Kris SpiteriKris Spiteri

My earliest travel memory…

That would be as a child in Sicily with my family. I can’t remember much except for the stunning views from Taormina. Then we visited a friend of my parents in a wooden house in the middle of nowhere.

The first time I travelled without my family was when I went to Paris with a friend on a trip I enjoyed immensely. One thing I remember clearly in the French capital was experiencing a new perception of dimension. You simply feel small compared to the amount of space in one piazza.

My best holiday ever…

Definitely Ireland with my siblings. I rarely get the chance to travel with my sisters but the one time I did was definitely ‘grand’, as the Irish say. We drove from Dublin to Galway and then back to Dublin through Limerick, Killarney and Cork.

Also, I recently visited Figueres in Catalonia for a full Salvador Dalí tour that was simply amazing.

One thing I remember clearly in Paris was experiencing a new perception of dimension

I would never return to…

Tunisia. I can’t really explain why, since I have a lot of respect for the Arabic culture, but I simply did not feel at ease and comfortable. It could be that the holiday spirit was anywhere but close to us.

The most dangerous place I’ve visited…

Kris with one of his heroes, jazz pianist Brad Mehldau, in Umbria.Kris with one of his heroes, jazz pianist Brad Mehldau, in Umbria.

Two places spring to mind. One of them is Sliven, Bulgaria, where I was due to play a gig with Fiona Cauchi. We had just arrived and went out of the hotel to look for food. Nothing happened but it did not look good at all.

The second experience has a comical side to it. Generally when travelling I use the Lonely Planet apps, which I suggest everyone uses. My band (The Residents), my wife and I decided to go to Marseille to watch Bobby McFerrin and the Yellow Jackets in concert.

The same thing happened as in Bulgaria: we arrived at the hotel considerably late and we were all starving. We met outside the hotel and went looking for food. The more we walked, the more we encountered strange looking people and weird alleys. The area was called Belsunce and after I wrote the name in the Lonely Planet app the answer was straight and simple: “Avoid the Belsunce area.” That was definitely not the answer we wanted at 1am.

My favourite city…

I have a few: Venice, Galway and Budapest are top of my list.

I also adore Barcelona because of the atmosphere and also because of Gaudi’s splendid works. I remember feeling incredibly inspired when I passed next to Casa Mila.

Recently I also visited a small town in England called Whitby. It is worth a visit if you ask me, especially if you are a goth. They have a gothic festival twice a year which is very popular.

My most treasured holiday souvenir…

A death mask of Beethoven, which I got from one of his houses in Vienna. I even convinced my wife that it looks great hung up in my study.

My biggest gaffe abroad…

I had just bought a GPS in Ireland and we needed to travel on the same day. So I set the GPS up, assigned the destination and off we went.

After an hour or so my wife said something about not being in the right place or area according to the signs on the street. I acted cool and kept driving; telling everyone that I’m sure that I clearly gave the GPS the right co-ordinates. All of a sudden we ended up in a field next to a cow and the GPS goes: “You have reached your destination!” Where is empathy when you need it?

All of a sudden we ended up in a field next to a cow and the GPS goes: ‘You have reached your destination’

I felt most welcome in…

Italy, Ireland and Scotland. I must also mention a couple of friends from the English village Corfe Castle in Dorset. Corfe looks like a really lovely postcard. We lived with them for a couple of weeks and the people there were extremely friendly. It sincerely feels like home every time we visit.

Kris and Boris Cezek spy their CD in the famous London shop, Dress Circle.Kris and Boris Cezek spy their CD in the famous London shop, Dress Circle.

I never travel without...

Travelling pills and headphones. I am a bad traveller. I hate planes, boats and cars, but adore trains.

My all-time favourite holiday photo...

Sometime after we performed Porn the Musical in London, Boris Cezek and I visited London to discuss a new musical, The Monster Bride. During that visit we went to one of the top CD and merchandise shops for musicals called Dress Circle, only to find our CD for sale with the rest of the shows happening in London.

An unforgettable hotel...

You don’t want to be in Vienna during a heatwave. Nowhere was equipped with airconditioning or fans, including the hotel.

Another hotel that I will never go to is Marble Arch in London. It was as bad as bad can be.

The Corinthia in Budapest was a great hotel. I think the best hotel I’ve ever been to abroad was the Rey Juan Carlosi in Barcelona. The Residents and I had a gig for 15,000 people in Palau Sant Jordi and the organisers made sure we had the best treatment ever.

I return most often to...

London.

My ideal travel companion...

Definitely my wife. She is super organised, not mad about shopping, somewhat patient with my long hours in museums, and we share similar tastes when it comes to entertainment.

My next holiday plans…

I have no holidays planned at the moment, but I would really love to visit Xlendi soon. I love Gozo and Xlendi in particular.

My dream trip…

The US and China. I’d visit the States for jazz, musicals and to make sure that Manhattan was properly depicted by Woody Allen (I’m sure it was). I want to visit China in order to taste and breathe a different culture.

My travel tip…

Always use Lonely Planet when possible.

I travel because...

Of work and because of some projects that I get involved in.

I also travel for treatment and checkups. Last year I was diagnosed with cancer, which is under control and seems clear so far, but every three months, I have to travel for checkups to London. I’m not saying this to sadden our conversation/interview; on the contrary I would like people in my situation to realise that they are not alone and that the best way to fight any form of sickness is to actually try to gain back what they like doing most. This could be making music in my case, or travelling in yours.

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