Hello. Today I went to a radio station. It is called RTL2. My mission was to give the station our demo for a big competition that's going on all over France. Three bands will be selected from Bordeaux to play off against each other in a bid to reach the grand final. Not a likely source of fame and money, but worth a pop. The winning band gets a full recording session, 1000 discs made, air time and a tour around France. The kind of thing that would make you think about dropping everything else really. I gave them all the necessary things; the demo, the letter telling them not to steal our songs, our names, addresses, d.o.b., phone numbers, and also a really nice booklet that Ben, Arnaud and Julien made. They used the photos that Kat took, edited and clipped from our last rehersal in January, and put them in a bound booklet complete with profiles of us all. Very nice. So, things roll on. Hope you are all well. Bordeaux rains.

Made it to Bordeaux in one piece. Am feeling rather tired; the last bit from Nice to Bordeaux was a long, uncomfortable train ride in a couchette with 5 other travelling folk. But not travelling folk in the sense that they played with hoops and fire, rather that they were just travelling.

I woke up at 0806, and got off the train at 0810 to be welcomed by the guys in the band, complete with a banner. It was amazing, they'd all got up to come a welcome me. It was so kind, especially given that I have no idea how they got up that early. I'm staying at Ben and Julien's tonight in Eurofac on the University Campus. I may be staying with Dan soon, but I'm not sure. It depends if he finds himself a flat and so on. He's currently living on Jamie and Clare's floor.

Catherine and Andrea came to wave me off yesterday (although I have my suspicions that Catherine was rather interested in a certain guitar!), and it was lovely to see them before I went. Francesco made me a coffee to help me get going, which certainly worked. All in all, it hasn't been bad at all. I've had a shower, and Bordeaux is my oyster.

The only sad note being that I walked from Place de la Victoire, down past my old flat, and past where I got the taxi to the airport the last time I was here. All that was with Kat, and it made me bloody miserable as I thought about it. We had an amazing final couple of weeks, and seeing the places have brought the fun back, but also all those bits of shattered sadness too.

Try this; goose breast, pine nuts, sultanas, onion, home made mayonnaise and some other secret stuff. In a panino. With a couple of glasses of wine. You have entered the magical world of Mr Schiavoni, the greatest panino maker alive. He has a daily selection of amazing fillings, and is a living Modenese legend and institution. Come to Modena and try it. Today he was handing around some wild strawberries with his balsmic vinegar drizzled over them. That may sound odd, but the balsamic vinegar is so sweet and thick that it compliments the fragolini perfectly. I had ice cream with balsamic vinegar once. It takes some getting used to, but is good all the same. Oh, and we're kidnapping Signore Schiavoni soon. Either that or Caterina is going to propose to him.

I'm off to Bordeaux in a couple of days, so I'll try and keep this all going, but it might get more irregular. On the 4th April Beautiful Lunar Landscape will be playing on the local radio, and then on the 8th we've got the semi final of the "tremplin". So there's a lot of work to be done when I get there, and please all keep your fingers crossed for us.

Rain rain rain. Well maybe not that much. I think that when you spend too much time indoors, even if you sleep lots, you still get tired. Italian verbs are as very dull.

I miss my music. I want to listen to the Pixies, to Grandaddy and to Sparklehorse. I've got one bloody compilation cd that I never want to listen to again. I've got the new Vines cd which just isn't very good. MTV is the crappest tv channel of all time. It actually makes your brain play terrible music.

I am eating very well out here. I'd even say that I'm eating better than in France. Ha ha. No really, the food is excellent here. The fresh ingredients and all that. And everyone knows how to cook as well. No one is rubbish at cooking. But then if I didn't like pasta I guess I'd be in trouble.

Tomorrow is Mum's birthday, so I'm ringing. I've had a horrible series of evenings that have meant that I haven't been able to talk to Kat, which is terrible. I'm such a miserable bastard. I will try to be more positive in these posts from now on. I swear I get S.A.D. All it takes is one morning of rain, and I'm all prepared to stay in bed till the next day. I also wonder if anyone reads any of this website. Oh, and there is a ginger haired pervert sitting next to me in the internet shop, who is looking at stills of film stars, and scrolling down to their chest areas. Hurrah hurrah.

Am currently getting a lot of very dull organisational things done. Lots of university form filling that probably equates to around 7 trees used up by now. I have no idea why they need so many things signing by so many people that have the needle in a haystack approach to being found at university.

I bought the new Vines album yesterday. It's not as good as the first, but I still like the sound and the all round psychadelic effects of the harmonies. I'd like to meet Craig Nicholls. But only if he was in a straight jacket. He might mistake me for fast food or something. Do I look like fast food?

I wrote quite a fun story about two philosophers having a duel yesterday. I was in a philsosphy lecture, and was thinking ever so deeply about the consequences that Emerson and Mill's thoughts have had on the world. So I made up an imaginary scenario where they meet and Emerson says Mill's wife is ugly, and that it is nature's fault, and it all kicks off from there. Well, I thought it was fun.

Many late nights, and late mornings. It has been difficult to get to the internet shop on time. My apologies.

I had my first round of congratulations for food that I cooked today. Normally, I'll cook something, or be in the process of cooking, and I'll be told that I'm doing bits very wrong according to the rules of the Italian Mama. Today however, I made a ragu and threw in some chili and some provencale olives. I was greeted at regular intervals by flatmates exclaiming "mamma mia" or "madonna" and the like as they walked into the kitchen. Bring it on.

Cars cars everywhere. Some mad Ferrari and Maserati weekend going on in the square. Over my shoulder I can see the most amazing Ferrari, and lots of people are taking photos. Apparently you can go to Maranello (Ferrari car factory and museum just outside Modena) and at lunch time all the workers come out in their red overalls. They then go to lunch in Michael Schumachers favourite restaurant in Maranello just over the road.

The flat is still great; it seems like something out of a film sometimes. 5 Italians shouting at each other in a small kitchen, generally taking the piss, and all having a great time. There is an excellent dynamic in the flat, and I'm slowly getting to know everyone better. Through eating and drinking mainly. This afternoon I'm going to look for shoes for Francesco (Converse, not normally his bag), and then guitars with Manu (his bag).

Must rush to a contemporary history lecture, but keep well everyone, and congrats to Al who is now engaged. Hurrah!

Yesterday was the first time I introduced my room mate Francesco to my other friends out here. I took him to meet Clare (from Bristol), and Andrea and Catherine (from Sydney). Francesco is quite a womaniser to put it lightly, but he was very well behaved last night, and was only mildly rude a couple of times.

Francesco cooked me his Mum's canneloni last night which was amazing. Lots of different flavours present. I am thinking about doing my Italian dissertation on food. And wine.

I've got the tickets to Mexico, and am very excited. I can't believe I'm going to Mexico. I promise not to get a sombrero.

Bordeaux is coming soon, and I am quite sickeningly desperate for the band to win. We'll see.

I happened to be watching television this afternoon, looking for some news about the football (Italian matches are played on Sundays). I was presented with many options, one being watching someone who was at the stadium, watching the match (so you just saw him chatting about what was going on on the pitch). Then there was the panel who had screens to watch the games and discuss what was happening. But the best without doubt had to be the crazy footballer professor, complete with Dr Emmet Brown hair, who every time there was a goal in a game, would recreate the exact moment, only with Subbuteo players and many hand gestures. Football focus has a lot to learn.

I had my first proper night out last night, going to yes, you guessed it, the Irish pub. Which happens to be 23 seconds from my flat. It was a really good evening, with french Erasmus students, some australian girls, a german guy and two of my new flatmates. They happen also to have Theakston bitter there, which is not bad at all considering it has travelled so far. I'm going to attempt to buy train tickets for the epic voyage frmo Modena to Bordeaux today. I can't wait to get there and start practising again with the band. It's all very exciting really.

I'm hoping that Dan (Stewrat) will have a flat sorted by the time I get there. I'm sure Jamie doesn't want another body on the floor.

http://www.stylusmagazine.com/feature.php?ID=881&PHPSESSID=a923f8ccccf3e45528d285146a039967

So I've moved in, and spent my first night in the flat. I had an excellent evening, going to the supermarket and getting to know my flatmates, and they also took me to a place to buy bedding which was extremely kind. It's great to be living in a flat and not in a hostel. I can use the shower without having to press the button every 10 seconds (an horrible invention specially designed for hostel showers).

My room mate Francesco has helped me settle in, and has already taught me lots of choice italian words, in exchange for their english translations.

Today I went to my first lecture, History of Philosophy. It took me about 15 minutes to work out that the lecturer wasn't talking about a russian (russo), but rather the french philosopher Rousseau. A great start. Luckily I was at the back and was asked no questions.

Oooh, how exciting. A page for Ben.

I found a flat last night that was very central, and close to the Irish pub. Grr. They do have Theakston's there, which isn't bad. I'll be living with 5 Italians, and sharing the room with one of them. It's not perfect, but it'll at least be somewhere to chill out where I don't have to leave by 10 in the morning, and be back by midnight. And I imagine it'll be good for my Italian too. So there you are. The weblog starting off on a happy note.

Hello,

This is the first of what will hopefully a fairly regular thing. I am currently studying in Modena, and thought this would be a fun way of letting people know what I'm up to, whilst at the same time keeping a kind of record of what I am doing. Hope it's not too dull, and feel free to comment on anything at all.

Toodle pip!

Ben x