally fabulous Monica and The Explosion CD, with Paul Slack on bass. You will be taken to the secure Time & Matter Recordings Big Cartel site.
THIS IS THE ONLY U.K. OUTLET FOR THE CD, WITH A SMALL DONATION ALSO GOING TO CHARLIE'S CHARITABLE CAUSE.
Go on - you know it makes sense - give yourself a real new musical treat!
