We're from Maaastricht

In the last two weeks of July both my parents and my brother and his wife came to visit me (see first picture). It was their first trip in the Balkans. Since they do not like flying we had agreed I would pick them up in Vienna with my car.

I had arrived in Vienna 5 days earlier for the introduction training of the OSCE. During one of the lunch breaks I noticed a poster on a fence that mentioned an open-air concert by Andre Rieu and his Johann Strauss Orchestra later that weekend. I immediately realized this would be a fantastic surprise for my parents! They love his music. And they are very proud that this 'best selling Dutch artist abroad' comes from the same region as they do. I bought tickets immediately and called my brother to discuss how to keep it a secret for my parents.

The day after my parents arrived we visited Sissi's summer castle Schoennbrun. It was packed with tourists. When I was buying entrance tickets my mother - very social by nature - started talking to a group of American tourists. I heard her saying: "We're from Maaastricht". A sigh of admiration arose from the crowd. She appeared to be talking to the Andre Rieu Fan club! Some of the members had followed him all around Europe during his tour. For me it was a red alert. The secret was at danger... I hastily joined the conversation and managed to get her out of there... While we entered the castle both her and my father kept on talking of how famous Rieu had become. Their modesty refrained them from thinking they would be going to his concert.

Before the concert we had a diner close to the Hofburg. While walking the streets of the old city we repeatedly bumped into tourist that were sitting on the streets and waiting for the start of the concert to enjoy the music for free. My mother talked to some of them explaining them that "we're from Maaastricht". Even when we were approaching the security check both still had no clue what we were up to.

Of course they were baffled when I took out the tickets. And rightly so. The concert was great. It was in front of the Hofburg city castle. A perfect background for his sing a long waltzes. There were dancers in historical costumes and several guest singers (my father whispering proudly in my ear: "We see these singers every week in music shows on German television"). My mother couldn't resist grabbing my arm and pretty much succeeded in getting the rest of the row joining our 'schunkeln' (see second picture).

The next 10 days we spend crossing the Balkans. From Vienna to Belgrade (Serbia) to Pristina (Kosovo) to Kotor (Montenegro) to Dubrovnik (Croatia) and to the Plitvic lakes (Croatia). We finished the trip in Alpnach in Switserland in the same hotel were both had their honeymoon 40 years ago. It was a beautiful and exhausting trip.

The last picture shows my mother reading her local newspaper in the bay of Kotor on the Montenegrin coast. The idea for the picture was hers.

The Andre Rieu Vienna show will be broadcasted on German television (ZDF) on August 11th. Don't miss it. We are sitting halfway on the right side...