June : 2009
WOW !! What a night we had. Before the concert started, we took to our seats, which were up on the side looking down to the stage, we could see everything, including Alice handing out her flags to everyone down on the floor. I waved my Aussie flag and Alice spotted us, and made a mad dash up to our seats and handed Jeff and I our own little flags. At that moment, André & the JSO made their entrance to 76 Trombones, so she made another mad dash down the stairs to her seat. Always a stirring moment when that music starts, I had goose bumps and a tear in my eye. I was in my element.
It was the start of a fantastic concert as usual, but I became so mesmerized, I can't remember half of the pieces, but there were a lot of the ones we all know and love, such as Gold & Silver, Blue Danube, Clog dance and the party piece, Espana Cani [bull], Doll song [Carla], Song of Volga,which made me cry. There where lot's of others including the encores which gets everyone going.
André was fantastic and very relaxed, but I thought he looked tired as they only arrived that morning or late the night before. What a great entertainer he is, his facial expressions were fantastic, just gorgeous and a lot more than usual, he really teased the dancers in the Blue Danube. I thought the audience were very quiet to start with, but once they got into the swing of things they really let go. All in all it was a fantastic concert and as usual André & the JSO excelled, brilliant..
I met up with Alice after the concert and met her Mum & Dad and she introduced me to Beate from Germany, a lovely lady.
Alice suggested we go to the loading bays were André's buses were, so we did and we waited for around 50 or 60 min's. The JSO were coming out one by one, but we didn't disturb them and then the thrill of a lifetime, Andre came out and came over and said Hi and thanks and gave us his autograph including my Live in Australia CD, that was played all through Alaska [great mountain music]. There were only about 12 people waiting I think. What a guy - so generous with his time, he must have been really tired. Mirusia came running out as she was the last for the bus, but had the time to speak to us and give Alice a big hug as she remembered her from another time. Mirusia saw my Aussie flag and said an Aussie, I said yes, sorry I didn't yell out Aussie, Aussie, she laughed and said are you coming in October, I said sure am and she said see you there, she gave Alice another hug and rushed for the bus. What a down to earth girl, she is just lovely.
Off they went in André's beautiful blue buses and thought that was the last we would see of them ......Wrong!!!!
Alice asked what time do you check out of your Hotel? 11.00am I said, as we have a midnight flight home. Poor old Mr Ed is still waiting for us, as we are planning all these things. Luckily he is a very patient person, he likes André & the JSO and the music, but he's not a fan like us. Anyway Alice said I'll pick you up at that time and take you sight seeing, have lunch and take you to the airport later. Fantastic that will be great.
Anyway Alice picks us up the next morning and we were almost out of the city stopped at a red light, when I see Andre's big blue bus poke it's nose out of another street, ALICE !!!!! I yell, LLLLLOOOOOKKKK!!!!! Almost needing an oxygen mask and choking in my seat. Poor Jeff in the back seat. OMG, Alice screams, shall we follow them. Good idea I said. Luckily she knew the streets pretty well, up a few side streets and there they were 1, 2, 3 blue buses. It was just a huge coincidence a million to one shot. You couldn't plan it if you tried. Anyway we followed them, they followed us. I said, I hope they don't think we are stalking them. No maybe they think we are going to the concert in Tacoma, Seattle which is only a couple of hours from here. Alice has "A.Rieu number plates" on her car and a sticker on the back window. So we escorted them to the U.S. border for about 35km and as they started to veer off to the border, we tooted & waved to No 3, then No 2 and last but not least the lead bus with André. Meanwhile poor old Jeff in the back seat gets my balloon from the concert and waves it at them and they laugh and wave, so Mr Ed finally gets in the act and gets the attention. Hillarious!!!!!
So finally we go off sightseeing and went to a lot of lovely places that we weren't originally going to, if that makes any sense at all. Well folks that was our great adventure, I'll never forget it. Can somebody wake me up now!!!!!! Was I dreaming all of this ???
A big thankyou to Alice for taking great care of us, she is a fantastic person and we have become great friends.
And OH yeah!! Our 35 day trip in the motorhome around the Yukon & Alaska was fantastic as well.
(Above pic - Beate (Germany), Alice (Canada), Edwina (Australia)
Click here to return to webpage
http://www.aussiefansforandrerieu-webpage.org
