Up at 5:15 staying with friends Moira and George in Troon. George drives me to Prestwick Airport. He’s just started a new job teaching English and Maths to convicts at Kilmarnock Prison, and enjoying it.
Smooth flight to Luebeck and taxi to the station. Was going to walk around but it’s very cold (just been snowing) and the station’s being rebuilt, so I just get a coffee and pizza for breakfast and get the smooth, comfortable train to Kiel. Lunch and quick walk round a shopping mall, brave the elements for a walk outside but decide even the prospect of walking into a house full of strangers is better than this biting cold.
Taxi to Guitar Craft House, and am shown round by Ignacio, the house manager. There will be 11 people on my Introduction course, plus another 14 or so on a three week course – as well as guitar they will be the cooks for our course. Plus Ignacio’s team, there seem to be 27 and so many nationalities including German, Swiss, Austrian, Italian, French, Polish, Mexican, Guatemalan, Argentinian and, from the UK, an Englishman, a Scotsman and a Welshman (no Irishman). English in so many accents. Before the austerities of the course begin three of my roommates and I go to a nearby bar and get to know each other. We will make a good team. The locals in the bar think we’re a band.
Back at the house, dinner then an Inaugural Meeting, in typically formal Fripp style, led by Hernan Nunez. At times he seems to be speaking Fripp’s script, but when asked questions he listens and responds carefully and aptly. Then a first session of guitar circle with instructor Luciano, introducing the new tuning.