Indianapolis Friday July 3, 2015

Two tasks for today: Checking out downtown Indianapolis and work. The first part was easy. Bus number 3 into town. Visiting the Stones hotel briefly, I noticved they had a classic black & white photo of Mick Jagger right behind the concierge. I wanted a picture of it but I could not get myself into asking the very nice concierge to move slightly to the side for the picture. Finally I got my moment of time and I got my picture. I bet Mick was sneaking down at night making a similar picture, a selfie that is.

Indianapolis downtown is a mixture of monumental buildings, a canal with a Venezian touch, a market that was closed due to Friday being a holiday on the day before Saturday 4th of July, and a city that is connecting farmland with the East Coast. Indianapolis should have been time zone wise on Central Time if you look at the map, but in real life they moved the time line so that it curves to the west of Indianapolis city. That way the far north and the far south of the state is on Central time, same as Chicago, while Indianapolis is on Eastern time. By 9:30pm it was still not dark, because they had styretched the time zone a bit...













For comments please contact me at e-mail: iorr@arena.no

Bjornulf

Indianapolis Saturday July 4, 2015 - Show day

I went into zombieland and worked all day. By 2:30pm I had done all pending work on IORR, a massive pile of work was behind me. I went to the local diner and celebrated my work success with a concert dinner.

We went to the show by 4:30pm, drove into the venue, and joined in with the big festival mood of the race track. Great show, great performance, and great 4th of July fireworks. See my report here:

[www.iorr.org]

Why are the Rolling Stones so great on this tour? Because of hard work from the band, including Ronnie. Enjoy this great picture taken by Jim Pietryga!



I just enjoyed most of the show from the B-stage, and the last two songs from the mixer, these are a couple of my impressions:

Matt Clifford on "You Can't Always Get What You Want"



"You Can't Always Get What You Want" as seen from the mixer:




Pre-show...





For comments please contact me at e-mail: iorr@arena.no

Bjornulf



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2015-07-06 05:59 by bv.

Indianapolis to Detroit Sunday July 5, 2015

It took all day to get from Indianapolis to Detroit, with a connectiong flight in Baltimore. Good news I worked all through my travel, on both airports of Indianapolis and Baltimore, and also on the flights. So I am still pretty much done with the current reports, and I may spend Monday on my real paid for work. Some think I am on a holiday on the tour... I am not. I just happen to bring my office with me, then I go to shows and tyr to do the best out of it, may be also to see some bits of America while I travel.

The IORR offices on the airports, and my main reading the past three months, the South West inflight magazines of May, June, July:







For comments please contact me at e-mail: iorr@arena.no

Bjornulf



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2015-07-06 06:01 by bv.

Detroit Sunday July 5, 2015

After sort of homeless travel changing into a bunch of new hotels every day, I will now be five days in Detroit. That is the longest stay in one place since Los Angeles before the tour start, two months ago. At first I was sad because I could not go to Ohio and do the canal trails there, too busy, but then I got tourist brochures from "Pure Michigan". Great pictures from Midland and Frankenmuth. May be these places are too far away, but I will find some time to bike and do sightseeing here. Michigan looks great. Like Keith says: "It is great to be anywhere"...

And my hotel upgraded my room for free into a massive suite, larger than my living room at home, because I have been loyal for most of my travel. The Detroit stay is all by loyality points, like most of these two last weeks of the tour. Thank you very much!

More about the Detroit stay later...

For comments please contact me at e-mail: iorr@arena.no

Bjornulf



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-07-06 06:03 by bv.

Detroit Monday July 6, 2015

Detroit is a big city. And highly diversified. It took a day to understand Detroit, but now I just love it.

I know nothing about cars, but in the city of cars, I had to make pictures of the two cars I loved the most, General Motors buildings near the Detroit river do have a lot of cars on display, these are the two I would bring back home if I could!

Greektown? May be touristic? Move on and see the rest of the city. It was biking day today, I did not have a bike but I got plenty of smiles.

The Harley Davidson biker had this great bike everybody, even the ladies, that passed by simply had to take a second look at. I asked for a picture as he went off, and I got thumbs up. Then he drove off with a thunder!

With a great view to Detroit River and Windsor Canada just across the river, this is the perfect place to be when the Stones are scheduled to perform here on Wednesday.









































For comments please contact me at e-mail: iorr@arena.no

Bjornulf



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-07-07 05:21 by bv.

Charlie Watts live with Tim Ries in Detroit Tuesday July 7, 2015

Today was a very wet and rainy day here in Detroit. For the first time in a month or so during this tour I had to replace my slippers and shorts with warmer dressing. I spend all day working in my hotel room, as rain is perfect work weather. Then I went to meet good old friends from Finland who arrived today for the Stones shows in Detroit and Buffalo. We had dinner at the top level restaurant of my hotel, with a great view of the Detroit River and across to Canada and Windsor.

We went to the Tim Ries show at the Music Box - Max M. Fisher Music Center. It is such a great music hall. The acoustics are perfect. It is built for classic music, and work perfect for jazz as well. The crowd was small, may be 120 sitting by small tables on the floor, and around 150-200 on the theatre style seated area behind the tables. Late show start 10pm, normally shows are at 7pm there our taxi driver told us.

I was off duty i.e. no camera, no pen or paper, no nothing. I was there to enjoy and meet other fans only, no reporting or more serious stuff like a Stones show is always. Serious stuff. Just before show start I noticed some familiar faces on my right side behind the stage. Charlie Watts... It took a few songs but then Tim said he would bring on a friend for as couple of songs. Charlie Watts walked on stage in an orange T-shirt and was all a big smile through his set. The crowd went bananas, and stayed pretty wild... Charlie simply loves to play the jazz drums, and this time none of the two songs he played on were Stones songs.

Bernard Fowler did such a great singing, and Darryl Jones do know how to play the jazz bass, with history from other great jazz musicians in the past. Tim Ries was the band leader, as always, and he played to perfection. Other musicians were local Detrot players: Dwight Adams, trumpet - Mark Nilan, piano - Nate Winn, drums - Columbus Ohio player Josh Hill, guitar.

For one song he brough on the most amazing singer, a young girl with a voice to remember, so small yet so big unique voice. Her name is Alicia Michelli, from Detroit. She is just 21 years old but she is highly talented, with a voice and a performance that is really impressing. See her in the Youtube clip: Alicia Michilli: Shy Girl Sings "I'd Rather Go Blind" by Etta James - America's Got Talent 2015

[www.youtube.com]

I met many friends and fans, from Finland, Canada, New York, The Netherlands, Chicago, Portland OR, Alaska, then of course many from Detroit, I lost count of all the cities, it was great to meet everyone and thank you som much for all the kind words and comments. It is great support when the nights are late and I am still working on the IORR reports.

See you all tomorrow with The Rolling Stones live at Comerica Park Detroit!

See the IORR reports about the Tim Ries show in Detroit here: [www.iorr.org]

For comments please contact me at e-mail: iorr@arena.no

Bjornulf



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2015-07-08 16:59 by bv.

The story of my life

My father worked as the main gardener in a large mental hospital by the Oslo fjord, in a small place called Asker, twenty minutes drive south west of Oslo city. He worked there all his life until he retired, planting hundreds of trees, growing vegetables, flowers, apples, plums, carrots, salad, strawberries, everything you need of such in a large hospital. We were six children and I was number three, with two larger brothers. My playmates were my brothers, sisters, neighbours, mental patients, some had done bad things but they never hurt us. At all times I have had the highest respect for every human being, regardless of their background and who they are. I grew up in the most scenic place on earth by the fjord, and I do still live with a view to the home i grew up in, and live my childhood playgroud every day of the year biking, walking, running, swimming.

By six I was biking around all over, and by nine I started as a newspaper boy. I had been biking with an older kid, when he delivered the newspapers, and one day he asked me to take over his evening route of the deliveries of Aftenposten, the largest newspaper in Norway. I loved biking, and I got paid to do it. I would not know what money was for at age nine, but I took the job. There were a hundred or so newspapers to deliver, I did my 10 km (6 miles) Kirkesletta route in an hour or so every day after school. A year or so later the newspaper asked me if I could do the morning papers too. I said yes. So I was up 5am in the morning to deliver those very heavy morning papers, then I had the other evening papers to deliver after school.

For the rest of the day I was enjoying what must have been the perfect place to grow up in as a kid. We were six children in a large family, the mental hospital is placed on the most scenic place there is by the fjord. I climbed trees, I was swimming in the fjord during summers, and in the winter we were out on the not always to be trusted ice that froze all over the fjord. My parents gave me all the freedom a kid could ever dream about. I learned to see every person as a different individuals, and I had few limits.

During summer I had extra jobs during school leave. I grew my own vegetables and sold them, I worked on the fields to make sure the carrots were growing in clean rows, and I picked strawberries every summer. Winter was hard, some times my mother turned on the stove so that I could warm up my frozen feet after delivering the newspaper in very cold weather. Biking in snow could be hard.

At age 16 I got "Sticky Fingers", the album, and that changed my life. Soon after I met the love of my life, my wife I am still married to. The biking and climbing in trees were replaced by Univerity studies. I left home at 8am and arrived home 8pm, while we had three small children. In order to be able to buy 90 vinyl albums as shipped to me in a large box by Cob Records in Wales every half year on a student's budget I worked extra jobs every summer. There were no money for holidays. One week before University started late August we took a week of camping out, so that we could have some more time together, and a short holiday.

I have always worked double shifts. I left the previous job I had in 1990 and started my own company, because I had one year's worth of unpaid work. I had three small children and a large loan on my house, and my education loan, but I thought it was unfair they did not pay me for all the extra hours I worked.

So for 25 years I have been running my own company, with an increasing number of employees. I do still work double shifts, except now I get paid for my work. I have a family and a company to take care of. I get a lot of trust and loyality from family and friends. That is my energy in life. Also I get a lot of freedom. I do believe in freedom and trust.

In 2009, a bit after the previous Rolling Stones tours of 2005-2007 ended, I was going with my oldest son to a large biking race in Norway called Birken. On our way back he told me it was such a great race, lots of fun in the off-roards tracks, many people, lots of fun. I wanted to do this race. After a break or some 40 years I was back on the bike and it felt like I was never off the bike. I am still biking like a 15 year old kid, partly because I do still have the skills, I was sort of born on the bike, but also because I do still feel like a kid. Also, I know of few borders.

As I kid I never had a helmet when biking. I fell of trees and I climed back up. I fell of my bike and I climbed back on my bike. It is by failing you improve. These days I just love biking and mountain running. When the Stones tours are over I will be back on the tracks as soon as I can.

Why do I tell you all of this? Because some ask me questions I feel offending and intruding, like "How can you afford it?", or "What are your secrets?", or "How do you get your tickets?". Or they simply express envy, direct or indirect. Believe me, I could not care less. I have worked hard through my entire life. I do still work hard. Very hard. During tours I work even harder, because first I have to travel between shows, that takes time, then I have to do the work for my company, that is 8-12 hours of work every single working day Monday to Friday, then I edit pictures, read e-mail and edit reports on IORR, that is almost a full daytime job during tours.

Then people ask to meet me. Some times I take time to meet people on tour, even if I am a private and shy person. I don't see myself as an interesting person, I wish people could focus on the Stones, but I love to meet fans and talk about all our stories and great memories. After an hour or so time flies and we share the same dreams and we love the same songs and we have the same goals of attending another show and another show and another show.

There is no magic into going to every show of the tour. You just have to work hard, very hard, all your life. Then after sixty or so years you should be able to still work hard and spend everything you have extra on shows and travel and staying on the tour. If there is something left you may use it to paint your house, but to be honest the house may be painted later. My wife just told me we are now four years late on any sorts of painting the house and so on. This is of course due to the tour start in 2012. I have spent all my energy and income on the shows and the performances these four years. And as long as I live and as long as the Stones do perform their great shows live across the world, I will work hard to get to as many shows as I can on this planet.

Please do not envy me what I do. Please do not ask me how I can afford it. It is just hard work, a lot of hard work. Anyone can do it, but you have to sacrifice a lot, you need understanding and loyal family, friends and collegues, and you must love it, otherwise it will become a burden. But I love it, I love every bit of it. Now I hear the planned for South America shows are off for this year, so I will have more time with my family. May be I can even go to Kilimanjaro for a short trip December 2015, did not do that since 2012 either, but please don't tell my wife... Well she would know anyway. We don't have any secrets.

Finally, my name is Bjørnulf, or Bjornulf in English. Not bv, bjorn or other rare variatons people invent. My mother and father named me Bjørnulf, I am proud of that name, it is very rare in Norway and that is the only name I go by with friends. I took many fights as a kid when other kids made a fool of me or my name by twisting it, that is why I would never accept any twists of my name.

I am still enjoying the tour, on my way to Buffalo I am now counting the days. In a week from now I will be on a flight back home. It has been a great tour and the last week of the tour will be like crossing the line after a 42 km marathon. It feels great for sure!

For comments please contact me at e-mail: iorr@arena.no

Bjornulf



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2015-07-09 23:55 by bv.

The Motown Museum Hitsville, Detroit Wednesday July 8, 2015

It was great to visit the Motown Museum Hitsville, Detroit on show day. To be standing in the very room they recorded songs that were on records that Mick and Keith had during their first meeting at Dartford train station was special. The tour lasted for an hour, and we got the whole story of Tamla Motown, the labels, the passion, the studio, the artists and everything we needed to know on show day. Then later on same day we got to hear "Just My Imagination" live on stage with The Rolling Stones!

For comments please contact me at e-mail: iorr@arena.no









Bjornulf

Detroit Wednesday July 8, 2015 - Show day

Detroit is such a big city. After my visit to the Motown museum I had to walk the streets of Detroit a few more hours. Then as the show got closer, I was having a show meal at the stadium restaurant & bar while listening to the soundcheck shortly after 5pm. While sitting there I met old friends (from left to right) Hendrik (The Netherlands), Juha (Finland), Jokke (Finland and Roderick (The Netherlands). As I was sitting down at my table, shoting the picture upwards, the picture is pretty dark unfortunately, but it was great to meet up with friends I have met on tours for decades in Europe, USA, Asia and Down Under.

Because I was already scanned into the venue through the restaurant, I was the first person on the field. It looked empty but soon it would be filled up with fans. Another great show!

For the Detroit show reports and pictures see : [www.iorr.org]

For comments please contact me at e-mail: iorr@arena.no













Bjornulf



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-07-11 07:40 by bv.

Dear Southwest

You took me safely and with comfort through all of the 14 major shows of the Rolling Stones Zip Code USA tour, 14 cities, 14 states in USA, from San Diego in the south west to Buffalo in the north east, from Dallas in the south to Minneapolis in the north. You took me through hubs like Phoenix, Atlanta, Chicago, St Louis and Baltimore, then some times on direct flights. Everything went smooth. I had many tight connections but you made it every time. The people in the cabin, both the crew and the customers, travel with a smile.

I booked many flights last minute. Some times I changed flights. No penalties, no loss. Some times you gave back my money, some times you gave me a free drink. Usually it took less than ten minutes from I arrived to the airport until I was inside and through security. The planes arrived half an hour before scheduled departure. Everybody lined up nicely five by five in groups of A, B and C lists. Fifteen minutes after the plane was arriving at the gate you started boarding, and fifteen minutes later we had push-back from the gates. You run by the clock, which is essential when time is precious.

Because the boarding process was predictable, and because you had such a short time through the check-in process, I saved almost an hour on every travel day. I used that hour for my work. I enjoyed your little snacks bags of pretzels and peanuts. Would we have the one or the other, or both, of these little bags, or would we get two of the peanuts?

I will miss you. You made me an A list member and you asked for $4.50 on my last flight from Detroit to Buffalo paid for by points. Next time I am back on travel in USA I do now know what airliner to use. Thank you Southwest for taken the travel planning burden away from my shoulders. It has been a pleasure to fly with you!

For comments please contact me at e-mail: iorr@arena.no





Bjornulf



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-07-11 07:44 by bv.

Buffalo Friday July 10, 2015

Great weather in Buffalo, not as hot as earlier in the tour, nice smaller city and it seems like many, many Stones fans are staying in my hotel. I have met fans from Italy, Greece, Ireland, Finland, The Netherlands, and I am sure many from USA are checking in tomorrow on show day. All hotels in Buffalo are fully booked for show day!

For comments please contact me at e-mail: iorr@arena.no








'




Bjornulf



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-07-13 07:05 by bv.

Buffalo, NY, USA - Saturday July 11, 2015 - Show day

Show day and I was just recovering from the first day/night in Buffalo, when I was so tired and sleepless I did not know what foot to stand on. I needed to catch up with energy, real fast. Luckily I got to sleep for seven hours or so this night before show day. That is seven hours more than the first night in Buffalo.

I found out there was a bike rental place half an hours walk away, got there, got my bike, and headed out by noon. With an appointment to be picked up at 4pm for going to the show, I was short of time, as often. I headed straight out of the town, same direction as going to the show, by the lakeside. I saw the canal, the nice beaches, a cathedral, and a very nice lake area in a park called South Park. I did 40 km i.e. 25 miles in a couple of hours, needed to be back fast.

We drove off to the show at 4pm. Parking strategy close to the exit. The catering areas inside the venue are packed one hour before show time. The warmup? I did not understand that band, but they were good still they say... Show time!

For the Buffalo show reports and pictures see : [www.iorr.org]

For comments please contact me at e-mail: iorr@arena.no



































Bjornulf

Montreal Canada - Sunday July 12, 2015

We arrived back from the show one hour past midnight. I had a long travel day ahead of me, and I was in bed sleeping within minutes. Then up early around 7am, breakfast, updates of the Buffalo reports pages, show pictures, setlist and so on. Then walking half an hour or so to the downtown Greyhound bus terminal. Then three hours or so by bus from Buffalo NY USA to Toronto Canada. Then some time waiting for the Montreal train to depart in Toronto. Finally arriving into Montreal and all settled in around 9pm. Long travel day.

When you travel by ground transportation you get to see so much more, than when flying. You see rivers, lakes, bridges, trees, people, cars, roads, everything. Then train is so much more fun than bus and car. There is no highway. The train tracks cut through the landscape in the middle of nowhere. They do not take up space, they do not pollute or make noise. As you look out of the window you see kettle, farms, green fields, a few corn fields, mostly grass, some vegetable fields, and a lot of bushes and trees. They fly by so fast you can't really make a picture of them, but I gave it a try. The train travel from Toronto to Montreal was great, relaxing, and I did even manage to work a few hours on IORR updates.

Now two days in Montreal before I move on to the final stop on this tour - Quebec city show time on Wednesday. Then home home home!!!!

For comments please contact me at e-mail: iorr@arena.no









Bjornulf



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2015-07-13 07:51 by bv.

Montreal Canada - Monday July 13, 2015

Montreal QC Canada is such a beautiful and relaxing city! I had a two days break here on the tour, nice to be close to the Stones on my travel, then I know they would not do something I would not know about. Not that it would happen at this stage of the tour anyway, it just feels good...

I stayed in the chinatown area of Montreal city, and I spend the first evening walking around, trying to figure out the city. I have been in Montreal for Stones shows several times, but normally not with an extra day or two to explore the city. Monday morning I started walking and I wanted to find the best part of the city. After 10-15 minutes walk I was there. The place just called upon me. I am here. Come see me. This is the place you have been looking for all the time...

Well I said to myself I had to return to this beautiful charming little French restaurant with seating outside, under a large tree. Meanwhile I picked up a map saying "Vieux - Montreal" - "Old Montreal". By looking at the map I realized I was now entering the old part of Montreal.

I took a walk around the old town. It has so much beauty. Some parts are just tourist traps, beautiful and tourist busy. Others are empty because they are in a sidewalk or they might not be that beautiful by the first sight. Then I returned to my favorite place for lunch. It took a while to find it, but finally I was there.

"La Gargote" Montreal is a French cooking restaurant. It is sitting on the edge of the old town of Montreal, so it is not that crowded. I had my favorite table as I returned here later, I made The Gargote my favotite place in Montreal. They had a hand written meny for every meal. One for lunch, another for dinner. I asked if the fish was fresh. She said "of course". I ordered the Turbot. This was my first fresh fish meal in more than two months on this tour. Then they had Belle Guelle bier from Montreal, three different types. I tried the Rousse first, it was the best one, as I learned by tasting those other two Blonde and Blance later on.

I am not a snob, I can eat anything, but I know when I have found the perfect place, then I walk no longer. I knew that "La Gargote" was the one of a hundred place. Perfect genuine French cuisine with still a great price. Not a ten pages meny of hundred different burgers and beers. Dessert? Creme caramel home made.

I see familiar faces walking by. No cars or noise around me, just a horse with some tourists every now and then. And across the street a nice view of one of the famous old buildings of the city. Flowers are all over, and I am sitting under a large tree giving shade. Outside it is + 33 C i.e. more than 90 F in the shade, but here it is just fine. On tour there is so much stress and you get tired. Such places makes you relax and get more energy. I am so happy I found this place just by walking by.

But... it is time to move on to Quebec, for the real reason why I am in Canada. I am arriving into Quebec QC Canada by train late afternoon Tuesday. Goodbye Montreal, you have been so nice to me, I hope Quebec City will be equally nice.

For comments please contact me at e-mail: iorr@arena.no































Bjornulf



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2015-07-15 05:38 by bv.

Montreal to Quebec Canada - Tuesday July 14, 2015

Montreal Canada was a great stopover on my way to the final stop on this tour - Quebec Canada. It took 3 hours 20 minutes by train from Montreal to Quebec. It was a great ride, lots to see, farms, kettle, rivers crossing and a lot of green areas.

For comments please contact me at e-mail: iorr@arena.no



Bjornulf

Quebec Old City Canada - Wednesday July 15, 2015

I did not spend much time at my Quebec hotel. I just slept there. There was so much to see in the city. First I took the bus number 801 into town. Walking the old city was like walking a museum. Great old buildings all over. I just walked and walked for hours, it would be impossible to tell about Quebec Old Town with just a few pictures. If you can, take a visit, but you need more than just one day.

For comments please contact me at e-mail: iorr@arena.no

























Bjornulf



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-07-18 23:37 by bv.

Biking Quebec Canada - Wednesday July 15, 2015

It was getting 2pm show day. I was running ou of time. I went to the bike shop and found a great bike. They told me it would take me one hour or so to bike out to the Montmorency waterfalls. With some messing around and keeping track of the bike lane number five I made it, and returned back to the shop just before closing time around 4:45pm.

For comments please contact me at e-mail: iorr@arena.no











Bjornulf

From Quebec Old City to the concert venue, Quebec, Canada - Wednesday July 15, 2015

Walking from the downtown bike shop with plans to get to the festival area. After 20-30 minutes walking I realized there was a plateau and I needed to find a smart way up to the plateau. More and more people walked a special way so I followed by. There it was a long stairway up to the plateau. I counted 402 steps, and there I was at Le Festival d'ete de Quebec. Shortly after at 5:23pm The Rolling Stones started the rehearsals, so I stayed to hear them.

At 6pm I headed back to the hotel to get ready for the show. Then another trip back to the city by bus number 801, I was inside the venue at 8pm. Late but with control of time. I knew show time would be 9:30pm.

For comments please contact me at e-mail: iorr@arena.no











Bjornulf

Quebec Canada - Le Festival d'ete de Quebec - Show time - Wednesday July 15, 2015

I am at the main area of Le Festival d'ete de Quebec. There are 93,000 people at the show, the largest crowd of the tour. My pass is VIP so I have access to a slot in the center Ronnie side going from the center of the stage to the mixer. It is completely packed. I had decided I did not want to spend energy on arriving early, then I would not be able to see the city of Quebec. So I enjoyed the show from a spot between the B-stage and the mixer. Great show!

More about the Quebec show here: [www.iorr.org]

For comments please contact me at e-mail: iorr@arena.no









Bjornulf

Goodbye Quebec - Goodbye to the Zip Code Tour - Thursday July 16, 2015

Time to go home. After 17 shows and 75 days on the tour, I am heading home. The taxi is arriving and I go to Quebec airport. United takes me to Newark Airport, NJ, USA. I do some work on Quebec airport, then a two hours flight to Newark.

For comments please contact me at e-mail: iorr@arena.no







Bjornulf

Newark NJ USA - Stopover - Thursday July 16, 2015

Newark Airport is one of my favorite airports. I have been here many times, because it is a hub for many of my flights into USA. I will be here nearly five hours now. Airports are boring, so I do usually walk the five minutes over to the Marriott Hotell, which is sitting right in front of Terminal B, right by the control tower. They have a great relaxing restaurant area where you get excellent food, service, all you need when you are on long travels and try to avoid the crazyness and the stress you find inside airport buildings. Then a flight of some seven hours back home to Norway.

For comments please contact me at e-mail: iorr@arena.no









Bjornulf

Home - Asker, Norway - Friday July 17, 2015

I am at home Friday morning at 9:30am. I did not sleep a minute on the main flight, just did some movies and worked on my PC.

At home it is great sunshine and the temperature is like 20 degrees C. So much has changed since I left springtime May 3. The snow in the slalom hill is gone. All the trees are larger and greener with leaves taking over the scene and hiding all the houses. There lives 60,000 in Asker just 20 minutes Oslo, but you can hardly see any houses because of all the trees and other vegetation.

These are the threes I climbed as a kid. The left one was still large 50 years ago, the Chestnut tree. The right side Ash tree is a monster and it is soon 100 years old may be, nobody could climb it not even 50 years ago. Ash means Ask in norwegian and Ashes means Asker. We have Ash trees everywhere, and they are hard to climb when they are large and old.

This is where I live when I am not on the tours. This is where I played around as a kid, and this is how it looked like on my day of the return from the tour Friday. My bike paths, the strawberries from the farmer just down the road, the fjord, my sweet cherries still some some left, but the birds are working on them. The garden with more flowers than grass, The Daisy flowers will stay I can't cut the grass as long as they are there, they remind me of the tour.

The stawberries are gone but I will get more tomorrow. The strawberry fields, and behind them the large slalom hill I run up many times to keep ready for tours and climbs. I could never ever leave this place, but next time the Stones go on tour, Wild Horses Drag Me Away from these beautiful places into something equally beautiful, still different: Stonesland...

For comments please contact me at e-mail: iorr@arena.no



























Bjornulf



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 2015-07-19 00:09 by bv.

Thank You!

Thank You to The Rolling Stones for the great Zip Code Tour. It was fantastic. Seventeen shows, including the two special ones. Fourteen cities in USA. Fourteen states. Plus Quebec Canada.

Thank you to the crew and everyone who worked to make these shows happening.

Thank you to all the fans and everyone I met on the tour. So many great memories.

Thank you to everyone in USA and Canada, for making me feel welcome and like at home, even if I came from far away, and was indeed just a guest on my travel.

Bjornulf